BOSTON (Reuters) - After 11 years of abuse, Susan Walsh knew her husband was a problem. He had threatened her, beat her and killed some of their turkeys and sheep, leaving the corpses out for her to find.
But the last straw came in 2001, when he killed her dog while she was out of town visiting family.
"He had run over my border collie, who was fairly old at that point," Walsh recalled in a phone interview. "She was blind and deaf and she never saw him coming. He just ran her over in the driveway."
Abusive spouses often use threats to pets to keep their victims from leaving, according to domestic abuse experts. To make it easier for those people to leave their abusers, domestic violence support groups and animal welfare advocates are lobbying for laws that protect pets from domestic abuse.
Maine, Vermont and New York were the first states to enact laws allowing judges to include pets in protection orders, which require abusers to stay away from their victims. The New Jersey and Illinois legislatures are considering similar measures.
"The desire to protect a pet is often a deterrent for women or victims leaving a situation like this, because they're afraid if they do, their pets will be harmed," said Sherry Lane of Caring Unlimited, a shelter in Sanford, Maine.
Despite the torment she experienced, Walsh and their two children stayed with her husband out of fear that if they left, he'd kill the rest of the animals on their 32-acre farm in Ellsworth, Maine, 250 miles northeast of Boston.
"He would use the animals and threats to them as a tool to try and control me -- 'If you try to leave, I can do this. I can do worse,"' Walsh said.
Amy, a domestic violence victim from Windsor County, Vermont, said having a pet on a protection order gets the police's attention.
After years of abuse, Amy's husband disappeared with her dog, and filed for divorce while in hiding, leaving her wondering what would befall her pet if she contested terms.
He wanted "to control me and for me to acquiesce, to say, 'Whatever you want, just give me back my dog,"' said Amy, who asked that her last name be withheld.
Two months after her husband disappeared, she learned the dog was being kept alone at an empty apartment a few miles away, fed by a local woman. She approached local police to get the dog back, but said her concerns were ignored.
"I felt that they were laughing at me, that it was, 'Come on, let's talk about what's important,"' Amy said.
She said she believes her experience would have been different if the new Vermont law was on the books then.
"If you call the police and say, 'I have an order of protection for my pet,' they are going to take it seriously because there is a reason. And without that, there's nothing," Amy said. "Is it going to protect you from a fist? No. But it's going to give you an edge."
While many women's shelters do not accept pets, programs like Pets and Women to Safety at the Animal Welfare Society of West Kennebunk, Maine, fill that void.
Steve Jacobsen, that shelter's executive director, said Caring Unlimited approached his group eight years ago, looking for a place to bring victims' pets.
His shelter now takes in 12 to 24 pets a year. Local volunteers care for them in their own homes. It's one of about 160 U.S. animal shelters that board pets of domestic violence victims, according to the Humane Society.
Domestic violence affects roughly 700,000 Americans each year, according to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence.
Just wanted to let you know that I have started a new group.. called Feline This.. for cat lovers of all kinds.. discussion of all kinds are welcoem as long as there about our favorite felines.. please come and join us.. get some help with questions and help others..
The Ontario SPCA are doing really great work in Southern Ontario to bring down Puppy and Kitty Mills..Recentaly they have been able to get a law in the books for such things..
The Ontario SPCA Act clearly outlines the acceptable standar of care for anyone breeding dogs or cats for the purpose of sale. This standard of care includes proper food, prompt and proper medical care, and clean, safe housing for the animals.
The maximum penalty for anyone who breaks this law is %60,000, up to two years in prision or both. And they can be banned from owning animals again for the purpose of breeding for the rest of there lives.
Very proud that they have rescued thousands of dogs and puppies over the past 4 years. But there are many thousands of helpless dogs and cats still out there - living in squalid conditions and being treated in a heartless, inhumane way.
MOre funding is needed now for the Ontario SPCA to expand their inestigations and finally put an end to this terrible business that creates so much needless suffering.
If you can help.. a donation in any way.. to help the SPCA with the care and medical needs.. the investigation cost of taking down these horrid puppy and kitty mills.. please please do.. the address is below where you can send donations.. or if you happen to be in the area, drop them off.. I am sure even non-monitary donations are greatly appreciated to help these poor creatures..
To Each & EVERY
Blessed member of Our
Care 2 Family:As many of
you already know, my
husband Rick was arrested
in San Francsico in Sept.
on a violation warrant.
He was beaten up quite
badly at the time of his
arrest. At the time, we
were both home...
My Husband Richard Lell
is currently incarcerated
at Kilby CI in
Montgomery, Alabama. 20
years ago he was driving
home when a 15 year old
driver fell asleep at the
wheel and crossed the
center line. Three
members of the other
driver's ...
HEART OF THE WOLF
ORGANIZATION NEWS
12/22/2009More bad news
in the realm of the wolf
hassurfaced.Read and help
today
folks!http://www.heartoft
hewolf.org/HoWWolfNewsUpd
ate12222009.htmlMike
WagnerFounder and
Director of Heart of the
Wolf Organizationhtt...
Source of
Photograph.....http://pro
nica.org/projects/article
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bsp; I have
heard so many people say
that they no longer Click
to Donate because they
feel that it is a waste
of their time. But I know
that the Click to...
by Lisa Hernandez
SANTA ANA, Calif. -- The
owners of a prize-winning
bulldog have doubled the
reward for his safe
return to $2,000.
The dog used to go to
work with his owner every
day at a print shop in
Santa Ana, but Bubba
apparently snuck out
of...
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It is an ungodly mess of
errors, loopholes, and
massive giveaways. When
the American people find
out
what's actually 
;in this bill, they will
revolt. Congress and
President Obama have no
choice but to do better
for health care than...
Imagine folks, The
President and Congress is
trying to cram a Faulty
Health Care Plan down our
throats and make it
Mandatory for those
without Insurance to Buy
In to the Plan.Not only
is it too costly, but it
is filled with Coverage
Gaps. Imagine, tak...
HEART OF THE WOLF
ORGANIZATION NEWS
12/18/2009 Latest news
and alerts folks. Read
and act today!
http://www.heartofthewolf
.org/HoWWolfNewsUpdate121
82009.html
http://www.heartofthewolf
.org/HoWOWolfMediaNewsUpd
ate12182009.html Mike
Wagner Founder and Di...
Please note news story
at;
http://www.care2.com/news
/member/901507364/1333901
THESE ARE FIGHTING
WORDS--Keith Olbermann on
Perversion of Health Care
Bill
US Politics &
Gov't (tags:&n
bsp;healthcare, obam
a, ethic...