Case 1:

A 5-year-old male is brought to the emergency department (ED) by his father and stepmother because they noted bruising to the child’s cheek after he returned from his biological mother’s home. The child has not told his father how the injury occurred. When asked about the bruise in the ED, he points to the plush dog he is holding and says, “My puppy got an owie here.”

Case 2:

A 32-year-old woman presents after being assaulted by her husband. Following medical care, she states that she wants to leave him but fears for the safety of her two dogs if she is not at home to protect them.

The correlation between cruelty to animals and family violence has been well established. If one type of violence is present within a family group, then other types of family violence—against children, intimate partners, the elderly, or animals—are also likely to be present. The presence of a pet in the household can serve as both a comfort to victims of abuse and a means of control.

Child abuse:

In one study, animal abuse was reported in 88 percent of homes in which physical child abuse occurred.¹ Although a child might be reluctant to disclose that they are being abused, they may confide that their pet is being abused. Any disclosure of animal abuse, whether by the child or by another household member, is a red flag for child abuse and should prompt a report to the appropriate local agencies.

Violence against children and animal cruelty are linked in a cycle of violence; children who witness animal abuse are themselves more likely to become abusers of both humans and animals.²

Pets may be used as a means of control by child abusers. The gift of a pet is sometimes used to gain the trust of a child in order to “groom” them for future sexual abuse. Perpetrators may threaten the safety of pets to keep a child from disclosing abuse and to continue perpetrating the violence.

Intimate partner violence:

A history of pet abuse was found to be one of the four most significant risk factors of a person becoming a perpetrator of intimate partner violence (IPV).³ Seventy-five percent of female victims of IPV who have pets report a history of the pet being threatened or harmed by their intimate partner.⁴ Up to 40 percent of victims of IPV stay in abusive relationships due to fear for the safety of their pets if they leave.⁵ For this reason, a growing movement espouses the development of shelters for victims of IPV that can also house their pets. Many local animal shelters also provide housing and veterinary care for victims of IPV. Some states have passed legislation permitting pets to be included in protection orders. Local IPV advocacy organizations are an excellent source of information about these community resources.