Protect your pet and yourself from family violence.

Safe Haven for Pets

The Capital Area Humane Society's Safe Haven for Pets program provides emergency, temporary shelter for the pets of victims of family violence.  Services are provided at no cost to people in Franklin County and provide an alternative to permanently giving up a beloved pet or leaving a pet behind in a dangerous situation.

Consider the following:

• 71 percent of pet-owning women entering a shelter reported that their abuser had injured, maimed, killed or threatened family pets.1
• Between 18 percent and 48 percent of battered women delay leaving abusive situations out of fear for the safety of their animals.2
• 98 percent of Americans consider pets to be companions or members of the family.3
• 13 percent of intentional animal abuse cases involve domestic violence.4

The Safe Haven for Pets coordinator is available 24/7 to facilitate the transfer of a pet into the Humane Society's custody.  Once admitted to the program, pets receive any veterinary care necessary, including vaccinations and spay or neuter surgery, and then if stable are moved into long term foster care with a Capital Area Humane Society foster family or with specially chosen and trained inmates at Ohio Reformatory for Women (ORW).  The OSU College of Veterinary Medicine also supports this program, providing ongoing preventative care for the pets fostered at ORW.

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1 Ascione, F.R., Weber, C.V. & Wood, D.S. (1997).  The abuse of animals and domestic violence:  A national survey of shelters for women who are battered.  Society & Animals 5(3), 205-218.

2 Ascione, F.R., Weber, C.V.; Thompson, T.M., Heath, J., Maruyama, M. & Hayashi, K. (2007).  Battered Pets and Domestic Vioilence:  Animal Abuse Reported by Women Experiencing Intimate Violence and by Nonabused Women.  Violence Against Women 13(4), 354-373.

3 American Veterinary Medical Association (2003): U.S. Pet Ownership & Demographics Sourcebook, Shaumburg, IL: AVMA.

4 Humane Society of the U.S. (2001).  2000 Report of Animal Cruelty Cases.  Washington, D.C.