NORFOLK, Neb. (AP) - An animal shelter is teaming up with a domestic violence service to help victims remove their pets from domestic abuse situations.
The partnership between the Animal Shelter of Northeast Nebraska and Bright Horizons of Norfolk is part of a program called House of Hope. The animal shelter is able to provide kennel space to protect pets caught in the middle of domestic violence situations thanks to a grant from the Norfolk Area Community Foundation, The Norfolk Daily News (https://bit.ly/2lnVAGv ) reported.
Nearly half of domestic abuse victims who remain in violent households do so out of fear for their animals, according to the Animal Legal Defense Fund.
“You can look up stats online, and you’ll get pages and pages and pages talking about how abusers will use animals to keep their victims engaged, to keep them there longer, to emotionally traumatize them as well,” said Sydney Hurley, executive director of the animal shelter. “They might harm the animal to force victims to do something.”
Bright Horizons Executive Director Linda Olson says partnering with the animal shelter helps take down one more barrier that victims need to overcome when deciding to leave their abusive situations. She said the transitional shelter is unable to house pets.
The partnership with the animal shelter is also beneficial to those seeking shelter with Bright Horizons because of the organization’s security measures protecting against abusers.
She noted that the domestic violence shelter, because of its confidential location, is pretty restrictive.
“You just can’t imagine the sense of relief of knowing, ’I can bring my pet, and it’ll be taken care of,’” Olson said. “For them to be able to go out and do something that doesn’t cost them money, it’s just huge to have a place to go and have purpose.”
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Information from: Norfolk Daily News, https://www.norfolkdailynews.com
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