Archive for the ‘abuse’ Category
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I just got a new dog. She is a poodle mix. I got her from our local human society. When we decided she was the one we wanted, we knew nothing of her history, just that she was only 6 months old. Before they let us hold her or anything, they sat us down and explained that she was rescued from a puppy mill in Virginia along with 800 other dogs. They explained to us that she had been through a lot and was “fearful” of people and shy. I accepted all of this and they finally brought her out to us. In a little room with just my son, husband and me, we started a bonding process with Bella. She was shy, that was easy to see, but I wasn’t sure she was fearful. She wanted to play and to touch but she didn’t seem sure. I got down on her level and let her come to me; even my son was gentle and took his time. We fell in love with her and decided that we would bring her home. Bella was not in the best shape. You could tell she had been neglected. Her hair is long and matted. I can’t take her to the groomer until she gets her stitches removed from being fixed. So I took a pair of scissors and cut off as much of the matted hair as I could. They gave me a package on fearful dogs and sent us on our way. Once we got home, I set Bella down and let her start to explore. She seemed to be doing great, the only time she even expressed a fear was when you would lean down to pet her. She would move away, not sure of our intent. I have to be honest, I didn’t read the packet. I just kept taking things slow with her, and within two days, Bella didn’t shy away anymore from me, my husband or our son. She has come a long way in such a short time. She had some eating problems but today she ate with a gusto I haven’t seen before. I don’t think Bella was as fearful as they thought she was. I just think that she needed love, patience and a little time. She even readily accepted new people into her life just two days after being in her new home with us when we had family visit. Do some dogs have fear problems? I think dogs that have been mishandled, beaten, and generally treated rotten may, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t work with them and get them to trust and love again. Giving a dog a second chance at a happy life is so worth it. Having Bella in our lives is definitely worth it. Rachel Duncan maintains a blog called Bakedblog, which covers topics on baking, cooking, parenting and enjoying life. When violence occurs between family members, pets are often victims of abuse. I read a lot of articles about pets, but one in particular struck me this week because it touched on an issue I have never thought about before - pets battered during domestic violence. The article in this month’s (June 2008) “O, The Oprah Magazine,” titled “The Battered Pet” told of several cases where abusers tortured or killed a pet in order to remain in control of a spouse. And unfortunately, this is an effective way to remain in control. Shelter residents interviewed for the article shared stories of delayed attempts to leave an abusive relationship because their pets would have nowhere to go. Women spoke of weighing their pets’ safety against their own, considering most battered women’s shelters do not allow pets. Knowing the amount of loyalty, love and comfort a pet offers, I cannot imagine making that kind of decision. One example was Susan Walsh, whose border collie and two sheep were purposely killed by her husband. The sheep were shot, and her dog was deliberately ran over with a truck, she said. Walsh said she remained in an abusive marriage partly out of fear of what could happen to her remaining pets if she left. “Victims of domestic violence may be reluctant to leave an abusive relationship for fear of retaliation upon their pets,” said Joanne Bourbeau, director of The Humane Society of the United States New England Regional Office, in an HSUS news release. Maine was the first state to allow judges to include animals in protective orders for people seeking protection from abuse, according to “O.” Nine other states have done the same since. I am considering contacting the women’s shelter in my area to ask if any of the residents there have pets that could be in danger. For more information on protective orders that include pets, search the following web sites: hsus.org, americanhumane.org and aspca.org. |
