last updated June 2010
Introduction
Violence against animals has been found to occur where there is also violence against female intimate partners (both in heterosexual and same-sex couples), children, and siblings. From Battered Women and Their Animal Companions, Society & Animals. A battered pet may be a sign that other types of violence are occurring in the family. From The Abuse of Animals and Domestic Violence, Society & Animals. In fact, the relationship between animal abuse, domestic abuse and interpersonal violence is often referred to as the “tangled web of abuse.” From Domestic Violence and Animal Cruelty, Journal of Social Work Education. Studies reveal that a significant proportion of abuse victims report that their batterer has also abused an animal. From The Relationship Between Domestic Violence and Animal Abuse, Journal of Interpersonal Violence.
Risk Factors
Studies indicate that along with other characteristics such as low education level, problems with drug or alcohol use and being in poor mental health, abuse of a pet is a risk factor associated with partners who commit domestic violence. From Risk Factors for Intimate Partner Violence and Associated Injury Among Urban Women, Journal of Community Health. Importantly, some studies further suggest that animal abuse may be an indication of more serious forms of interpersonal abuse. From Exploring the Link Between Pet Abuse and Controlling Behaviors in Violent Relationships, Journal of Interpersonal Violence. Especially in light of the fact that animal abuse is a criterion used in the diagnosis of conduct disorder among children and adolescents, animal abuse among adults may prove an important factor through which to predict co-occurrence of interpersonal violence. From The Relationship Between Domestic Violence and Animal Abuse, Journal of Interpersonal Violence.
The Relationship between Animal and Interpersonal Abuse
Women seeking refuge at shelters due to violent relationships report their pets provided an important source of emotional support and companionship as they dealt with abuse. Many battered women also described forming bonds with companion animals that were similarly victimized. From Battered Women and Their Animal Companions, Society & Animals.
Batterers may use animal abuse as a means of terrorizing and controlling their families, especially when a victim exhibits a strong emotional attachment to her pet. From Battered Women and Their Animal Companions, Society & Animals. Where a close bond exists between a pet and battered spouse, harm or threat of harm to the pet can be used to control, intimidate, coerce and silence the victim. From Woman’s Best Friend, Violence Against Women.
Effects of Animal Abuse on Victims of Abuse
In addition to experiencing trauma as a result of witnessing threats to or abuse of a pet, studies show that many women delay leaving an abusive situation out of concern for their pet's safety. Once they have left the relationship, some victims may return out of concern for their pet. From Woman’s Best Friend, Violence Against Women. Further, many children who have witnessed abuse of a pet at the hands of a batterer have also abused a pet themselves, potentially indicating a cyclical effect. From Battered Pets and Domestic Violence, Violence Against Women.
For many reasons, including health concerns, women’s shelters do not traditionally allow pets to stay in shelters with their owners. In addition to causing many women to delay seeking shelter, this causes women who leave their pet behind to risk the welfare of their pet, lose the emotional support provided by their pet, and experience guilt regarding their inability to help their pet. From Woman’s Best Friend, Violence Against Women.
Laws governing animal abuse and domestic violence
In most foreign and domestic jurisdictions, laws enacted to protect victims of domestic violence, child abuse and animal abuse are located within separate sections of the criminal code. However, in 19 American states, statutes have been enacted allowing courts to include pets in protective orders. From Pets in Domestic Violence Protective Orders, American Humane. The International Institute for Animal Law has drafted a model law for incorporating pets in protective orders: The Domestic Abuse Animal Protection Act.
Cross-reporting of domestic, child, and animal abuse is an important step that can be taken to address these often interrelated forms of violence (from Woman’s Best Friend, Violence Against Women), yet as of September 2009, only eight American states had enacted legislation requiring animal protection workers to cross-report abuse of a child or adult. From State Cross-Reporting Mandates by Profession, American Humane.
Australia
Though the federal domestic violence legislation of Australia does not refer specifically to abuse of animals in connection with domestic violence, five of eight Australian states and territories explicitly include abuse of an animal within the definition of domestic abuse (see Western Australia Restraining Orders Act 1997, § 6(1)(c); Victoria Family Violence Protection Act 2008, § 5(2)(e); South Australia Intervention Orders (Prevention of Abuse) Act 2009, § 8(4)(d) (uncommenced); Northern Territory of Australia Domestic and Family Violence Act 2009, §§ 5(b), 6(1)(b)(ii); Australian Capital Territory Domestic Violence and Protection Orders Act 2008, § 13(1)(f)&(g)).
Further, Queensland empowers the court to remove from an abuser’s possession a “thing,” defined to include an animal or pet, which has been used or has been threatened to be used in committing an act of domestic violence. From Queensland Domestic and Family Violence Protection Act 1989, § 26(1)(a)&(b). Similarly, the Northern Territory statute allows a police officer to remove and detain a person in order to prevent harm to an animal, framing the issue as one of preventing damage to property. From Northern Territory of Australia Domestic and Family Violence Act 2009, 84(1)(b).
Minnesota
In May 2010, Minnesota’s Domestic Abuse Act (see M.S.A. § 518B.01) was amended to include animal protection. Courts may now grant relief, including in the form of an ex parte order (an order that may be made without the presence of the other party), to victims of abuse by directing the care, possession or control of a pet or companion animal and by issuing protective orders to prevent these animals from being abused or injured “as an indirect means of intentionally threatening the safety” of the victim. From Sections 4 and 5 of Chapter 299, Minnesota Session Laws.
Baltimore, Maryland After a high-profile 2009 animal cruelty case, the Mayor of Baltimore initiated an Anti-Animal Abuse Task Force, charged with exploring issues of animal cruelty in greater depth and making recommendations based upon these findings. The interim report, released in January 2010, discusses cross-reporting and the inclusion of animals in protective orders, makes recommendations for changes to current legislation, and addresses other issues more generally related to animal abuse. A final report is due to be released following the final June 2010 meeting of the task force and will be available at http://www.baltimorecity.gov/OfficeoftheMayor/MayoralInitiatives/AntiAnimalAbuseTaskForce.aspx. Advocacy Advocacy Techniques
From Woman’s Best Friend, Violence Against Women. Organizations
Resources Frank R. Ascione’s 2000 “Safe Havens for Pets: Guidelines for Programs Sheltering Pets for Women who are Battered,” available at http://www.vachss.com/guest_dispatches/ascione_safe_havens.pdf. Bibliography of the Link Between Animal Abuse, Child Abuse and Domestic Violence, compiled by Phil Arkow Rev, Aug. 25, 2008. http://www.animaltherapy.net/Bibliography-Link.html. An excellent source of research materials on the topic. The Society and Animals Forum’s “Beyond Violence” project focuses on the link between violence against animals and humans and the site is a good source of articles on the topic. http://www.societyandanimalsforum.org/beyond_violence.html. Volcano Press publishes books on domestic violence and women’s health and provides links to additional information on animal and domestic abuse. http://www.volcanopress.com/. Compiled From: Ascione, F.R et al. The Abuse of Animals and Domestic Violence: A National Survey of Shelters for Women who are Battered, Society and Animals Vol. 5, No. 3, at 205-218 (1997) available at http://www.societyandanimalsforum.org/sa/sa5.3/Ascione.html (last visited June 2010). Ascione, F.R. et al. Battered Pets and Domestic Violence: Animal Abuse Reported by Women Experiencing Intimate Violence and by Nonabused Women, Violence Against Women Vol. 13, at 354-373 (2007). The Domestic Abuse Animal Protection Act, International Institute for Animal Law available at http://animallaw.com/protectiveordermodellaw.htm (last visited June 2010). Faver, C. A., and Strand, E.B. Domestic Violence and Animal Cruelty: Untangling the Web of Abuse, Journal of Social Work Education, Vol. 39, No. 2 (Spring/summer 2003). First Strike: The Connection Between Animal Cruelty and Human Violence, The Humane Society of the United States available at http://www.hsus.org/hsus_field/first_strike_the_connection_between_animal_cruelty_and_human_violence/ (last visited June 2010). Flynn, C. Battered Women and Their Animal Companions: Symbolic Interaction Between Human and Non-Human Animals, Society & Animals Vol. 8, No. 2, at 99-127 (2000), available at http://www.animalsandsociety.org/assets/library/411_s821.pdf. Flynn, C. Woman’s Best Friend: Pet Abuse and the Role of Companion Animals in the Lives of Battered Women, Violence Against Women Vol. 6, at 162-177 (2000). Interim Report of the Mayor’s Anti-Animal Abuse Task Force, Baltimore Anti-Animal Abuse Task Force (5 January 2010), available at http://www.baltimorecity.gov/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=iPTK5qEDfdA%3d&tabid=1290&mid=2338. (PDF, 49 pages).
Legislative Information, The American Humane Association available at http://www.americanhumane.org/advocacy/ (last visited June 2010).
The Link of Violence, American Humane available at http://www.americanhumane.org/link (last visited June 2010).
National Resource Center, The American Humane Association available at http://www.americanhumane.org/human-animal-bond/programs/the-link-of-violence/national-resource-center.html (last visited June 2010).
Pets in Domestic Violence Protective Orders, American Humane available at http://www.americanhumane.org/assets/docs/advocacy/ADV-pets-in-protective-order.pdf (last visited June 2010).
Pets and Women’s Shelters Program, The American Humane Association available at http://www.americanhumane.org/human-animal-bond/programs/pets-and-womens-shelters/ (last visited June 2010).
Simmons, Catherine A. and Lehmann, Peter. Exploring the Link Between Pet Abuse and Controlling Behaviors in Violent Relationships Vol. 22, No. 9, at 1211-1222 (2007).
State Cross-Reporting Mandates by Profession, American Humane available at http://www.americanhumane.org/assets/docs/advocacy/ADV-laws-state-cross-reporting.pdf (last visited June 2010).
Volant, Anne M. et al. The Relationship Between Domestic Violence and Animal Abuse: An Australian Study, Journal of Interpersonal Violence Vol.23, No. 9, at 1277-1295 (2008).
Walton-Moss, Benita J. et al. Risk Factors for Intimate Partner Violence and Associated Injury Among Urban Women, Journal of Community Health Vol. 30, No.5, at 377-389 (2005).