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Support On-Site Housing for Pets in Women's Shelters!

Sponsored by: American Humane Association

Between 71 and 85 percent of women entering domestic violence shelters reported that a partner had threatened, injured or killed the family pet, according to a study done in 1997.

When domestic violence victims with pets consider fleeing abusive homes and there is no safe place to house their pets, they often have to choose between remaining in their homes and subjecting themselves to continued violence, or fleeing and leaving their pets behind.

The American Humane Association, the leading organization raising awareness about The Link® between animal abuse and other forms of violence, has created the first national initiative to promote on-site housing of pets at women's shelters and to acknowledge the human-animal bond, which can be crucial to recovery after a crisis. This program is called The Pets and Women's Shelters Program, or PAWS™.

Sign this pledge today to support programs like PAWS and help raise awareness about The Link between animal abuse and domestic violence.

Recognizing both the urgent need to protect domestic violence victims from further abuse and the comfort that pets provide people, especially in times of stress and trauma, American Humane is leading a national program to guide domestic and family violence emergency housing shelters toward permitting residents to bring their pets with them.
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We signed the “Support On-Site Housing for Pets in Women's Shelters!” petition!

# 33,300:

8:10 pm PDT, Jun 23, Laura Campanelli, Florida

# 33,299:

8:07 pm PDT, Jun 23, Patsy Powell, Alabama
an abuser attacks the one he targets the most first, After that the next available human he can torture, After that person is removed, They do attack the nearest animal in its path. I Have seen this first hand.

# 33,298:

8:06 pm PDT, Jun 23, Kim Buxton, Washington
I left an abuser 22 years ago. I had to take the dog and cat with me when I left because he abused them also. I was not able to have the animals at the shelter and was forced to house them in my van as I had no other options. It was a hardship and a worry in addtition to everything I was going thru at the time with my small child. It would have been so much easier and more comforting for me and for my daughter if we could have been with our pets. Please try to work out a way for pets to stay with and help their people thru tough times. Thanks. Kim

# 33,297:

7:56 pm PDT, Jun 23, Judy Moore, Alabama

# 33,296:

7:54 pm PDT, Jun 23, Tania Payne, Australia

# 33,295:

7:50 pm PDT, Jun 23, Pushpa Weerasooriya, Canada

# 33,294:

7:48 pm PDT, Jun 23, Serena Hunt, Colorado
Pets are important family members. If we've learned the lesson that emergency shelters after disasters need to accept pets, can't we apply that lesson to women leaving violent home situations. We love our pets; for some of us, these ARE our children. You wouldn't expect someone to leave their children behind, why make them leave their pets?

# 33,293:

7:45 pm PDT, Jun 23, Rebecca Lipscomb, Kentucky

# 33,292:

7:42 pm PDT, Jun 23, Nanci Reese, Pennsylvania
Family pets needs to be protected, too, from abusers. I am amazed how deprived our society has become!

# 33,291:

7:42 pm PDT, Jun 23, Jeanette Louis, Illinois

# 33,290:

7:38 pm PDT, Jun 23, Tasha Nuetzman-Wiese, Iowa

# 33,289:

7:38 pm PDT, Jun 23, Susan Barnes, Tennessee

# 33,288:

7:37 pm PDT, Jun 23, Robin Creager, Kansas

# 33,287:

7:37 pm PDT, Jun 23, Dave Schnitzler, Rhode Island

# 33,286:

7:33 pm PDT, Jun 23, Donna Dd, Pennsylvania

# 33,285:

7:32 pm PDT, Jun 23, Del Maccio, Florida

# 33,284:

7:25 pm PDT, Jun 23, Larry Troiano, Rhode Island

# 33,283:

7:14 pm PDT, Jun 23, Name not displayed, North Carolina

# 33,282:

7:14 pm PDT, Jun 23, Christine Pecic, California
most women stay in abusive relationships because of kids or animals or both! If there were places for them to go without worrying about there kids and pets then they might leave sooner!

# 33,281:

7:10 pm PDT, Jun 23, Jennifer Hughes, New York

# 33,280:

7:04 pm PDT, Jun 23, Bruce McDaniel, West Virginia

# 33,279:

6:57 pm PDT, Jun 23, Iryna Shepetchuk, Canada

# 33,278:

6:57 pm PDT, Jun 23, Charlotte Barnes, Kentucky

# 33,277:

6:53 pm PDT, Jun 23, Krista Schnee, Kansas

# 33,276:

6:51 pm PDT, Jun 23, Bobbi Casey, Canada
Animals only know love and cant understand when they are treated badly. Even than, they still want to be loved. I watched a program where they had convicts looking after animals. grooming them and loving them. Hardened criminals who cried when the dogs had to leave. God certainly knew what he was doing when her gave us animals. Too bad some idiots dont share the same feelings.

# 33,275:

6:49 pm PDT, Jun 23, Alissa Paolella, Ohio

# 33,274:

6:35 pm PDT, Jun 23, Name not displayed, Pennsylvania
I love my animals, I guess other people do to. The only reason that I rented my apt is because it accepted pets. This apt should be condemed, and the landlord knows it.

# 33,273:

6:35 pm PDT, Jun 23, Katelyn O'Reilly, Missouri

# 33,272:

6:28 pm PDT, Jun 23, Amanda Baird, Kentucky
Pets are like family memebers and should be allowed to stay with women. Animals are very important; some women may even decline to stay in a shelter if they are seperated from them.

# 33,271:

6:19 pm PDT, Jun 23, Theresa Koch, Arizona

# 33,270:

6:19 pm PDT, Jun 23, Ann Marie Kotlik, Pennsylvania

# 33,269:

6:14 pm PDT, Jun 23, Rui Silva, Portugal

# 33,268:

6:13 pm PDT, Jun 23, Kate Tildes, Rhode Island

# 33,267:

6:04 pm PDT, Jun 23, Rob Schmieler, Pennsylvania
Allowing women to bring their pets to shelters is an excellent idea. These women and their children (if they have any) have been through enough already at this point, and being able to bring a loved pet or pets with them might be the only stable thing they have left in thier life at such a trying time.

# 33,266:

6:03 pm PDT, Jun 23, Bec Mason, Australia

# 33,265:

5:58 pm PDT, Jun 23, Beatriz Gomes, Brazil

# 33,264:

5:55 pm PDT, Jun 23, Name not displayed, California

# 33,263:

5:51 pm PDT, Jun 23, Gimena Dominguez velez, Colombia

# 33,262:

5:40 pm PDT, Jun 23, Billie Marie Thomson, New Mexico

# 33,261:

5:30 pm PDT, Jun 23, Stacey Bradley, Pennsylvania

# 33,260:

5:22 pm PDT, Jun 23, Brenda Keel, Florida

# 33,259:

5:20 pm PDT, Jun 23, Teresa Vidiella, Mexico

# 33,258:

5:11 pm PDT, Jun 23, Mindy McEntee, Maryland

# 33,257:

5:10 pm PDT, Jun 23, Sharon Boone, New Jersey

# 33,256:

5:05 pm PDT, Jun 23, Shannon Null, Pennsylvania
Animals need TLC as much as people do. In women's shelters it would be great. They (human and animal) both would benefit from each other. They each could help the other to trust and love again. Both human and animal would feel that they are somebody special and that someone does care for them no matter what. We (humans and animals) are all the same. We each need food, water, shelter, and love. Now; ask yourself this question: Who does not want to feel loved by someone? You can not always get love from a person, but you can ALWAYS get love from an animal. They love unconditionally.

# 33,255:

5:04 pm PDT, Jun 23, Vivian Smith, Hawaii
Women cannot feel comfortable leaving their abusers if they have to leave behind the pets they love.

# 33,254:

5:03 pm PDT, Jun 23, Irina Vodonos, Washington

# 33,253:

4:55 pm PDT, Jun 23, Jean Gregas, New Jersey

# 33,252:

4:53 pm PDT, Jun 23, Jet Barrett, United Kingdom

# 33,251:

4:49 pm PDT, Jun 23, Patrick Clement, Canada

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