The week of April 18-24 is national Animal Cruelty/Human Violence Awareness Week. It is a time for getting the word out that all too often, spouse and child abusers punish human victims by hurting or killing the family pet and that Animal Cruelty IS Family Violence. According to the Humane Society of the United States, a 2003 survey of Domestic Violence shelters found that 91% percent of adults and 73% of children relay incidents of animal abuse during their shelter screening interviews. Abuse Hotline callers ask, "He hurt my pet; will he hurt me?" Sooner or later, he probably will.

The reasons why people abuse animals are complex but can be simply summarized: To control the animal… or a person. To express anger at the animal… or a person. To scare the animal… or a person. To get back at the animal… or a person. The evidence is clear. Adults who hurt animals will eventually hurt people. Children who abuse animals may also be getting hurt by someone else and, if no one responds to their cry for help, will eventually hurt people. Animal Cruelty not only IS Family Violence, it is a common precursor to societal violence.

Many victims of family violence are painfully aware that their pet will be hurt if they seek help for themselves. Animals may be threatened, injured or killed by a violent family member in order to control or intimidate other members of the household. An abuser may make this frighteningly clear, as when a parent makes an animal yelp and tells his child that he will break her pet's neck if she tells anyone what has happened. If the child does tell another adult that her parent hurt her pet, she may not be believed. Or the other person may just not want to get involved. When an adult to whom a child has confided fails to take her story seriously, the child is devastated and may never speak up again. This is a heartbreaking outcome for the child… and for society. Animal abuse and child abuse are closely linked. By law, teachers, doctors, veterinarians and child care professionals are required to report possible incidents of animal abuse, as well as child abuse. We should all do so.

Adults who live with someone who abuses animals may feel as helpless as children. If they are not already being hurt, they fear they soon will be. They want to be safe, but don't want to leave a pet behind in a dangerous situation. Too often, they risk their own lives and stay in a dangerous situation for the pet's sake. "We see too many people involved in potentially very violent situations who are unwilling to leave because they won't leave their pet behind and we don't have any place currently where we can house the animals," says Elizabeth Thompson, Executive Director of Humboldt Domestic Violence Services.

This deplorable situation is beginning to change. Across the nation, animal shelters and domestic violence shelters are working together to develop Safe Haven programs that provide temporary care for animals who come from homes plagued by family violence. We are working hard in Humboldt County to develop a safe haven program here so that no one has to stay in a dangerous family situation because of their pets. Safe Haven programs are designed to protect the confidentiality of all concerned and to keep the animal's location secret. If you would like to assist with making this a reality in Humboldt County please call Kathleen Kistler at the Sequoia Humane Society (442-1782) or Elizabeth Thompson at Humboldt Domestic Violence Services (444-9255).

Knowing that a beloved pet is safely away from an abuser can make all the difference to someone trying to escape the vicious cycle of family violence. Animal cruelty is family violence. Protecting pets is protecting people. These are not separate issues but two sides of the same coin.

Visit www.hsus.org/firststrike on the web after April 18, 2004 for a recent list of Safe Haven programs.