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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!
# 33,505:
8:18 am PDT, Jul 6, Jessica LeAnn, Illinois
# 33,504:
4:59 am PDT, Jul 6, Natali ME, Virginia
These women are already extremely stressed, we should help them rescue their pets from an abusive home to reduce their own worries and save the pet from cruelty.
# 33,503:
7:21 pm PDT, Jul 5, Dilia Gomez, Florida
# 33,502:
9:27 am PDT, Jul 5, Christel Meisters, Netherlands
# 33,501:
7:53 am PDT, Jul 5, Yvette Monnet, France
# 33,500:
6:07 pm PDT, Jul 4, Colette Wilson, California
# 33,499:
12:42 pm PDT, Jul 3, Name not displayed, Pennsylvania
# 33,498:
11:18 am PDT, Jul 3, Ela Arvai, Croatia
# 33,497:
10:45 am PDT, Jul 3, Kasey Combs, North Carolina
Animals deserve the right to have an abuse-free life, too. The point of womens shelters is to save women from the abuses they would suffer were they not in a safe enviorment. Why can't they promise the same to animals?
# 33,496:
10:40 am PDT, Jul 3, Christine LESIEUR, France
So nice initiative !
# 33,495:
9:55 am PDT, Jul 3, CONNIE CHRISTOPHER, Florida
I would never leave my pet & would just stay & suffer the consequences.
# 33,494:
11:03 pm PDT, Jul 2, Greta Bell, Louisiana
# 33,493:
8:51 pm PDT, Jul 2, Tonya Lewis, California
# 33,492:
3:09 pm PDT, Jul 2, Maureen Wilson, United Kingdom
# 33,491:
6:14 am PDT, Jul 2, Candace Penner, California
# 33,490:
8:30 pm PDT, Jul 1, Cat Mcgahan, Australia
# 33,489:
11:08 am PDT, Jul 1, Peter Beck, Switzerland
# 33,488:
11:01 am PDT, Jul 1, Larissa Coad, Illinois
# 33,487:
10:50 am PDT, Jul 1, Name not displayed, Missouri
# 33,486:
9:52 am PDT, Jul 1, Jon Nowak, New York
# 33,485:
8:38 am PDT, Jul 1, *** Aurore, France
# 33,484:
7:38 am PDT, Jul 1, Jodi Brown, Arizona
# 33,483:
10:46 pm PDT, Jun 30, Name not displayed, West Virginia
# 33,482:
12:42 pm PDT, Jun 30, Nancy Welch, Texas
# 33,481:
11:27 am PDT, Jun 30, Anna Johansson, Sweden
# 33,480:
7:05 am PDT, Jun 30, Kathy Davis, Florida
# 33,479:
6:28 am PDT, Jun 30, Lupe Ponce, Illinois
I feel that by allowing pets in the shelter it is a way to mke things in a difficult situation seem tolerable.
# 33,478:
6:11 am PDT, Jun 30, Roxane Connor, Virginia
# 33,477:
6:11 am PDT, Jun 30, Judit Luna i Ester, Spain
# 33,476:
10:04 pm PDT, Jun 29, Name not displayed, California
Pets are nearly the same as children in many families - pets must be considered and given a chance when families break up and need help . . . For the family's sake, AND the animal's sake. There are too many pets in shelters already, there is no reason a pet should not be given EVERY chance to stay with their original family and nurturer . . .
# 33,475:
7:45 pm PDT, Jun 29, Nicholas Schafer, California
# 33,474:
5:01 pm PDT, Jun 29, Name not displayed, Missouri
# 33,473:
5:00 pm PDT, Jun 29, Berta Rocha, Portugal
# 33,472:
4:52 pm PDT, Jun 29, Delaney Hansen, Michigan
Pets are part of the family too. Having to go to a shelter is tramatic enough for the women and children forced into that type of situation. Often the pets are then subected to abuse, with no one there to care for them or protect them from harm and retribution.
# 33,471:
2:59 pm PDT, Jun 29, Greta Malkotzoglou, Greece
# 33,470:
11:57 am PDT, Jun 29, Octavia James, New York
# 33,469:
11:55 am PDT, Jun 29, Michelle Parsneau, Minnesota
# 33,468:
6:33 am PDT, Jun 29, Marboeuf Grégory, France
# 33,467:
3:27 am PDT, Jun 29, Scott Boyles, Kentucky
Because killing animals is illegal in my book.
# 33,466:
2:45 am PDT, Jun 29, Lisa Tomlinson, Michigan
# 33,465:
1:09 am PDT, Jun 29, Drace Eviscia, Maryland
# 33,464:
11:40 pm PDT, Jun 28, Karen Lilburn, Canada
# 33,463:
8:59 pm PDT, Jun 28, Anne Nielsen, Utah
# 33,462:
8:58 pm PDT, Jun 28, Chenelle Martin, New Jersey
# 33,461:
8:34 pm PDT, Jun 28, Angela Black, Michigan
# 33,460:
8:11 pm PDT, Jun 28, Sharon Connors, Georgia
Pets are most often thought of as family members just like children. People form strong emotional bonds with their animals, especially children. There has been much research which has supported the human/animal bond as one which promotes sound mental/emotional health as well as physical health benefits as well. In a situation such as domestic abuse , this bond could be crucial for recovery efforts. PLEASE SUPPORT IT !!
# 33,459:
6:23 pm PDT, Jun 28, Name not displayed, Virginia
# 33,458:
4:18 pm PDT, Jun 28, Kelly Todd Brewer, Michigan
Having spent many years as an animal rescue volunteer, I can attest to the substantial link between domestic violence and animal cruelty. As a compassionate society, we must have resources in place to provide safe haven for all domestice violence victims, including the four-legged, furbearing victims.
# 33,457:
3:35 pm PDT, Jun 28, Michelle Schaeffer, Missouri
I have cared for women of domestic violence & have personally seen the physical, emotional & psychological damage they incur. As a pet lover myself, I can personally relate to these women not wanting to leave the abuser based upon fear of danger to their pets (anymore than any woman would leave their children behind in that kind of environment). these women & animals need our help & support!
# 33,456:
2:45 pm PDT, Jun 28, Annelies Ooms, Belgium
# 33,455:
1:55 pm PDT, Jun 28, Name not displayed, New York
# 33,454:
1:47 pm PDT, Jun 28, Maria Valentina Gonzalez, Uruguay
# 33,453:
6:26 am PDT, Jun 28, Anistorm Gonzalez, California
# 33,452:
4:58 am PDT, Jun 28, Jill Vickerman, South Africa
So many Woman stay in an abusive relationship because they know if they leave their animals, they will be hurt or killed - they cant leave without them and they cant take them with them...Please, I know how it feels, please support on site housing for pets.
# 33,451:
4:41 am PDT, Jun 28, Stina Holback, Sweden