April 01, 2020
A safety net for struggling pet owners
In some areas, pet owners facing situations threatening to sever the bond with an animal companion have a safety net to fall back on.
Many animal shelters and humane organizations offer programs to prevent pet relinquishment for individuals and families experiencing domestic violence, substance abuse, or homelessness.
“The purpose of safety net programs is to keep pets and people together and improve access to vital resources like veterinary care, pet supplies, and temporary boarding,” explained Colleen Doherty, senior director of American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Community Engagement.
The ASPCA has supportive programs to improve access to veterinary care and other services to keep pets healthy and in their homes. The services are available in certain areas of New York City, Miami, and Los Angeles. Services vary according to the unique needs of each community, Doherty explained, and may include partnerships with food banks, reduced-cost or no-cost spay and neuter, and other medical services, pet supplies, and behavior support.
The ASPCA works in collaboration with local animal shelter organizations as well as law enforcement and social services.
“If someone experiences a barrier to caring for a pet, oftentimes they have other needs,” Doherty said. “We recognize and prioritize working with families and people to ensure that the pet owners we work with can get the resources they need to keep their pets.”
Safety net programs vary in focus and services they provide. For instance, the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Los Angeles helps victims of domestic violence escape violent environments by providing temporary housing for their pets through the Animal Safety Net program.
A study cited by the spcaLA found that 20% of women at a Utah safe house delayed leaving an abusive situation for fear that their pets would be harmed. The same study noted that children had witnessed pet abuse in more than 60% of the cases.
“When domestic violence occurs, pets are often threatened or harmed by the violent partner,” the organization states. “Animal Safety Net (ASN) assists survivors of domestic violence by providing temporary housing for their pets, taking them out of harm’s way, and allowing domestic violence survivors to relocate to a shelter.”