Animal abuse often signals domestic violence; Canton rescue group fills need for fearful victims

Animal abuse is often the first visible sign a family is living with the threat of domestic violence.

More than 70 percent of women who enter a shelter report their abuser has hurt, killed or threatened the family pet. When animal cruelty investigators enter a house, it is not uncommon for them to find that an abuser not only has victimized the family dog, but also the children and other adults living there, according to the American Humane Association.

“Frequently, [victims] won’t talk about their own abuse, but they will talk about the abuse their animals face,” said Joy Wagner, one of the founders of Peace for Pets, a rare animal rescue that alleviates the anxiety of domestic violence victims by offering pets a safe haven, allowing the women, in most cases, to enter a shelter without abandoning the pet to their abusers.

http://www.ohio.com/news/animal-abuse-often-signals-domestic-violence-canton-rescue-group-fills-need-for-fearful-victims-1.462792