Battered Pets and Domestic Violence

Domestic violence has long been a significant problem in the U.S., so prevalent now that 1 in 3 American women have been abused at some point in their lives by either a husband or a boyfriend. Yet, in all of the information available concerning domestic violence today, the fate of the pets involved in these relationships is seldom, if ever, even mentioned. Yet, it is the fate of the battered pet that is one of the greatest predictors of domestic violence, and one of the reasons that women often do not seek safety for themselves sooner.

New research shows that the women who eventually make it to shelters for battered women are 11 times more likely to report that their pets were battered or killed by their husbands or boyfriends than women who have not been battered. Having lived with threats to harm pets, as a form of emotional battering, was likely to be 4 times greater among battered women, and fear of what would happen to their pets if they left the situation was found to be a significant issue with battered women, and even more so if the women did not have children.

Battered pets have no voice, nor do the children who witness pets being abused. The psychological damage to children can be enormous and can certainly contribute to an increase in the number of batterers in the next generation.

Currently, such sites as DomesticViolence.org are the best sites online for obtaining information about what to do if one is the victim of a domestic abuser. Yet, no mention is made of recognizing that the abuse, or even the threat of abuse of pets is a red flag that something should be done to get away from the abuser. In addition, these sites give no instructions for what to do if a pet is abused as a form of coercion. Sites such as PetAbuse.com are concerned only with animal abuse cases, and make no attempt to connect these cases with domestic violence. In the meantime, pets are suffering and only a few researchers are beginning to take note and connect domestic violence with pet abuse.

Pet abuse has been found to be an obstacle to women seeking help in cases of domestic violence. If you know of someone who is the victim of domestic violence, and if they have pets, you should understand that the findings of research show that they are more likely to seek safety for themselves and their children if they know their pets will be safe. What can you do? Offer assistance to help find a safe place for their pet before it is badly injured or killed. Pets are the most innocent victims of domestic violence and deserve all the help that a civilized society can give them.

Source: Ascione, F.R., Weber, C.V., Thompson, T.M., Heath, J., Maruyama, M., Hayashi, K. (2007). Battered pets and domestic violence: animal abuse reported by women experiencing intimate violence and by nonabused women. Violence Against Women. 13(4): 354 - 373.