November 26, 2003

Mick Maloney, Editor
The Vancouver Courier Newspaper
1574 West 6th Avenue
Vancouver, BC
V6J 1R2

Dear Mr. Maloney,
I am responding the BCSPCA's recent news release that addresses the link between family violence and animal cruelty. There is indeed a very strong link between these two aspects of abuse that human and animal victims have endured throughout our human history.

My concern about this new initiative is that the news release falsely gives credit to the SPCA for coming up with the idea in the first place. The knowledge that victims of domestic abuse have witnessed acts of aggression or threats against the family pet is nothing new. Psychologists, police officers, school counsellors and teachers, hospital staff and veterinarians have long known about this twisted dynamic. For example, veterinarians from around the world held a conference in Vancouver a couple of years ago, addressing this very issue as one of their topics.

The brochures put out by the SPCA advise the public to call them if they witness or suspect animal abuse. What will the SPCA do in response to these calls? The brochures say nothing about removing an animal from the situation, pressing charges and ensuring safety for potential human victims in the household. Animal Advocates Society has photographs and testimonials from individuals who have called and written the SPCA about on-going animal abuse in their neighbourhoods to no avail. The SPCA knows about yard dogs, puppy mills and pet store cruelty. Have they ever alerted the police or the
Ministry of Children and Families to express concern about the possibility of domestic violence existing in these households?

I think the news release and brochures give a false sense of hope to victims of violence. From these materials, an abused woman should be able to assume that a 'safe house' now has policies in place to protect her, her children and the family pet. Is this true?

I agree that a public awareness campaign to address the link between family violence and animal abuse is very much needed in our communities. But it will take an awful more than brochures and a list of phone numbers to protect children, animals and their families. It will require a lot of financial and human resources, progressive thinking, capacity building, community partnerships and highly skilled professionals to put an end to this form of violence and dominance. And we need to remind ourselves that we live in a political climate that has cut back resources for women and
children, and that far too many families are not even getting their basic needs met.

For even minor change to take place, society will have to rethink how it views victims in the first place, and stop blaming people and animals as authors of their own misery. Unfortunately, the SPCA is not leading the way with respect to either victimized group.

Sincerely
Jeri-Lyn Ratzlaff
Burnaby BC