Las Vegas shelter for abused women & children now houses their PETS too!

[Bluebear]

I will be donating this Christmas in the name of my pals who have gone to the Rainbow Bridge...what a wonderful and important idea!.....

=====

When Rose Terry finally resolved to leave her abusive boyfriend, she knew she'd have to live in a shelter for a few weeks before she could start life anew. She had no reservations about that.

But she anguished over Byron, the cat who had seen her through the awful times. None of her friends could take the female feline (the family was first told she was male, hence the name), and she couldn't bear the thought of placing her in an animal shelter until she got back on her feet. "I was desperate, weeping," Terry says. "She's my family."

When Terry learned one Las Vegas domestic violence safe haven, Shade Tree Shelter, had just built a pet-boarding facility on its grounds for residents' animals, "I was in such relief." Terry packed up her suitcase and her cat just before Christmas and checked in. "It's just so good to get to visit with Byron every day," says Terry, 55, who has a new job and nearly enough savings to lease an apartment and start over. "It helped so much that I didn't have to worry about her."

Domestic abuse shelters have long recognized that abused families, often kept so isolated that pets are their only friends, won't leave the abuser because they know animals left behind may be harmed as a power play or retaliation. So shelters have worked with animal-welfare groups that provide temporary pet care to ensure that everyone gets out of the situation.

Today, the emerging alternative is for domestic abuse shelters to provide on-site pet boarding. So far, fewer than a half-dozen such shelters exist, says Allie Phillips, director of public policy for the non-profit American Humane Association.

====




http://www.noahsanimalhouse.org/

[flvegan]

1. Fantastic!

Big Rec from me!

[gardenista]

2. Awesome. There are so many more who will get out of

abusive situations if they don't have to fear retribution against the family pet.

[Critters2]

3. When I was on the board of a Humane Society in Iowa, the Domestic Violence Shelter

where I was also on the board, approached us asking if we'd take care of animals from homes where there was violence. A surprising number of victims won't leave because they're afraid of what will happen if they leave their pets behind. Of course we agreed to do it. Didn't get a lot of requests, but every once in a while the shelter staff or police would contact us, needing foster care for a dog or cat or both in a domestic violence situation.

I'm glad to see more and more shelters doing this.

[MountainLaurel]

5. I forget what the exact statistics are

But when I was working as a Justice Dept. contractor, I saw some research in which more than half of respondents said that a pet had been threatened or injured by the abuser, often before the victim's abuse had escalated to physical violence.

[ThomCat]

4. What a wonderful idea, and long past due.

People will not leave pets behind to be tortured and killed. Allowing pets into shelters will help a lot.

:)

[Roon]

6. Absolutely wonderful! eom

[applegrove]

7. Glad the issue is getting attention.

[mitchum]

8. kick and rec for wonderful news

[BrklynLiberal]

9. That is wonderful news. Too many innocent pets are hurt and/or killed when

they are caught in the middle of an abusive relationship.

I forwarded this to my entire mail list...They are all animal lovers.

[Bluebear]

10. Thank you for forwarding it!

Aroooo!

[BrklynLiberal]

11. Lookj at those ears!!!! They are so cute. Are they yours?

[Bluebear]

12. No, but I do have one :)

[Qanisqineq]

13. What a wonderful place!

I am so happy to read this. I lived with an abusive boyfriend for years and even though I went to college and had a part-time job, he isolated me as much as possible. My only friends were my cats and he threatened to kill them if I left. I didn't go to a shelter but if I had needed to, I think this is a wonderful idea.