New Domestic Violence Shelter in North Carolina Opens Soon

Depending on where you live, up to 50% of women will stay in an abusive relationship because they have nowhere to go with their companion pets or live stock animals.  They fear for the safety of their pets if they were to leave them behind.  In many cases, their pets are also being abused, tortured or even killed.

wbtv.com in North Carolina, recently reported there's a new domestic violence shelter for battered women set to open soon in North Carolina.  It will replace a 33 year old cramped facility that only sustained 29 beds.

The new facility is 41k sq. ft., and has 80 beds available.  It features 2 bedroom 1 bath apartment style suites.  It's reported the shelter is designed to be extra bright, spacious and includes a dining hall, workout room, courtyard, and  playground.

The story  made no mention of whether or not it was designed to shelter companion animals, let alone live stock, or not.  So I called the number for United Family Services listed in the news report, 704.373.1604, only to reach a fax line.  I took the next step and looked up the number for United Family Services in North Carolina, 704.332.9034, and asked them if the new facility would shelter companion animals.  The woman who answered the phone didn't know.  I thought that was rather odd, but she gave me the direct number of the shelter, 704.332.2513, which I called and posed the same question;  does the new facility shelter companion animals?  The woman who answered the phone at the shelter didn't know either and she tells me to contact Jane Taylor.

At this point, it doesn't look very good for women who need a place to go with their pets, but I take the name of the woman she refers me to and I give her a call.  Jane tells me that due to economic issues they don't shelter companion animals on site.  They do, however, partner with local animal control and fosters to shelter family pets during the time a family stays at the shelter, often for months at a time.  There are times when residents at the domestic violence shelter need a little more time and in a circumstance like that, they rely on foster families to continue the care for the family animals.  I was so relieved to hear this news!

Jane stated it's been a very successful program for them.  The Animal Control Officers are available to them 24/7.  This program allows for entire families to flee as soon as is possible without worry for their pets.  Jane mentioned that just recently they did an intake on a family with a dog very late one night.  Without any delay, animal control responded at that late hour to take the family dog to safety!

It's outrageous for brand new facilities not to accommodate companion animals or at the very least partner with animal shelters and fosters like this shelter does, to care for the entire family, which includes pets.  The statistics stated above come directly from domestic violence shelters across the United States.  They are very aware of the need to Shelter Animals and Families Together.

For tips and resources on leaving an abusive relationship for men and women, world wide, click here.

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Early Warning Signs For Abuse Continue To Be Ignored

Wouldn’t you want to know if a violent or repeat animal abuser were living next door to you and your family? Animal abusers are five times more likely to commit violent crimes against people and four times more likely to commit property crimes than are individuals without a history of animal abuse.



Convicted animal abusers pose a real, ongoing threat to your pets, your family, and your community. The Animal Legal Defense Fund’s proposed abuser registry legislation would require mandatory registration and community notification for convicted animal abusers. These laws would make a dramatic difference in keeping offenders away from potential new victims by allowing animal shelters and humane societies to more thoroughly screen potential adopters—and by alerting the public to their whereabouts.

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In 2004, the then 29-year-old Robert Rydzewski shot his neighbor’s dog Mollie in the face twice, claiming she was going after him and his rabbits. The upstate New Yorker was charged with torturing and injuring an animal. Two months later, he killed another neighbor’s Welsh Corgi, named Sis, with an ax, resulting in yet another charge of torturing and killing a domestic animal.

Rydzewski pled guilty, and the judge sentenced him to 90 days in jail and one year of probation, and also granted both dog owners permanent orders of protection.  His plea bargain included the dismissal of other charges including reckless endangerment for allegedly pointing a rifle toward someone during the shooting incident. He has since been arrested for assaulting people and resisting arrest, and his whereabouts are unknown.

Click HERE to sign a petition supporting an animal abuse registry in your area. Source: exposeanimalabusers.org.

Often times, animal abuse is just the tip of the iceberg.  People who care about their friends, family and communities have the right to know if there are people with a propensity towards violence among them.

Expose animal abusers ~ Demand an animal abuse registry in your state NOW!

Read more here about how animal cruelty affect you and your community.



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