A new report from the Standing Committee on the Status of Women titled “Towards a Violence Free Canada: Addressing and Eliminating Intimate Partner and Family Violence” recognizes the link between violence toward animals and intimate partner violence. The report includes a list of twenty-eight recommendations for the federal government to consider to prevent intimate partner and family violence. Recommendation number eleven states “[t]hat the Government of Canada review programs dedicated to providing care for the pets of survivors of intimate partner violence, to: ensure education for all stakeholders like police services and shelters to ensure they have the information they need to refer women to services that can foster their pets when they leave an abusive relationship; and explore funding for the care of companion pets and shelter of survivors of abuse when they leave an abusive relationship.” In drafting the report, the Committee heard from Animal and Interpersonal Abuse Research Group, Humane Canada, Link Toronto, SafePet Ontario, and Violence Link Consulting. Read the report here.
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