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By: Kristen Board  As we approach a year of being in the pandemic, many people are feeling exhausted and drained. Many people cling to the comfort of their precious pets when going through hard times. Others find it rewarding to reach out and help other people in times of despair. The Foster Pet Program at Beacon of Hope Crisis Center provides several opportunities for people to volunteer their time to help people and pets. The work of our agency and Foster Pet Program is more crucial than ever at this time because domestic violence and sexual assault have only increased within our community during the pandemic.
Many shelters in Indiana do not accept pets, so victims of domestic violence and sexual assault are left to decide whether to leave their beloved pet behind with their abuser or permanently rehome their pet while they find shelter. Statistics show that up to 40% of victims do not leave their abusive situations for fear of what will happen to their beloved pet. 71% of women in DV shelters have reported that their abuser has threatened, harmed, or killed their pet. Our program provides a temporary home to pet victims until the owner can secure safe housing and be reunited with their beloved pet. Our Foster Pet Program would not exist without the time and dedication of our volunteer foster caregivers, donors, and program volunteers. We are so grateful for everyone who has supported our program and helped us to save the lives of countless human and pet victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. We are actively recruiting for volunteer foster pet caregivers and other program volunteers for our Foster Pet Program. If you want to learn more about the Link between pet abuse and domestic violence, how our Foster Pet Program works, or the several ways to get involved by volunteering with our program, consider attending one of our virtual information sessions coming up in March. Register for one of our information sessions here: Tuesday, March 2nd 12pm-1pm Tuesday March 2nd 4pm-5pm By: Cheyenne Taylor  Featured in photo: James R. Speiser, CCRT, DABVP, DVM, RSO IndyVet Emergency & Specialty Hospital and Savannah Tipton, Advocacy Manager Beacon of Hope Crisis Center We want to take this opportunity to give a huge thank you to IndyVet Emergency & Specialty Hospital for their generous donation. IndyVet is an essential 24hr emergency veterinary hospital working around the clock to provide relief and help to Indianapolis pets. They remain a dedicated partner with Beacon of Hope Crisis Center, and once again, they have taken philanthropic action to better our community and have donated $5,000 to our agency. We are so grateful for their on-going support and partnership with our Foster Pet Program. Pets are victims of domestic violence too and partnerships like this help us save the lives of pets, individuals, and families. When incidents of domestic abuse and pet abuse are located on maps and then you overlay those maps the link between domestic violence and pet abuse is undeniable. This donation will have a massive impact on the lives of those seeking our services. Organizations like IndyVet Emergency & Specialty Hospital exemplify the strength and selflessness that is prominent in Indianapolis, and we deeply appreciate them for helping us and Indianapolis survivors once again. “I cannot state emphatically enough how much the supportive partnership with Dr. Speiser, his partners and his entire IndyVet team are valued and appreciated for all that they do. Take a moment if you are not familiar and visit their website and location. Consider signing up with us to temporarily foster a pet while their family member(s) heal and safely get resettled then that pet victim can be reunited with their family.” – Sandra K. Ziebold, CEO Beacon of Hope Crisis Center We are so proud to have partners with giving hearts like IndyVet Emergency & Specialty Hospital. They are paving the way to change by showing up to help pet victims, and we want to encourage everyone to follow their lead as they set this incredible example for our community. Thank you again, IndyVet Emergency & Specialty Hospital, for your donation and all your hard work!
By: Marty Burtt Beacon of Hope Crisis Center’s Foster Pet Program eliminates a very common barrier for domestic violence and/or sexual assault victims. Research has shown that 48% of battered women will delay leaving their abuser because they fear what will happen to their pet(s) after they leave. Pets are a common tool used by abusers to control the victim by threatening, harming, or killing the pet. Our Foster Pet Program gives domestic violence and/or sexual assault victims a temporary, safe home for their furry family members while they work on becoming self-sufficient.
Our volunteer foster families have the unique opportunity to provide much needed help to victims of domestic violence and/or sexual assault. Instead of having to choose between leaving their beloved pet with their abuser, or surrender the pet to a shelter, victims can apply for our program and know that their pet is being loved and cared for until it can come back home. Being a foster family offers the companionship of having a pet, without the lifelong commitment. Every year, 68% of abused women report violence towards their pet from their abuser. Our foster families can give love and affection to pets that have experienced their own trauma. If you are interested in learning more about the program or signing up to become a foster family, please click here. By: Marty Burtt  Beacon of Hope Crisis Center’s Foster Pet Program is a unique service that we are proud to be able to offer to our clients. Family pets offer a sense of stability, comfort, and unconditional love that creates a special bond between a family and their pet. In homes with domestic violence and/or sexual assault, the family pet is at a high risk of being abused and/or neglected. Over 71% of battered women reported that their batterers had harmed, killed, or threatened animals to coerce, control, and humiliate them*. Additionally, numerous surveys have reported that 25% to 40% of battered women report they delayed their decision to seek safety out of fear for their animals’ welfare**. Our Foster Pet Program helps protect pets in homes where violence is happening by placing them in a temporary, safe home until it is safe for them to be back with their family.
Our Foster Pet Program gives victims peace of mind in knowing that their pet/s is safe. Our Foster Pet Program Coordinator (FPPC) gets weekly updates from the foster family on the pet/s and how the pet/s is doing and then provides that update to the victim. The FPPC is in consistent communication with everyone involved with the pet/s. We are always excited when victims have secured a safe home and can safely be reunited with their pet/s. This program is available to any victim of domestic violence and/or sexual assault that is fleeing their abuser, as well as victims that are receiving services from other agencies. Beacon of Hope Crisis Center has recently launched the Central Indiana Pet Abuse Link Task Force to help keep Indiana pets safe. The Pet Abuse Link Task Force is comprised of individuals within the community that share our passion for keeping pets safe. Learn more about our Foster Pet Program here. *Ascione, Weber & Wood, 1997 **McIntosh, 2002 |
About this blog
This blog is about our domestic and sexual violence crisis center, Beacon of Hope. We hope you find it full of helpful information, motivation, creativity, serious facts and positivity. We hope that it will help you know what is happening in our center, in our community and with our events. We hope you follow our blog in support of our organization and our mission. Archives
October 2024
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