Pet Abuse Research Articles

An Exploration of Type of Animal Abuse and Intimate Partner Violence

ABSTRACT Prior research has identified a relationship between animal abuse and intimate partner violence (IPV). However, there is a gap in the literature regarding the relationship between IPV and type of animal abused. From a sample of 851 participants, this study explored, using unadjusted odds ratios, the bivariate relationships between types of IPV victimization (e.g., psychological, physical, and severe IPV) and partners’ abuse of cats, dogs, small pets, and horses. The strongest association was between the partner’s abuse of cats and severe IPV victimization. The partner’s cat abuse was associated with a 1,232% increase in the likelihood of severe IPV for women and a 945% increase for men. Cat abuse and dog abuse were significantly associated with all types of IPV, abuse of small pets was associated with physical and severe IPV, and horse abuse was not significantly related to IPV. Additionally, this study examined the relationship between types of animal abuse (e.g., neglect, emotional abuse, threats, physical abuse, and severe physical abuse) for cats and dogs and IPV. Cat neglect was most strongly associated with severe IPV and increased the likelihood of it by approximately 3,700%. Dog neglect increased the likelihood of severe IPV by approximately 1,600%. Results from the study indicate that there are differences between type of animal abused in relationship to IPV and highlights the need for future research to examine types of animal abuse separately.

Exploring the Linkages between Animal Abuse, Domestic Abuse, and Sexual Offending: A Scoping Review

The abuse of animals is evident in different contexts. This article takes two discrete bodies of literature: threats and actual harm to animals in the context of domestic abuse and sex offending in the context of animal abuse. The reviews focus on the implications for risk assessment and risk management and explore the following questions: What is the international evidence base for threats or violence towards animals, with a specific focus on risk assessment, in the context of domestic abuse? What is the international evidence base for threats or violence towards animals, with a specific focus on risk assessment, in the context of sex offending? What similarities and differences are evident in the approaches in the two bodies of literature? A scoping review methodology was applied to the two bodies of animal abuse literature. The domestic abuse literature elicited 27 studies for full inclusion, while the sex-offending literature examined 15 papers. A broad analysis of the literature was taken to understand the implications for risk assessment and risk management. In the context of risk assessment, the literature indicates that threats or harm towards animals, including the sex abuse of animals, has the potential to be used in four ways: (1) animal abuse as an indicator of domestic abuse; (2) childhood animal abuse as a signal of other problems within a household; (3) animal abuse as an indicator of more severe domestic abuse; and (4) the inclusion of pet abuse as a unique form of domestic abuse. The comparison of the literature on animal abuse and animal sex abuse highlighted not only different approaches theoretically and methodologically but also important similarities. Both literature highlighted gaps in risk assessment, risk management, and the lack of identification and training in this neglected area of the service system prevention and response.

Protection for pets and people: The critical need for increased federal funding for pet‐friendly domestic violence services

AbstractThe research linking pet abuse with domestic violence is overwhelming. Pet abuse is a significant indicator that a human family member is suffering too. Further, victims are likely to become abusers themselves, perpetuating the intertwined cycles of pet abuse and domestic violence. Most women in domestic violence shelters report that their pet was also victimized. However, since few domestic violence shelters in the U.S. accommodate pets, victims must decide between leaving their pet to endure further abuse, or delaying their own escape. Current federal grants do not meet the demand for funding. This Note proposes an Amendment to the PAWS Act, requiring the federal government to match state contributions to projects that expand access to pet‐friendly shelters.

A One Welfare approach to identify socioeconomic vulnerability in families during investigations into companion animal abuse in Pinhais, Brazil.

A One Welfare approach allows intervention to resolve problems related to the human-animal-environment interface. However, in Brazil and many other countries, there is poor communication between human and animal welfare services. In this research we considered a One Welfare approach in cases of abuse involving dogs and cats. When investigating pet abuse, professionals from the Animal Welfare Division of Pinhais, Brazil, can enter the home environment. During routine animal abuse investigations, the demographic profile of pet owners and their socioeconomic vulnerability was also recorded. Results from forty-five cases with (n = 30) and without (n = 15) suspicion of socioeconomic vulnerability were sent to the Department of Social Assistance of Pinhais, Brazil for confirmation. Socioeconomic vulnerability was suspected if socioeconomic problems were reported by the pet owners under investigation or their neighbours, as well by assessment of the socioeconomic environment of the families during home visits. Economic disadvantage was the most prevalent socioeconomic vulnerability. Cohen's Kappa coefficients support the ability of animal welfare service professionals to detect socioeconomic vulnerability. Almost half of all families considered to have socioeconomic vulnerability had not previously participated in social programmes. In all cases involving families already being assisted by the Department of Social Assistance, pets were found to be suffering abuse. Families with socioeconomic vulnerability confirmed were included in the social programmes. These results support the need for a multi-disciplinary approach to improve the well-being of families with dogs and cats. This study can help guide the development of an interdisciplinary approach to address animal abuse cases.

Non-accidental injuries in dogs and cats: review of post-mortem forensic evaluations and the social significance of small animal practice.

The co-existence of animal abuse cases and domestic violence are well established todays. Many studies worldwide have identified that pet dogs and cats are commonly harmed or killed by an abuser who may be a member of the family. In fact, the abuse of pets is an indicator that human members of a family are also at risk. The abusers may show a variety of motivations and mental health disorders, resulting in a variety of abuse forms. The animal victims may be presented alive or dead to a veterinary clinic. The post-mortem differential diagnosis and forensic evaluation of pet dogs and cats with non-accidental injuries (NAI), caused by the physical violence of the abuser and items commonly found in a household environment is presented in the current review, according the main type of abuse: a) blunt force trauma; b) sharp-force injuries; c) gunshot injuries; d) asphyxiation and drowning; e) thermal injuries; and, f) poisoning. The recognition and mandatory report of pet cruelty in the family is a complex issue, causing ethical dilemmas for veterinarians concerning professional confidentiality to the client, duty to protect the human probable victims and how to facilitate prosecution when the law has been broken. The key-role of veterinarians identifying and reporting pet abuse to appropriate state authorities for animal and human welfare is discussed.

An overview of the Historical, conceptual and legal framework of pet abuse

An overview of the Historical, conceptual and legal framework of pet abuse

The Co-occurrence of Animal Abuse and Intimate Partner Violence Among a Nationally Representative Sample: Evidence of "The Link" in the General Population.

This article empirically examines if the relationship between animal abuse and intimate partner violence (often referred to as "the link") documented in samples of women accessing services from domestic violence shelters extends to a nationally representative sample of the general Canadian population. Nationally representative data from the 2014 Canadian General Social Survey are analyzed using hierarchical binary logistic regression models, with threats and actual abuse of pets as a predictor of physical and sexual intimate partner violence, controlling for several key sociodemographic variables. Actual and threatened abuse of pets by a romantic partner is a significant and sizable predictor of also reporting that partner perpetrated intimate partner violence, particularly physical and severe abuse. As the first study to use nationally representative data to assess the perpetration of animal abuse and IPV in current/recent relationships, this study makes significant contributions to the interdisciplinary literature on animal abuse and IPV.

Legal Protection and Liability for Pet Abuse that Happens in Indonesia

The increasing number of cases of animal abuse at this time makes many opinions that realize that enforcement of animal protection is getting more lax and does not strictly maintain and treat according to the law in real life. However, it's not just the abuse of farm animals but also that pets are on the rise in rates of human-made abuse and death. The rise of this case creates unrest for people who also have pets. In this case, the public hopes that it can be reaffirmed by the apparatus and the law in Indonesia as the comfort and security of the community is an obligation for State assistants to fulfill it. This study aims to find out how the regulation regarding maintenance focuses on pets in Indonesia and how to protect and guarantee the welfare of pets and what are the laws that apply to perpetrators of pet abuse in Indonesia.

Animal cruelty, pet abuse & violence: the missed dangerous connection

The mistreatment and abuse of animals is a significant indicator of violence towards humans up to and including intimate partner abuse sexual assault rape murder All too often mental health professionals and prosecutors miss the seriousness of any cruelty towards nbsp animals nbsp and nbsp the nbsp significant nbsp role nbsp animal nbsp cruelty nbsp plays nbsp in nbsp the nbsp perpetuation nbsp of nbsp violent and non violent criminal behavior The literature supports that animal cruelty is one of the earliest markers for future acts of both violent and nonviolent criminal behaviors nbsp Whether nbsp animal nbsp cruelty nbsp occurs nbsp prior nbsp to or subsequent nbsp to nbsp witnessing or experiencing any type of abuse is unknown What is known is the connections between experiencing abuse witnessing domestic abuse and animal cruelty This means that the directionality of cruelty to animals is not always clear that is which occurs first the negative environmental factors abuse or animal cruelty

Intimate Partner Violence and Pet Abuse: Responding Law Enforcement Officers’ Observations and Victim Reports From the Scene

The risk of harm/injury in homes where intimate partner violence (IPV) occurs is not limited to humans; animals reside in as many as 80% of these homes and may be at substantial risk of suffering severe or fatal injury. Gaining a better understanding of IPV-pet abuse overlap is imperative in more accurately identifying the risks of harm for all individuals and animals residing in these homes. The objectives of this study were to utilize law enforcement officers' observations and IPV victim reports from the scene of the incident to (a) determine the prevalence of pet abuse perpetration among suspects involved in IPV incidents, (b) compare characteristics of IPV incidents and the home environments in which they occur when the suspect has a history of pet abuse with incidents involving suspects with no reported history of pet abuse, and (c) compare IPV incident outcomes involving suspects with a history of pet abuse with those involving suspects with no reported history of pet abuse. IPV victims residing in homes with a suspect who has a history of pet abuse often describe "extremely high-risk" environments. With nearly 80% reporting concern that they will eventually be killed by the suspect, victims in these environments should be considered at significant risk of suffering serious injury or death. In addition, IPV victims involved in incidents with a suspect that has a history of pet abuse were significantly more likely to have had at least one prior unreported IPV incident with the suspect (80%) and to have ever been strangled (76%) or forced to have sex with the suspect (26%). Effective prevention/detection/intervention strategies are likely to require multidisciplinary collaboration and safety plans that address the susbstantial risk of harm/injury for all adults, children, and animals residing in the home.

Welfare issues

For more than a decade, the Links Group has called for greater efforts to tackle domestic violence directed at both human and animal family members. Increasing recognition of the correlation between the abuse of pets and the abuse of people is contributing to the message at last getting through to the highest levels of government, at least in one corner of the UK.

Animal Maltreatment as a Risk Marker of More Frequent and Severe Forms of Intimate Partner Violence.

Although there is a growing body of literature documenting the co-occurrence of animal abuse and intimate partner violence (IPV), only a few studies have examined the relationship between animal maltreatment, types of IPV, and abuse severity. The results of those studies have been inconclusive and in some cases even contradictory. The current study contributes new findings to that specific segment of the literature and sheds some light on the inconsistent findings in previous studies. Data were gathered from 86 abused women receiving services from domestic violence shelters across Canada via a structured survey about pet abuse and the level and types of IPV perpetrated by abusive partners. Type and severity of IPV was measured using subscales of the Revised Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS2) and the Checklist of Controlling Behaviors (CCB). Animal maltreatment was measured using the Partner's Treatment of Animals Scale (PTAS). Participants were divided into three groups: women who did not have pets during their abusive relationship (n = 31), women who had pets and reported little or no animal maltreatment (n = 21), and women who had pets and reported frequent or severe animal maltreatment (n = 34). Examining within-group variations in experiences of IPV and pet abuse using a series of one-way between-groups ANOVA tests, this study provides evidence to support the conclusion that women who report that their partner mistreated their pets are themselves at significantly greater risk of more frequent and severe forms of IPV, most specifically psychological, physical, and sexual abuse. The findings point to the urgency of better understanding and mitigating the unique barriers to leaving an abusive relationship faced by women with companion animals.

Children's experiences of companion animal maltreatment in households characterized by intimate partner violence

Cruelty toward companion animals is a well-documented, coercive tactic used by abusive partners to intimidate and control their intimate partners. Experiences of co-occurring violence are common for children living in families with intimate partner violence (IPV) and surveys show that more than half are also exposed to abuse of their pets. Given children's relationships with their pets, witnessing such abuse may be traumatic for them. Yet little is known about the prevalence and significance of this issue for children. The present study examines the experiences of children in families with co-occurring pet abuse and IPV. Using qualitative methods, 58 children ages 7–12 who were exposed to IPV were asked to describe their experiences of threats to and harm of their companion animals. Following the interviews, template analysis was employed to systematically develop codes and themes. Coding reliability was assessed using Randolph's free-marginal multirater kappa (kfree=.90). Five themes emerged from the qualitative data, the most common being children's exposure to pet abuse as a power and control tactic against their mother in the context of IPV. Other themes were animal maltreatment to discipline or punish the pet, animal cruelty by a sibling, children intervening to prevent pet abuse, and children intervening to protect the pet during a violent episode. Results indicate that children's experiences of pet abuse are multifaceted, potentially traumatic, and may involve multiple family members with diverse motives.

The Significance of Animal Cruelty in Child Protection Investigations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the frequency with which child protection workers (CPWs) in Ontario, Canada, seek information about animal cruelty during investigations of child maltreatment and the extent to which they consider information about animal cruelty when making decisions about whether intervention is required. The CPWs (N = 78) responded to an online survey about their experiences with animal cruelty during child protection investigations in the previous year. Few CPWs routinely asked questions about animal cruelty during investigations, but those who did ask questions were significantly more likely to report disclosures of animal cruelty by children and caregivers than those who did not ask questions. Many CPWs had directly observed children and caregivers physically harming animals. Almost all respondents indicated that animal cruelty was an important factor to consider when making intervention decisions. The results suggest that CPWs should consider routinely asking children and caregivers questions about animal cruelty and observe the behavior and living conditions of family pets when conducting risk assessments. Future research should determine whether animal cruelty is a reliable indicator of exposure to family violence. KEY WORDS: animal cruelty; child abuse; child protection; domestic violence; risk assessment ********** Data from several surveys of women seeking help from domestic violence shelters indicate that a substantial proportion of adult perpetrators of domestic violence also abuse animals. Results revealed that between 44% and 57% of female pet-owners had partners who harmed or killed family pets (Ascione, 1998; Carlisle-Frank, Frank, & Nielsen, 2004; Faver & Strand, 2003). Furthermore, two studies found that animal cruelty was perpetrated more frequently by the partners of domestic violence victims than by the partners of women from community samples (Ascione et al., 2007; Volant, Johnson, Gullone, & Coleman, 2008). A small group of studies provided evidence that children whose mothers experience domestic violence are significantly more likely to witness pet abuse than children from families in which no domestic violence occurs (Ascione et al., 2007; DeGue & DiLillo, 2009; Volant et al., 2008). Furthermore, children who are exposed to parental domestic violence are more likely to abuse animals than children who are not exposed to domestic violence (Ascione et al., 2007; Baldry, 2003; Currie, 2006; Volant et al., 2008). THE LINK BETWEEN ANIMAL CRUELTY AND CHILD ABUSE Results of recent studies demonstrated that children who had been abused were more likely to engage in animal cruelty than those who had not been abused (for example, Ascione, Friedrich, Heath, & Hayashi, 2003; DeGue & DiLillo, 2009). With respect to caregiver-perpetrated animal cruelty, the results of one study indicated that, among families in which child abuse had been substantiated, parents were the most frequent perpetrators of animal cruelty in cases that involved pain and suffering or the inhumane death of an animal (DeViney, Dickert, & Lockwood, 1983). In another study, one-third of women who had experienced domestic violence and whose partners had abused pets reported that their children had been abused; women whose pets had not been abused by their partners were less likely to report child abuse (Flynn, 2000b). RELEVANCE OF ANIMAL CRUELTY TO CHILD PROTECTION EFFORTS Given the strengthening evidence of a link between animal cruelty and family violence, it has been argued that animal cruelty receives insufficient attention from social service providers (for example, Flynn, 2000a). Some have suggested that social service professionals should routinely ask about animal cruelty when conducting assessments for family violence and that expanded collaboration among animal welfare, child protection, and domestic violence organizations is necessary to identify children who are at risk of abuse and to assist families who wish to remove pets from abusive homes (Arkow, 1996; Ascione, 1998; Baldry, 2003; Bell, 2001; Boat, 1999; Faver & Strand, 2003; Montminy-Danna, 2007; Volant et al. …

The Relationship Between Domestic Violence and Animal Abuse

Several North American studies have found a connection between domestic violence and animal abuse. This article reports on the first Australian research to examine this connection. A group of 102 women recruited through 24 domestic violence services in the state of Victoria and a nondomestic violence comparison group (102 women) recruited from the community took part in the study. Significantly higher rates of partner pet abuse, partner threats of pet abuse, and pet abuse by other family members were found in the violent families compared with the nondomestic violence group. As hypothesized, children from the violent families were reported by their mothers to have witnessed and committed significantly more animal abuse than children from the nonviolent families. Logistic regression analyses revealed, for the group as a whole, that a woman whose partner had threatened the pets was 5 times more likely to belong to the intimate partner violence group.

Animal Abuse and Domestic Violence: A View from the Border

SUMMARY Previous research indicates that batterers often threaten or harm pets in order to intimidate and control their female partners. Most of this research, however, has been limited to samples comprised primarily of non-Hispanic women. To address this gap, this paper reports findings from a survey of 151 pet-owning women (74% Hispanic) who sought help from two South Texas domestic violence programs near the U.S.-Mexico border. Thirty-six percent of the women reported that their batterers had threatened, harmed, or killed their pets; 35% reported that they worried about the safety of their pets while they were in the abusive relationship; and 20.5% reported that concern for the safety of their pets affected their decision about seeking shelter. The findings indicate that pet abuse is a component of intimate partner violence (IPV) in Hispanic as well as non-Hispanic families.

Exploring the Link Between Pet Abuse and Controlling Behaviors in Violent Relationships

Domestic violence is not as simple as one partner physically harming another. Instead, it consists of a complex range of controlling behaviors including physical, emotional, sexual, and economic maltreatment as well as isolation, male privilege, blaming, intimidation, threats, and minimizing/denying behaviors. In addition to the controlling behaviors reported by women seeking shelter from violent relationships, a growing body of research indicates some individuals who abuse their intimate partner also abuse their pets. This study explores these connections using reports of 1,283 female pet owners seeking refuge from their male batterer in a domestic violence shelter. Findings indicate that batterers who also abuse their pet (a) use more forms of violence and (b) demonstrate greater use of controlling behaviors than batterers who do not abuse their pets. Likewise, positive correlations are found between specific controlling behaviors and cruelty to pets. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.

Fear, Guilt, and Grief: Harm to Pets and the Emotional Abuse of Women

ABSTRACT Batterers often threaten or harm pets in order to intimidate and control their female partners. Yet, there is little research on harm to pets as an aspect of emotional abuse. To address this gap, this article reviews what is known about the emotional impact of pet abuse on battered women. The research findings support Adams' theory that pet abuse inflicts psychological trauma on women, causes suffering and sometimes death to animals, and injures the relationship between women and their pets. To understand the impact of pet abuse in detail, future research should assess the attachment between battered women and their pets and follow the trajectory and mental health consequences of the women's relationships with their pets.

Battered Pets and Domestic Violence

Women residing at domestic violence shelters (S group) were nearly 11 times more likely to report that their partner had hurt or killed pets than a comparison group of women who said they had not experienced intimate violence (NS group). Reports of threatened harm to pets were more than 4 times higher for the S group. Using the Conflict Tactics Scale, the authors demonstrated that severe physical violence was a significant predictor of pet abuse. The vast majority of shelter women described being emotionally close to their pets and distraught by the abuse family pets experienced. Children were often exposed to pet abuse, and most reported being distressed by these experiences. A substantial minority of S-group women reported that their concern for their pets' welfare prevented them from seeking shelter sooner. This seemed truer for women without children, who may have had stronger pet attachments. This obstacle to seeking safety should be addressed by domestic violence agencies.

Domestic violence and the abuse of pets: Researching the link and its implications in Ireland

This paper reports on a small study which investigates the connection between domestic violence and non-accidental injury in animals in the Republic of Ireland. This found that many women reported witnessing one or more forms of abuse, or threats of abuse, of their pets. Most women considered that a place to accommodate pets would have made their decision to leave the family home easier. Four women disclosed that lack of such a service and concern for the welfare of their companion animals caused them to remain in their abusive relationships for longer than they felt appropriate. The majority of women felt unable to talk to anyone about their fears for their pets' welfare and there is no service which can provide temporary accommodation for women's pets while they are in a refuge. These findings support those found elsewhere in larger studies in the US and UK, and demonstrate a high incidence of animal abuse in households where there is reported domestic violence. The implications for social work education and practice of the issue of violence against women are discussed.