How to Raise Awareness of the Animal Cruelty/Family Violence Connection

Animal Cruelty/Human Violence Awareness Week is designed to draw public attention to the well-documented connection between animal abuse and interpersonal violence. For 2004, The HSUS focused on the issue as it relates to violence within families. In violent homes, pets are commonly abused by batterers in order to threaten and intimidate children, spouses, significant others, and elderly family members.

It's important for everyone in a community to understand that pets need a safe place to be, just like other family members, and to find out about ways to provide Safe Havens for Animals™. Whether you are a concerned citizen or part of an organization that is dedicated to crime prevention, you can show support by planning one or more of the activities listed below during the coming year.

• Add a link to www.animalcrueltyisfamilyviolence.org on your website, to direct your visitors to information about the animal cruelty/family violence connection.
• Include information in a monthly print or electronic newsletter. The First Strike® kit also includes camera-ready artwork that can be inserted into publications. To order a free kit, e-mail firststrike@hsus.org and include your mailing address, or call First Strike toll free at 1-888-213-0956.
• Create a visual display of the theme "Animal Cruelty IS Family Violence" at your local animal shelter, police station, library, school, county government building, shopping mall or other appropriate public area.
• Collect pet-related items such as bowls, leashes, toys, carriers, food, and treats that can be donated to a local Safe Haven for Animals type of program that provides temporary housing for pets from violent homes. Consider asking a local pet supply store to donate these items or invite co-workers, friends, and neighbors to contribute. (First contact your local animal shelter or domestic violence agency to see if they have such a program and if so, what kind of items they need.)
• Ask local veterinary clinics to display the new HSUS poster, which reflects the theme "Animal Cruelty IS Family Violence." To order a free poster, e-mail firststrike@hsus.org and include your mailing address, or call First Strike toll free at 1-888-213-0956.
• If you are an animal sheltering professional, consider teaming up with a local domestic violence shelter to sponsor a dog walk or other appropriate animal-related event that can raise funds for a Safe Haven for Animals program.
• Invite representatives from animal protection organizations, social service agencies, law enforcement, and the judicial system to an in-service training to learn about the connection between animal cruelty and family violence. This provides an excellent opportunity for violence response agencies to begin sharing information and resources. E-mail firststrike@hsus.org to receive information about organizing a training event.
• Educate the public about the connection between animal cruelty and family violence by organizing an event at the local shopping mall. Invite local animal care and control agencies, animal shelters, domestic violence shelters, social services agencies, law enforcement and the local Safe Haven program to set up booths and provide information about their services.
• Plan a way to honor volunteers who foster or provide care for animals in Safe Haven programs, such as sponsoring a luncheon or presenting them with certificates of appreciation.
• Bring a humane message into local elementary, middle, and high schools by sharing First Strike materials and publications produced by The National Association for Humane and Environmental Education (NAHEE), the youth service division of The HSUS. For more information, visit www.nahee.org.
• Work with your local law enforcement, animal protection agency and domestic violence shelter to create wallet cards with emergency phone numbers that can be given to victims of family violence. The cards should include phone numbers for the local domestic violence shelter or hotline, animal protection agency, safe haven program, and law enforcement agency.
• Contact established Neighborhood Crime Watch programs to make them aware of the animal cruelty/family violence connection. Tell your Neighborhood Crime Watch to look for signs that animals are being abused. Where there is animal cruelty, there may be other forms of violence such as spousal abuse, child abuse or elder abuse. If your neighborhood does not have a program, you can start your own Neighborhood Watch for Animals™. Read our tips on starting a Neighborhood Watch for Animals.

These suggestions can be implemented as is or adapted to fit the needs of your community, agency, or jurisdiction. Even individual citizens can promote awareness by creating a visual display in a public building; asking local veterinarians to display the poster; and setting up a Neighborhood Watch for Animals. We encourage you to involve as many individuals and organizations as possible in raising awareness of these issues throughout the year.

We also welcome your ideas. Please tell us what you're doing to prevent animal cruelty and other crimes in your community, and send for a free First Strike information kit, which will help you further integrate the animal protection message into your existing efforts. You can contact us at firststrike@hsus.org or call us toll free at 1-888-213-0956.