NCJ Number
205822
Journal
Violence Against Women Volume: 10 Issue: 4 Dated: April 2004 Pages: 418-434
Editor(s)
Claire M. Renzetti
Date Published
April 2004
Length
17 pages
Annotation
This article describes the Crosstrails animal foster program at the Crossroads Safehouse in Colorado, providing boarding to abused women’s pets.
Abstract
Prior research has identified that domestic violence, child abuse, and animal abuse often occur in the same households. In 1998, a Canadian study found that 43 percent of women leaving abusive situation had pets threatened, and 61 percent had pets abused or killed by their partners. The Crossroads Safehouse is a 12-bedroom safehouse in Larimer County, CO. It was created in 1980 to serve the needs of battered women and their children. Originally, Crossroads provided boarding for women’s pets only if they requested the service and it would then go through a local veterinarian. After evaluating what was in place, a decision was made to develop a more formal animal foster program. The concept of Crosstrails, an animal foster program was introduced. Questions and concerns regarding the concept of Crosstrails became apparent and to ensure the success of the program, all the concerns needed to be addressed. In developing Crosstrails, it was necessary to assure the staff that the additional workload and the cost of the program would be negligible and it would be necessary to develop goals for the program. The Crosstrails animal foster program also established program protocol which is presented in the article and includes: initial phone contact with pet owners, arrival at the shelter and completion of an owner contract, ownership and duration of foster care, medical care and supplies, visitations, retrieval of pets, medical evaluation, foster facilities or homes, and the filing of all paperwork with the owner’s Crossroads file. Since its inception (1999), Crosstrails has fostered more than 90 animals. Even though the rate of usage has been an ongoing problem for the program, the feedback from the shelter staff has been overwhelmingly positive. Future plans for the program include more formal assessment of the program and the effect it has on participating pet owners. References