If you live in a home with domestic violence, chances are that any pets you own have also been injured. Experts have long known of a correlation between animal abuse and domestic violence. In fact, the American Humane Association says that the vast majority of pet-owning women who enter domestic violence shelters report that their pets have been hurt, threatened or killed.
If you are putting an end to an abusive relationship, a number of domestic violence resources are ready to help you and your children. Medical treatment, counseling, legal services, shelters and support are available as you leave an abusive relationship and get the new start you deserve.
What about your pet? Doesn’t your pet deserve to have a safe place where it can be out of harm’s way? Of course it does.
In the past, few resources were available to protect pets from domestic violence. Many domestic violence shelters were unable to take in pets. That has begun to change. A number of programs now offer shelter for pets, away from the pain and suffering of an abusive environment.
Can Animals and Families Stay Together?
Not all domestic violence shelters allow victims to bring their pets along with them. However, in some areas, people entering domestic violence programs can contact organizations such as the Safe Haven Program to have a pet temporarily placed with a foster family. The Safe Havens Mapping Project for Pets of Domestic Violence offers a state-by-state list of sheltering services for pets that have fallen victim to domestic violence or abuse.
Sheltering Animals & Families Together (SAF-T) specializes in finding housing for victims of domestic violence and their pets. This organization understands how important it is to keep a pet and its owner together when both have been victimized. If you are in search of a shelter equipped to house you and your pet and keep you both safe, here is a state-by-state list of SAF-T shelters, including shelters in North Carolina.
The Urban Resource Institute in New York (URI) created the People and Animals Living Safely (PALS) program. It is part of the services provided by the Urban Women’s Safe Haven shelter in New York City, operated by URI. Currently, the shelter has facilities to accept small pets, including cats. They are seeking additional funding so they can also provide shelter to dogs.
Legal Assistance for Domestic Violence Victims in North Carolina
Leaving a violent or abusive relationship is not always an easy step. In many cases, victims of domestic violence are forced to give up the things they love and the home they once considered safe to seek protection from abuse. Our firm is committed to doing everything we can to provide legal assistance to victims of domestic violence in and around North Carolina.
To find out more about what the lawyers at Charles R. Ullman & Associates can do for you, call our firm today. You can also access our list of domestic violence services and support available in North Carolina at any time, day or night.
