Paws for Peace

In addition to October being Breast Cancer Awareness Month, it is also Domestic Violence Awareness Month (represented with the purple ribbon).  Dating and domestic violence is an important issue that affects many families.  It affects women, children, and men.  Did you know that 1 in 4 women will become a victim of abuse?  Check out more statistics from the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (http://www.ncadv.org/).  It's a scary statistic and in my line of work, I see these situations a lot. 

One area that is gaining more attention is the issue of animal abuse and domestic violence.  This is important for two specific reasons, the first being that abuse towards animals often leads to human violence.  This is a major red flag, and one of the reasons why animal cruelty needs to be dealt with appropriately.  It is not enough to give someone a slap on the wrist for these heinous crimes.  If it is not enough to simply want to stop animal abuse because it is cruel, then it is imperative that we recognize this as a precursor to human violence and abuse. 

The second reason animals play a role in domestic violence is that many women (and men!) may choose to stay in an abusive relationship for fear of leaving their pets behind because most shelters do not accept pets. An abusive partner may attempt to retaliate against the other by trying to harm or kill the pet.  Not wanting to place their beloved pets at risk, abused owners are willing to sacrifice their own well-being.

Harbor House, the Orange County domestic violence shelter, is trying to do their part to solve this problem.  They are currently in the process of building kennels on their shelter property.  This will allow those who are fleeing domestic violence situations the opportunity to bring their pets along with them during their escape.  This will be the first program of its kind in Florida, and I am so excited!!

To further raise awareness about the link and the new kennels, Harbor House and the American Humane Association hosted 'Paws for Peace' at Lake Eola.  It was an awesome event.  I brought my dog, Jerry, along and he had a blast.  There were dogs of every size, shape, and color.  It was so great to see dogs wearing purple doggie bandanas to show support for domestic violence awareness.  It was a sight to see. 

If you're interested in donating to help Harbor House build their kennels, visit http://www.harborhousefl.com/give-help/help-us-build-a-kennel/

Jerry sporting his DV awareness bandana.