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Walk spotlights pets facing abuse

Humans aren’t the only victims of domestic violence.

Pets suffer, too.

To shed light on the effects of domestic violence on pets, the Family Crisis Intervention Center in Parkersburg is holding its first “Paws For The DV Cause” fun walk and run from 10 a.m. to noon Oct. 27 at City Park.

Registration is $5 per dog and begins at 10 a.m. at shelter 7 near the pond. Each pet will receive a bandana to wear during the walk, which begins around 10:15 a.m..

Signs will be displayed along the trail around the park, providing statistics and information pertaining to domestic violence and animal abuse. People and pets can walk one or two laps around City Park — “whatever they are comfortable with.”

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Thirty-four people were killed in domestic violence cases in West Virginia from October 2017 to September 2018, an increase of three individuals over the previous year.

Perpetrators of domestic violence will injure or kill the family’s pet to get back at or show dominance against the partner, said Emily Larkins, executive director of the Family Crisis Intervention Center.

“We’ve always seen this. It is a form of abuse,” Larkins said.

Some abusers will hurt the family pet in front of the children to control, hurt or intimidate the partner, said domestic violence awareness officials.

Next Saturday’s walk is to bring awareness of pets being abused in domestic violence situations. This is a new focus for the Family Crisis Intervention Center, Larkins said.

The domestic violence shelter in Parkersburg is not set up to accommodate pets in abusive family situations, Larkins said.

This is where Carrie Roe, founder and president of the nonprofit Mid-Ohio Valley Animal Safe Haven, becomes a valuable resource.

When a person must leave a domestic violence situation, Larkins contacts Roe about housing the family pet until the person being abused is in a more stable situation and can reclaim the animal.

Roe said she will work with the Family Crisis Intervention Center to find a temporary home for a pet in an abuse case.

“I try to help as many as I can,” she said.

In some abusive situations, a person will contact the Humane Society shelter seeking help for a pet, Roe said. The shelter will refer the person to MOV Animal Safe Haven.

Roe believes it is a great idea for the domestic violence shelter to care about the safety of pets, along with the safety of their owners.

Pets are the silent victims, Roe said.

Some people will remain in an abusive home out of fear of what will happen to their pet if they leave, Roe said.

Others give up their pets forever when they leave an abusive home, believing it is the only choice they have to free themselves and their pets from abuse.

Roe has a handful of foster homes that will care for pets in crisis situations while the person works toward a safe future.

“Fosters will understand not only the needs of your pet but your need for confidentiality and security,” Roe said.

MOV Animal Safe Haven was founded in 2017 to serve the Mid-Ohio Valley area of West Virginia and Ohio in domestic violence cases and to provide emergency medical foster care.

“Our goals are to help the animal victims of domestic violence and medical crisis to ultimately remain with their families by providing them temporary foster homes,” according to the organization’s website movanimalsafehaven.org.

Seventy-one percent of pet-owning women entering domestic violence shelters reported the abuser threatened, harmed or killed the family pet, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Victims of domestic violence that have a pet needing help or anyone that may want to help by fostering can contact the Mid-Ohio Valley Animal Safe Haven at 740-989-0000 or safehavenmov@gmail.com. Foster homes for pets are needed in this area.

The Family Crisis Intervention Center has a 24-hour hotline at 1-800-794-2335 or call 304-428-2333.

Contact Paul LaPann at plapann@newsandsentinel.com.

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