Companion Animal Rescue Effort
He "called to the animal (a sheepdog) and made her sit in front of him as he fired five more shots, killing the family pet. Three months later he did the same to his wife. Then he killed himself." Diana Russell, Rape in Marraige, pg. 296.
"Just when she started to faint, he stopped and shook her until she
was breathing again, and then started hitting her methodically with his
fists, waiting until she caught her breath before striking again.
At some point she realized he was laughing. Molly had seen him beat
a dog like that once, slowly, until it died. She remembered that
he had laughed then, too." Shortly after that, Molly killed her husband
in self-defense. Angela Browne, When Battered Women Kill,
pg. 133.
Battering includes injury or death to animal companions. (We refer
to the animals who live with us as animal companions because we think of
them as members of our families.) Whenever battering takes place,
it should be taken very seriously. Not only does it harm the animal(s),
but it is a sign of extreme danger. A woman in this situation may
feel that her choices are extremely limited--to stay, in part to protect
the animal(s), or to leave and to worry about what is going to happen to
them.
What Was Companion Animal Rescue Effort (CARE)?
CARE was initiated in 1993 by FAR core group member Delora Frederickson
in an effort to respond to the safety concerns of battered women, specifically
concerns about the fate of animal companions. CARE inspired individuals
as well as agnecies to build networks of safe places for animal companions
of women entering battered women's shelters across the country.
CARE was a nationwide network of individuals and agencies providing resources to women and animal companions fleeing domestic violence. The CARE program included cross agency trainings, volunteer and educational outreach, program development, and coalition work towards change in national policies.