1. In a Violent Home Everyone is a Victim
Leanne Sillers, BSW, RSW
Animal Safekeeping Coordinator

2. Saskatchewan SPCA Introduction
Established in 1928, the Saskatchewan SPCA is a registered charitable organization working to prevent animal cruelty.
This is done through education and outreach
Raise awareness of the human animal bond, promote the humane treatment of animals

3. Overview
The Link: Interpersonal Violence and Abuse and Animal Safekeeping
STOPS to Violence, PATHS and Saskatchewan SPCA, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Social Services, and the University of Regina
Project grew out of another research project from Alberta SPCA-Cruelty Connection: The role of Animals in Decision Making by Domestic Violence Victims in Rural Alberta, released in 2012
Surveyed both human and animal service providers about their experience with individuals leaving abusive relationships who had concern for animal care and safekeeping

4. Findings
71% of individuals seeking refuge from domestic violence and entering a safe shelter reported that the perpetrator had abused a family pet.
96% of human service workers taking part in the study agreed that the care and safekeeping of animals can impact planning and decision making for individuals leaving abusive relationships.
78% of respondents from the human services sector indicated awareness of someone who did not leave an abusive relationship due to concern for the care and safekeeping of animals
Saskatchewan Towards Offering Partnership Solutions (STOPS) to Violence & Saskatchewan Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. (2016). The Link: Interpersonal Violence and Abuse and Animal Safekeeping.

5. Human Animal Bond

6. Human animal bond Unconditional love and acceptance
Petting an animal can reduce blood pressure, lowering stress
Pets provide connections
Increase serotonin and dopamine levels-calming properties

7. Human animal bond
In Canada the pet industry was expected to reach to around $8.3 billion a year by 2018.
41% of Canadian homes have a dog, 38% of Canadian homes have a cat. Source: 2019 Canadian Animal Health Institute
Over 80% percent of people view their pets as members of their family.
Children are more likely to grow up in a home with a pet than a home with two parents.
The healing touch of petting an animal or nuzzled in return establishes a soothing effect at a time of loneliness.

8. “the link”

9. “The link”
When acts of violence occur in one of these areas it is usually not an isolated incident, these acts are “linked”

10. “The Link”
“When animals are abused, people are at risk. When people are abused, animals are at risk” (Phil Arkow, 2013). Coordinator of the National Link Coalition
Where animal abuse or neglect has occurred, other forms of violence are often present.
Batterers who also abuse pets are more dangerous, more controlling and use more forms of violence than batterers who do not. (Simmons & Lehmann, 2007)
The “Link” is an important concept as may be able to intervene earlier and possibly prevent more abuse from occurring.

11. Tip of the iceberg

12. Tip of the Iceberg
“On New Year’s Day, two police officers in a major Canadian city responded to a call that an animal had been stabbed. The officers determined the animal urgently needed treatment and transported the puppy to a nearby veterinary hospital. Thanks to the expert training they received at the CFHS Canadian Violence Link Conference in December, they made the connection that a person in the home might be a victim of domestic violence. The officers investigated further and formed reasonable grounds that partner abuse had occurred. A suspect was subsequently charged with numerous Criminal Code offences – including two animal cruelty charges.

13. Stats
Incidence of domestic violence in Canada, 313 incidents per 100,000
Saskatchewan rate of domestic violence is 682 per 100,000 double that of the national average. (Stats Can, 2017).
On the snapshot day of April 18, 2018, a total of 3,565 women, 3,137 accompanying children, and 8 men were residing in residential facilities for reasons of abuse in Canada.

14. Women & Pets
Women with strong bonds to pets had abusers use control tactics to threaten pets
Pets helped women in recovery
Women wanted to be asked about pets at intake
Women felt a lack of control over the decision to leave their pet and wanted safe options for their pet
Hardesty, Khaw, Ridgway, Weber & Miles (2013). Coercive Control and Abused Women’s Decisions about their Pets When Seeking Shelter. Journal of Interpersonal Violence 28 : 2617

15. What we know
Individuals who witnessed animal cruelty were 8.14 times more likely to become a perpetrator
Witnessing animal cruelty was the biggest predictor of later violence by the witness
Witnessing animal cruelty with child abuse or exposure to domestic violence increases the risk of animal cruelty
(DeGue & Delilo, is Animal Cruelty a Red Flag for Family Violence? Investigating Co-occurring Violence Toward Children, Partners and Pets, Journal of Interpersonal Violence 24(6). P )

16. “The Link” and Domestic Violence

17. Animal abuse and domestic violence
Physical abuse-kicking, hitting, punching
Emotional abuse-disappearing, giving away or killing her source of unconditional love
Economic abuse-refusing her money for vet bills or basic needs for the pet
Threats-to harm or kill threat if she tries to leave
Isolation-refusing her to take the pet to the vet, or socialize the dog with other dogs

18. Why is this important?

19. “The Link” and Child Abuse
68% of battered women reported violence to their animals; 75% occurred in the presence of children. (Ascione, Weber, Thompson, Health, Maruyama & Hayashi (2007)
37.5% of children residing in a shelter had harmed or killed pets
Damage children’s sense of safety and confidence in the ability of adults to protect them from harm.
Damage the development of empathy.
Lead to imitation of abusive behaviors.

20. Barriers to leaving an abusive relationship
Children
Finances
Family
Safety concerns
Religion
Legal issues
Shame/embarrassment
Pets

21. Pets as a Barrier
The need to act as a buffer to soften the abuse treatment
The knowledge that the threats against the animals would be (and had previously been) would be followed through on
Up to 48% of families remain with the abuser due to shelters being unable or unwilling to accommodate pets. (Ascione, 2007)
Out of 337 domestic violence shelters in Canada with publicly accessible websites, only 155 (46%) mention pets and 70% did not mention any options for off-site pet services.
Currently out of more than 450 transition houses only 12 accept pets

22. What can we do?
Asking questions about the presence and safety of animals in the home at intakes, client assessments, interviews.
Do you have animals in the home?
Are you concerned about their safety?
Do you have a place to take them to keep them safe?
Do you need our assistance in doing so?
Creating a safety plan that includes pets

23. Safety planning
Bringing the animal’s leash, collar, food/water bowl if possible
Favorite toy, bedding
Proof of ownership-vet bills, receipt for food
Medication, if any
A photo and an information sheet on food and feeding schedules, medical conditions, medications and schedules, likes and dislikes, and any possible behaviour problems to give to a temporary caretaker

24. What can we do? Laws that equally protect humans and animals better.
Cross reporting (Vets mandatory reporting)
Changing of attitudes “its just an animal”
Advocate for legislation that allows including animals in no-contact orders, EIO’s and peace bonds.

25. What can we do?
Working together (transition houses/animal welfare providers)
New awareness “if he is hurting animals, is someone else being hurt”?
Education around the “Link” which would allow earlier intervention
Creating more animal safekeeping programs and/or transition houses that allow pets

26. What’s next?
Collaborated to develop two new animal safekeeping programs in the province of Saskatchewan. And continuing …
Working with a legal organization to provide education to lawyers, Crown prosecutors and judges about pet protection orders
Early stages to begin working with transition homes to create Saskatchewan’s first ever pet friendly women’s shelter

27. Comments/questions

28. Jack the therapy dog