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Website: Neighbours, Friends and Families Campaign – Ottawa
Mandate: Based on the principles of community organizing, the Neighbours, Friends and Families campaign, through public education, seeks to raise awareness of the warning signs and risk factors associated with women abuse so that those close to an at-risk woman have the knowledge and tools necessary to help. Through raised awareness, community presentations and a media campaign, we are hoping to support a shift in the way people in Ottawa think about and respond to woman abuse.
The Neighbours, Friends and Families campaign in Ottawa is asking that everyone comes to recognize their ability to become a link to those services and professionals, within our city, that exist to support Women and Children experiencing violence. Everyone in Ottawa, no matter their profession is also a neighbour, friend or family member and so has a role to play in helping to end violence against women.
We ask that people become aware of the warning signs and risk factors and knowledgeable to the services that your neighbour, friend, or family member may need to be referred to one day. It could save a life.
Description of Involvement in this project: The Neighbours Friends and Families campaign in Ottawa recognizes the importance of identifying and removing any and all barriers that stand in the way of a woman’s ability to choose to leave an abusive relationship. Research has shown that in almost ¼ of cases where women living within an abusive relationship had a pet, she stayed longer in the relationship for fear that her animal would be hurt or killed if she left. Making animal protection a part of the safety plan, along with advocating for helping professionals/community members to provide care for these animals while the woman is in crisis, is a way to remove a barrier and allow for a woman and her children get to a safe place sooner. The NFF campaign is working with the network for Women with Pets Escaping Violence, and will support it’s efforts through; inclusion and discussion of pet safety within our campaigns presentations, partnering with other vested professionals and community members in order to support cross training and cross reporting, and providing a link to the NFF website in order to help further support a woman in crisis through the provision of the valuable information found on our website.
Website: Community Veterinary Outreach
Dr. Michelle Lem is a companion animal veterinarian based in Ottawa, who has been involved from the onset in the creation of the Network for Women with Pets Escaping Violence. She has demonstrated her commitment to human and animal welfare through her work with animals of the homeless and/or street-involved. Dr. Lem has been the organizer for clinics that provide pro bono preventive veterinary care to animals of the homeless for the past 5 years at the Ottawa Mission, as well as Operation Go Home. To date, volunteer veterinarians, technicians and assistants at these clinics have examined, treated and vaccinated over 800 animals in Ottawa, and Dr. Lem is currently working to expand this project and extend the veterinary care and services available to the animals of the homeless.
In 2009, Dr. Lem began to formalize this work by starting Community Veterinary Outreach, a non-profit organization whose goals are to improve the health and welfare of both animals and people, support projects that have an emphasis on human and animal health and/or welfare, establish unique multilateral co-operations between community members or organizations, generate data to increase the scientific knowledge base on social issues involving animals, and create models that may be reproduced in other communities.
Dr. Lem is also an animal behaviour consultant at Bayview Animal Hospital, and is a professor in the Veterinary Technician and Assistant Programs at Algonquin College. In September 2009, Dr. Lem will be pursuing post-graduate studies in Epidemiology at the Ontario Veterinary College, Department of Population Medicine. Her research will focus on animals of homeless and at-risk homeless youth
Description of Involvement in this project: Communicate with, collaborate and integrate the Network for Women with Pets Escaping Violence and members of the veterinary community including OVMA (Ontario Veterinary Medical Association), OAVM (Ottawa Academy of Veterinary Medicine), CCVA (Central Canada Veterinary Association), and Algonquin College (Veterinary Technician and Assistant programs). Provide perspectives on veterinary community involvement, animal health and welfare, and pet placement options.
Website: Ottawa Coalition To End Violence Against Women
Mandate: OCTEVAW is a coalition of organizations and individuals dedicated to ending violence against women and, through leadership, education, advocacy and political action, to promoting a coordinated response to women and their children who have experienced abuse.
Description of Involvement in this project: OCTEVAW has been involved from the onset in the creation of this new network. We are dedicated to working alongside the other organizations and concerned individuals to address the problems faced by women when trying to flee abuse with pets.
The link between pet abuse and woman abuse is frequently used in the violence against women community when assessing risk factors. This is due to the fact that some abusers use animals as pawns and/or abuse them to hurt and control their partners. In short, the bond created between a pet and a woman can act as a barrier to her seeking help from violence. This network aims to provide the necessary resources to abused women and their pets.
Website: The Eastern Ottawa Resource Centre
The Eastern Ottawa resource center has been involved from the onset in the creation of this new network. The Canadian Federation of Human Societies (CFHS) initiated this pilot project to bring together diverse organizations such as VAW agencies, veterinarians, police and by-law to address the problems faced by women when trying to flee abuse with pets.
The Eastern Ottawa resource center is equipped with programs against abuse that has the expertise to offer essential services to women and children who experience abuse which includes a 24 hour crises line, individual counseling, information & referrals, group support and a “Children who witness violence” program.
Since we often are the first contact for a woman in distress, we intervene at a moment in her life when she’s thinking of leaving an abusive relationship. Therefore, we’re in a good place to understand how the safety of the family’s pet is important to them. Leaving the pet behind, since most of the shelters won’t allow them, means exposing it to become the target of the abuse or a way of controlling the women into coming back “or else”. In the difficult moments the women fleeing abuse and her children face, the reassuring thought of their beloved companion being safe as well is extremely important. That’s why we support the network into exploring ways of ensuring the safety of their pets.
Website: Women’s Crisis Services of Waterloo Region
Mandate: Women’s Crisis Services operates two emergency shelters for abused women and their children: Anselma House in Kitchener and Haven House in Cambridge plus a regional Outreach program.
Vision Violence against women and children, in any form, will no longer be tolerated by society.
Mission: To demonstrate excellence in the provision of shelter, education and outreach services to abused women and their children; of every race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, ability, religion and/or cultural belief. In collaboration with our community we will empower women to move beyond violence.
Description of Involvement in this project: Provided information on research project spearheaded by Mary Zilney between Family and Children’s Services of Wellington County and the Guelph Humane Society. The research was the first of its kind and received national attention. Provided resource – new textbook published “Linking Animal Cruelty and Family Violence” by Dr. Lisa Anne Zilney.
Website: Chrysalis House
Organization Mandate: Chrysalis House is a safe and secure twenty-five bed home in Western Ottawa. It is a place where a woman can go to protect herself and her children from violence and abuse. In this supportive environment, a woman can focus on her personal needs and choices as well as on her children’s needs.
Any woman (over 16) and child who is in an abusive home and needs to leave her home to keep herself and her child safe. Chrysalis House provides services to women of diverse age, culture, sexual orientation and ability.
Services provided during a woman’s stay may include: Crisis intervention, counseling, support groups, education and information, assistance with accessing financial, legal and housing support, accompaniment services, advocacy, or referrals to community resources. Support and programming is also available for children and youth.
Chrysalis House offers a crisis phone line 24 hours/day 613-591-5901
Chrysalis House is a program of Western Ottawa Community Resource Centre.
Description of Involvement in this project: Chrysalis House is a member of the Network for Women with Pets Escaping Violence. Chrysalis House has added a question to their crisis call record sheet that asks women if the presence of a pet is influencing her decision to leave. Shelter staff are recording that either a) No, she doesn’t have a pet; b) No, it is not a concern; c) Yes, she is concerned and it is a barrier; or d) Yes, she is taking the pet with her, having a friend take care of it, etc.
Website: www.calgaryhumane.ca
Mission: To help as many animals as we can.
Vision for the Violence Prevention Program: Calgary Humane Society understands that by helping human victims of domestic violence, in a time of seeking safety by housing their animals in a safe place, will ensure that all victims of abuse are able to find a secure safe place and can be reunited as a family. This will also lead to end the cycle of violence for all victims, human and animal.
Description of Involvement in this project: The Calgary Humane Society’s Violence Prevention department educates human and animal service providers on the connection between animal abuse and domestic violence, child abuse and elder abuse. Additionally the Pet Safekeeping program at Calgary Humane Society houses animals temporarily for women seeking safety from abuse. They are committed to helping raise awareness about the connection and how everyone can do their part to help end the cycle of abuse. The shelter has provided information and resources on safety planning for women, children and their pets, information on the local Calgary study that was conducted in 2001, and lists of articles that have been published on this topic to provide a wealth of information for the website.
