Christ Yoder
Related Articles
Dottie Bromley has worked for many years to provide more pet-friendly services to victims of domestic violence fleeing abusive situations and seeking refuge at Amity House.
As executive director of the Glynn Community Crisis Center, which operates the shelter, Bromley often sees how important this type of service is for women, men and their children who are victims of abuse. Pets are an important source of emotional support and are family members that cannot be abandoned.
“Many victims will not leave their abusive situation and leave that animal behind because that animal has already been abused in some way,” she said. “It was used to control the victim.”
During previous out-of-state work with the Humane Society, Bromley saw firsthand how crucial pet-friendly services are for survivors of domestic violence.
“Our staff worked with the domestic violence task force there, and if someone needed to move and move away, someone from our staff would meet them there and take their pets to our shelter where we would house them for free for six to eight weeks, sometimes longer if necessary, until that family could be rehoused and stabilized,” Bromley recalled.
Since moving to Glynn County, she has hoped to bring pet-friendly services to victims of abuse in that area, and several partnerships are now making that vision a reality.
Renovations will begin this spring to create an animal-friendly shelter.
Greater Good Charities’ Rescue Rebuild Shelter Renovation Program and RedRover Charitable Animal Program are providing the funding, design and labor to renovate two of Amity House’s four family rooms to accept pets. pets. The works will include the installation of dog/cat gates and the creation of a private pet relief area connected to the bedroom, as well as a play area.
The crisis center has a longstanding partnership with Ahimsa House, an Atlanta-based nonprofit that coordinates foster families statewide who can care for pets.
Ahimsa will also provide training to shelter staff to help them better support shelter residents with animal care.
Other partnerships supporting this new pet-friendly initiative are veterinarian Dr. Nicola Overman and Castaways Pet Rescue Inc., who will provide other needed pet services.
According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, nearly 70% of pet owners who enter a domestic violence shelter report that their abusers have threatened, injured or killed a pet, and more than half of victims domestic violence and their children report that their pets are an important source of emotional support.
“Most of us don’t want to place our pets in foster care, and we certainly won’t leave them behind,” Bromley said.
The Glynn County Community Crisis Center offers many types of support for victims of abuse, including a housing assistance program, assistance with legal bills and compensation for victims, and access to support legal and advice.
The addition of pet-friendly services will be especially important for the emotional well-being of those the shelter serves, Bromley said.
“It makes their life easier,” she says. “Pets provide emotional support to the pet parent. It helps that pet parent not feel so alone and stuck.
The center’s annual fundraiser, A Taste of Glynn, will take place from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday at the King & Prince Resort in St. Simons. Tickets can be purchased online at www.atasteofglynn.com/.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/P5XQ6ZYQXVAM5MQ7O2X7G7SRHI.jpg)