Chelsea White, Comedian and Host of “Show Me Your Kitty”
October 15, 2019
Anna Skaya, Basepaws
October 22, 2019
October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM).
The statistics are just startling. The DVAM website tells us that, according to the U.S. Department of Justice, over two million men and women are affected by domestic violence each year in the United States. They also note the following shocking statistics:
- Every 9 seconds, a woman in the U.S. is beaten or assaulted by a current or ex-significant other.
- 1 in 4 men is a victim of some form of physical violence by an intimate partner.
I think we’ve all heard that people are less likely to leave an abusive living situation if they can’t take their pets with them, so I thought I would do some research on programs that help women, men, and children in abusive situations get help for themselves—and for their animals. I was excited to come across Rescue Rebuild, a program that Jackson Galaxy supports. Donations are facilitated through Greater Good and the website says that for $15,000, you can alter your domestic violence shelter to be able to handle animals as well. That sounds pretty good to me!
I couldn’t seem to find statistics on violence towards the animals in abusive households, but we are often told that violence against animals is a precursor to violence in the family. Providing safe housing for survivors of domestic violence should be a no-brainer in every community. I know that isn’t the case, of course, but I celebrate and support what Rescue Rebuild, Greater Good, and Jackson Galaxy are trying to do.
As you probably know, I really like these programs that merge social services for people with services for animals as well. We may see more of them in the future. In the meantime, what can you do? Check with your local domestic violence and animal organizations to see if resources to help both people and animals affected by domestic violence exist in your community. If not, it might just be time to reach out to Rescue Rebuild.
