When I received the following email it broke my heart. First for the women and men who are in violent situations at home, and then for the animals who have to witness it. Anyone who loves a pet knows what a hard choice it would be to leave your spouse if you knew you had to leave your pet behind. Ahimsa House is pioneering ways to help both women and pets who are victims of domestic violence. Please read this and pass it on if you can:

Women residing at domestic violence shelters were nearly 11 times more likely to report that their partner had hurt or killed pets than a comparison group of women who said they had not experienced intimate violence. As a result, many victims stay in abusive relationships out of concern for their pets.

Read the rest of this entry »