June is Pet Preparedness Month, and in the shadows of domestic and sexual violence, there exists a silent struggle that often goes unnoticed: the difficulty of pets caught in the conflict of abuse in the home.

For many survivors of domestic and sexual violence, the decision to leave an abusive relationship is often complex, especially when they must struggle with the heart-wrenching choice of whether to leave their beloved pets behind.

Some abusers are aware of the emotional leverage that pets hold over their victims, using the animals to manipulate, control, and coerce their partners. Threats of harm to pets are often used to further embed survivors in cycles of abuse and trapping them in a web of fear and dependence.

The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV) reports that many abusers have a history of animal abuse that precedes domestic violence toward their partner and that 71% of pet owners entering domestic violence shelters said their abuser had threatened, injured, or killed family pets. And, up to 40% of domestic violence victims are unable to escape their abusers because they are concerned about what will happen to their pets if they leave.



According to an article on domesticshelters.org titled, ‘Making 25 Percent of Domestic Violence Shelters Pet-Friendly by 2025 is RedRovers Goal’, there is just over 18 percent of domestic violence shelters in the U.S. that are pet friendly, (an increase from 10% since 2010). RedRover, an organization dedicated to keeping animals and their owners together during crisis, is working on a goal to have that number at 25% by 2025. With approximately 340 domestic violence shelters in the U.S. that are pet-friendly, they need another 116 domestic violence shelters to accept pets by the end of 2025 to meet their goal.

THE INDEPENDENCE HOUSE EMERGENCY CONFIDENTIAL DOMESTIC AND SEXUAL VIOLENCE SHELTER IS A PET-FRIENDLY SHELTER. The journey to healing for domestic and sexual violence survivors needs to include provisions for the care and support of the survivor, their children, and include their loved family pet members if at all possible. Independence House provides an inclusive and compassionate response to domestic and sexual violence in our confidential emergency shelter for individuals and their children fleeing for safety from intimate partner and domestic abuse, and includes the bond with their home pet family members to the extent safety and accommodations allow, to help ensure that no one is left behind.

Addressing the intersecting issues of domestic and sexual violence and pet welfare has been addressed by legislation and policy initiatives in Massachusetts to safeguard the rights of both survivors and their pets, providing legal protections and resources to ensure that no one is forced to choose between safety and the well-being of their pet companions. Some online resources include:

Pets and Restraining Orders in Massachusetts

Ready.gov (Dept. of Homeland Security) Pet Preparedness Toolkit

Massachusetts Animal Coalition

RedRover

Link Up Educational Network in Massachusetts

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As members of the Massachusetts House of Representatives and State Senate work to complete their legislative session, we urge advocates, survivors, and allies to take action to help secure the remaining $20M needed to fully fund the VOCA Bridge.

MOVA is the sole administrator of federal Victim of Crime Act’s (VOCA) funding in

Massachusetts. VOCA is not funded by taxpayers, but rather originates from monetary penalties associated with federal criminal convictions.

Any decrease in the funds available for distribution results in fewer victims and

survivors served, as well as potential loss of essential staff for direct victim service

programming, which threatens agencies’ livelihoods and ability to prevent future violence by working to address root causes.

MOVA needs your help to tell legislators that pending award reductions to victim service programs will be devastating and dangerous for both survivors and communities.