How can anti-violence advocates support ending pet cruelty?
• Recognize and speak about the connections between animal abuse and domestic violence, and encourage research and data collection about these connections. • Explain pet abuse as a systemic and deliberate method of battering. • Establish partnerships among animal welfare, domestic abuse, child abuse, elder abuse, and other abuse related services. • Develop community anti-violence coalitions. • Encourage shelters and domestic abuse services to add questions about animal cruelty on their screening and intake forms for entering victims. • Work to expand battered women and children’s shelters’ capacities to house pets. • Advocate for stronger anti-cruelty laws and push for new legislation in states that do not have animal abuse as felonies. Information contained on this website should not be construed as legal advice. Read full disclaimer.
