Domestic Violence Shelters Adding On-Site Kennels for Pets.

In cases of domestic violence, pets are often victims too. Further, up to 65 percent of domestic violence victims have said they were unable to escape because they were concerned about what would happen to their pets. According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, 71 percent of pet-owning women who entered women’s shelters said their batterer had injured, maimed, killed or threatened family pets for revenge or in order to exact psychological control over their victims. Thirty-two percent of children living in such households had also hurt or killed animals, which is the tragic outcome of the children witnessing animal abuse and becoming more likely to abuse animals themselves.continue