Pet Abuse, Women, and Domestic Violence
Recently, a policeman starved his wife's Dalmation Dog to death as an act of domestic violence against her, according to the Animal Legal Defense Fund Action Line Bulletin. The dog's carcass was described by an investigating officer as, "basically a skelleton with a hide on it." Another lady testified that her husband, in addition to beating their children, and beating, raping, and locking her in a closet without food or water for days, hung a pet rabbit in their garage and skinned it alive in front of her and her baby, according to "Animals Escaping Domestic Violence," by Patricia Murphy. The article continues with another example of spousal abuse, in which the husband wrapped one cat with duct tape and burned the paws and broke the legs of the other cat.
Every year two million women, a conservative figure, are abused. Many of these women have pets and sometimes are forced to watch their beloved pet physically or sexually abused. Partners "use the pets to manipulate the women's emotions," according to Murphy. A women faced with abuse may stay in a relationship longer than is safe because of what the abuser may do to her animal. Joan Quacempts, a community educator, states that the abused woman's pet maybe the "only source of emotional support or unconditional love a battered woman gets." How common is pet abuse? Presently, there aren't a lot of studies to consult, but there are some.
In one study, "The Abuse of Animals and Domestic Violence: A National Survey of Shelters for Women Who Are Battered" by Frank R. Ascione, Ph D, Claudia V. Weber, MS, and David S. Wood. Utah State University, Logan, Utah, battered women shelters in fourty-nine states were surveyed. Ninety-six percent of the shelters responded and reported that it is "common for shelters to serve women and children who talk about pet abuse." However, in the admitting interview, shelters don't ask about pet abuse on a regular bases. Forty-two shelters confirmed that women stayed in their facility at least one night during the period of November 1, 1995 through May 1, 1996. Forty-two shelters confirmed that the number of women served during a six-month period ranged from thirty-four to six hundred with a mean of one hundred eighty-six. Eighty-four percent of these shelters confirmed that women mentioned pet abuse. Sixty-three percent confirmed that children talked about pet abuse. Eighty-three point three percent agreed that based on their experience, domestic violence and pet abuse coexist. Though shelters are available for women, there are only a few safe options for pets.
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