Haven 2 Home

Research shows a clear and compelling link between animal abuse and domestic violence. 71% of women seeking shelter from domestic violence affirmed that their partner threatened, hurt or killed their pet.

SafeNet provides a full range of services aiming to remove barriers for victims of domestic violence to access safety and support. Partnering with the Erie Humane Society provides an additional opportunity to save more lives—ensuring safe temporary housing for victims’ pets and offering rehabilitative services for pet’s also coming from trauma. Many pet owners coming from abusive environments feel relief knowing there is a haven for their pets and that they will not be left to be tortured or killed.

This partnership, called the Haven to Home Program, provides a safe, temporary shelter for pets while families receive the safety and support from SafeNet. The pets are cared for in a loving environment and provided with all needs to include food and veterinary care, free of charge to the pet owner. Families are offered the opportunity to visit frequently with their pets and are reunited permanently with them as soon as they find safe, permanent housing.

TO QUALIFY FOR HAVEN 2 HOME, YOU MUST BE A CURRENT CLIENT OF SAFENET. SafeNet will contact the Erie Humane Society to arrange placement of victims' pets.

Facts About Animal Abuse & Domestic Violence

• 71% of pet-owning women entering women’s shelters reported that their batterer had injured, maimed, killed, or threatened family pets for revenge or to psychologically control victims; 32% reported their children had hurt or killed animals.
• Between 25% and 40% of battered women are unable to escape abusive situations because they worry about what will happen to their pets or livestock should they leave.
• Pets may suffer unexplained injuries, health problems, permanent disabilities at the hands of abusers, or disappear from home.
• Abusers kill, harm, or threaten children’s pets to coerce them into sexual abuse or to force them to remain silent about abuse. Disturbed children kill or harm animals to emulate their parents’ conduct, to prevent the abuser from killing the pet, or to take out their aggressions on another victim.
• In one study, 70% of animal abusers also had records for other crimes. Domestic violence victims whose animals were abused saw the animal cruelty as one more violent episode in a long history of indiscriminate violence aimed at them and their vulnerability.
• Investigation of animal abuse is often the first point of social services intervention for a family in trouble.
• For many battered women, pets are sources of comfort providing strong emotional support: 98% of Americans consider pets to be companions or members of the family.
• Animal cruelty problems are people problems. When animals are abused, people are at risk.

[Ref.: Sojournerproject.org & personal research]