Domestic Violence – Saving Your Pets From Abuse

Nicole Forsyth is the president and CEO of RedRover, a national animal welfare organization based in California, bringing animals from crisis to care – and strengthening the relationships between people and pets.

They have three main programs:

• RedRover Responders: helps temporarily shelter animals during national disasters and other emergencies ­– like the American Red Cross for pets.
• RedRover Relief – which provides grants for emergency veterinary care, as well as helping domestic violence survivors escape with their pets.
• RedRover Readers – A program where teachers and other educators work with kids to help them understand animals, their behavior, and empathy.

RedRover Relief Helps with Domestic Violence

One of the areas where RedRover helps when people and animals are in crisis together is domestic violence. A lot of people don’t realize just how prevalent domestic violence is: 1-in-3 women and 1-in-4 men will experience domestic violence sometime in their lifetime. We also know that 60-70% of households have pets. Pets are often used in these relationships to control and manipulate someone. Sometimes they’re just used to display “I’m the guy“ in charge or “I’m the person in charge.” And they might not let you get vet care, or they may say, “I’m going to get rid of the pet.” Or they may start trying to harm the pet, kick the pet or various behaviors that really indicate a potentially unhealthy relationship.

Contact the Domestic Violence Hotline

If you, or someone you know, are in an abusive relationship – whether it’s physical, psychological or emotional abuse, reach out for help. The Domestic Violence hotline has a website: thehotline.org – with texting, chatting and phone call options.

You can talk to someone about your relationship and they can help guide you into the planning steps if you think need to leave. And if you do decide to leave, make sure you’ve thought about both your kids – what’s going to happen with your kids – and your family, as well as your pets.

Pets Are Used For Control in Abusive Relationships

This is particularly important because pets are used in abusive relationships to control you or the person who’s being abused. And part of this happens because it’s easier to abuse a pet. You can kick a cat, you can kick a dog and you may not like it, but if you kick a child it’s more clearly child abuse. And a lot of times abusers will use pets, even more-so instead of children as a way to display their power and control. And they can use those pets to also get you to come back if you don’t leave with them in the first place.

We know that up to 71% of people that go into shelters report that their abusers have threatened harmed or killed their pets in an abusive relationship. This is why this issue is important to us, and we are helping domestic violence shelters become pet friendly. Right now only 17% of them are. Through a wonderful partnership with Purina called the Purple Leash Project, RedRover is helping more domestic violence shelters become pet friendly. They have a goal that by 2025, 25% of them will be pet friendly.

Escape With Your Pets

If you are seeking to escape an abusive relationship, RedRover has a website called safeplaceforpets.org. It has all the resources, and contact information for programs in your area that can help pets – so that you and your whole family can escape the relationship, and you won’t have to worry about your pets. They’re here to help. That’s what they do.

RedRover Relief is working with domestic violence shelters, domestic violence advocates, animal shelters, law enforcement, and all these community partners to really make sure that this issue is addressed. And soon they hope they’ll be even more resources in communities so people do not have to choose between their own personal safety, the safety of their family and the safety of their pets.

You can help RedRover’s Programs: Click to Donate 

About Nicole Forsyth: Nicole, a mom and pet parent, is the president and CEO of RedRover, a national animal welfare organization based in California. RedRover brings animals from crisis to care – and strengthens the relationships between people and pets. Nicole has combined experience in nonprofit management, scientific research, education and hands-on animal care, Committed to applying research and data to her work, she holds a Master of Science degree in Animal Biology/Welfare from the University of California, Davis. She also holds a Master’s degree in Communication from the University of Maine and a Bachelor’s degree in English and Education from the University of Colorado.