In November of 2003, the BC SPCA announced that it had partnered
with several BC organizations to create the "Violence Link Project",
a program designed to inform and aid the pets of victims of
violence. The BC SPCA's role was described as being both an educator
of the public as well as a support system for victims of abuse and
their pets. It all sounded wonderful on paper, and a series of
pamphlets was created to promote the program. The BC SPCA also
issued a press release touting all that it was doing to help victims
of violence and their pets.
Following is a brief synopsis of what the program claims to
offer, taken directly from pamphlets, websites, and BC SPCA press
releases:
From the BCSPCA’s November 19, 2003 Press Release
“Addressing the Link Between Family Violence and Animal Cruelty”
”The Violence Link Project officially launches Nov. 19th with
the first joint training workshop at the Justice Institute of BC.
Participants from several BC agencies and organizations will gather
to increase their knowledge about the link between family violence
and animal abuse and to share information on identifying signs of
abuse. A series of brochures on the violence link has also been
produced for wide distribution by organizations helping victims of
violence.”
Excerpts from Pamphlet #1 for the General Public
“Support anyone who may be abused by a family member.
Encourage the person to call VictimLINK at 1-800-563-0808.”
“Report animal abuse. Report all instances of suspected animal
abuse to the BC SPCA or police.”
Excerpts from Pamphlet #2 for Animal Care Professionals:
Coordinating Violence Prevention
“Today, communities across Canada are initiating coalitions
for coordinated violence prevention. Animal care workers, family
violence workers and police officers are learning how to recognize
and report cross-abuse.
Examples of current collaborative work:
- including plans for pets in safety plans for abused women
- developing emergency shelter programs for the pets of women
leaving abusive relationships
- including animal care workers on local coordinating committees
for violence against women in relationships
- building partnerships between veterinarians and family violence
prevention workers
- developing training modules on violence against women in
relationships, animal abuse, and child abuse for animal protection
workers and family violence prevention workers
- having family violence courses in colleges and universities
that include pets in the definition of family
- holding joint educational workshops for the family violence
prevention and animal welfare communities
Resources
- The BC SPCA is taking practical steps to address the training
needs about the link between animal abuse and family violence. The
BC SPCA is also working with local communities to provide support to
battered women and their pets.
Excerpts from Pamphlet #3 for Victim Service Workers and
Justice System Personnel
“Be informed about the links between family violence and
animal abuse, the resources you can use, and the collaborative
efforts underway in your community.
-Report Abuse
Report suspected child abuse. Call the Helpline for Children
310-1234 (toll free, no area code needed)
Report suspected animal abuse the SPCA or the police. Phone BC
SPCA: 1-800-665-1868”
“-Become Involved
Contact Victim Services Division to find out more about
resources, cross-training, the development of protocols, and
community coalitions. Phone: 604-660-5199.
· The BC/Yukon Society of Transition Houses is working with the
BC SPCA and with veterinarians in local communities to provide
support for battered women and their pets. BC SPCA toll free:
1-800-665-1868
· The British Columbia Veterinary Medical Association has made
animal welfare, including animal abuse, one of its priorities.
Contact the British Columbia Veterinary Medical Association at
1-604-929-7090.
· BC /Yukon Society of Transition Houses: 604-669-6943.”
Resource links for all 3 brochures www.bcifv.org www.bcysth.ca www.spca.bc.ca www.bcvma.org From the BC SPCA's website:
www.bcspca/abuse.htm
Towards a Humane Coalition
“Every year, the BC SPCA conducts over 10,000 cruelty
investigations, while Social Services responds to some 30,000
allegations of child abuse or neglect. Although only a small
percentage of investigations uncovers serious abuse, it is clear
that the community -- and families at risk -- would be well served
by earlier intervention arising from interagency cooperation. In an
escalating situation, animals are often the first victims. Because
they fear intervention will result in removal of the children,
neighbours may report concerns about animal cruelty sooner than
acting upon suspicions of child abuse. Recognizing this, the SPCA
has begun to train its inspectors in child abuse detection.”
From the BC SPCA's online magazine Animal Sense:
http://www.spca.bc.ca/animalsense/FallWinter2002/ViolenceLinkFallWinter2002.htm
Excerpts from “The Pattern of Violence: The links between human
and animal abuse are well documented and the BC SPCA is out to help
victims of violence and their pets.” by Gail Johnson
"Research points to a link between cruelty to animals and family
abuse.
The good news is that a number of local initiatives are in the
works to educate people about the connection — and to help both
victims of abuse and their pets.
“We want to raise awareness about the link and let people know
there are services available,” says Craig Naherniak, the general
manager of humane education at the BC SPCA. “Animals are part of
that equation. We want to help victims of abuse find a safe way to
leave.”
One of the most difficult things a woman can do is leave an
abusive relationship — and many may not leave sooner out of fear for
their pet’s safety.
A 1998 survey conducted by the Ontario SPCA looked at women
leaving
abusive relationships and found that 61 per cent had pets abused
or killed by their partners. Forty-eight per cent said that concern
over the safety of their pets prevented them from leaving sooner.
Here is where things get complicated. Many transition houses do
not allow pets. Often, women are advised to leave their animal with
a friend or family member, but many do not want to put their loved
ones in a dangerous situation. The B.C./Yukon Society of Transition
Houses recently completed a survey on clients and their pets and
found that 86 per cent of transition houses had a no-pet policy.
In response, the Transition House Society has developed the
Companion Animals Research and Education Initiative, which aims to
provide shelters for battered women with resources to help those
with pets. Funded by the Vancouver Foundation and the Animal Welfare
Foundation of Canada, CARE’s Tool Kit will include information such
as signs of animal abuse and information for developing pet foster
programs.
The Transition House Society has teamed up with the SPCA in
certain areas of B.C. and the Yukon to enable women to leave their
pets at shelters while they are in transition homes. “There are
solutions,” says Harrison. “We can help women who have nowhere to
turn to keep them and their pets safe.”
To help the public better understand the link between animal and
domestic violence, the BC SPCA is publishing educational brochures,
produced jointly with the B.C. government’s Victim Services Branch,
the UBC School of Social Work, the B.C. Veterinary Medical
Association, the Institute Against Family Violence and the
B.C./Yukon Transition House Society. Funded in part by the federal
government’s National Crime Prevention Centre, the pamphlets will be
distributed locally throughout B.C. A series of workshops on
community- coalition building on the animal- abuse link are also
part of the project."
From the BC SPCA's web site:
http://www.spca.bc.ca/link/default.htm
According to a US study, 71% of pet-keeping women who enter
protective care report their partner threatened, abused or killed a
family animal.
The BC SPCA along with the Victim Services Division of the
Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General, the BC/Yukon
Transition Houses, BC Veterinary Medical Association and the BC
Institute Against Family Violence have launched an innovative
program to increase awareness about the animal-human violence link
and to promote more effective cross-reporting between law
enforcement, animal care and social service agencies in British
Columbia
The information will be distributed through brochures and
workshops in the hope of bringing a broad public awareness to the
issue. The goals are to create a procedure for cross reporting by
all agencies involved and to provide a refuge and protection
solution for the pets of women and children seeking the safety of a
transition house.
Three brochures have been developed to be widely distributed by
organizations helping victims of violence. Each brochure is targeted
toward a different audience. One is for animal care professionals,
the second is for victim service workers and judicial personnel and
the third if for victims of abuse, to encourage them to use the
support services available to them. (*See links below for the
downloadable/printable PDF versions of these brochures)
The project also includes joint workshop training. Participants
of several BC agencies and organizations dealing with violence on
the front lines (both animal and human violence) will attend
regional workshops to learn more about the link and to share
information on identifying signs of abuse. From this they will
create a procedure of cross-reporting that will enable victims to
receive attention and prevent further violence.