Help Your Fur Kids Survive An Abusive Human Relationship

You might be surprised to learn how common this issue is. Did you know that at least 1/3 of domestic violence victims don’t leave their abusive relationship because of the concern for their fur kids? Yes, it’s serious, but there’s a way to deal with this.

The worst part is that many of these victims return to their abusive partners to protect their fur kids just because they’re retained by them. It’s very sad to know that fur kids and their humans are sticking around in abusive relationships out of a feeling of necessity.

What’s happening these days is that abusive partners are using their pups as a means to continue a harmful relationship with another individual. Not only that, the victim of abuse refuses to leave the relationship simply because of their concern for their fur kids. The good news is that the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association has highlighted some of these issues and have laid out some solutions that may help abuse victims.

Within the article, there’s a quote that pretty much sums up the entire situation. The executive director of Animals and Society Institute called Maya Carless was quoted saying, “I have personally worked with hundreds of victims who escaped abusive situations with little more than the clothes on their backs and their pets in their arms. Not only were they struggling to find safety for their pets, the abusers’ control over their finances left them unable to afford necessary veterinary care for their pets who have been harmed by the abuse.“

What About The Law For Abused Victims And Their Pets?

According to Rep. Katherine Clark of Maryland, co-author of House of Representative Bill 1258, “No one should have to make the choice between leaving an abusive situation and ensuring their pet’s safety.” Rep. Katherine Clark of Maryland and Rep Ileana Ros-Lehtinen of Florida have drafted a Pet and Women Safety Act or PAWS and the bill includes the following:

1. Make threatening a pet a stalking-related crime
2. Provide grant funding to increase the availability of alternate housing for pets of domestic violence victims
3. Encourage states to provide coverage for pets under protection orders
4. Require abusers who harm pets to pay veterinary and other expenses incurred as a result of abuse

Would This Help The Victim and Their Pup From Abuse? Here’s What Maya Carless Had To Say

According to Carless, “While many kindhearted veterinarians help greatly by discounting their services, the PAWS Act would provide financial restitution for the costs of veterinary care in these situations, lifting the burden from the veterinary profession and greatly increasing treatment for animal victims of domestic violence.“

The American Veterinary Medical Association fully supports PAWS with its lobby support. The reason to why is supports PAWS has been cited in the article that reads, “The AVMA Steering Committee on Human-Animal Interactions, together with the AVMA Animal Welfare Committee, recommend that the Association support H.R. 1258 because it is consistent with the veterinary efforts to protect the welfare of animals and promote responsible human-animal relationships, including the philosophy in the AVMA Animal Welfare Principles and its resource publication ‘Practical Guidance for the Effective Response by Veterinarians to Suspected Animal Cruelty, Abuse and Neglect.'”

Of course this will not completely end domestic violence and abuse, but it will provide victims with a choice to leave the relationship before its too late. Don’t forget to SHARE this post with everyone you know.

Feature Image Source: ethology.eu