"In domestic violence situations, battered women often become prisoners in abusive relationships because they fear vengeful violence to their pets, should they leave them behind," Wheatley continued. "Many would flee to safety with their beloved pets, but so many women's shelters don't allow animals. Our Pets and Women's Shelters Program is designed to change that. Also, in humane education, we are teaching young people compassion for animals, as well as for their peers, which is especially important in a world that sometimes seems at the boiling point of violent human eruptions every day."
As early as 1894, American Humane publicly noted the link between animal abuse and other forms of social violence. Over the years, the organization has continued to examine this subject and inform educators, social workers and others about that important connection, in its efforts to protect children and animals and help break the cycle of violence.
In recent years, American Humane's focus on the human-animal bond has
broadened to also encompass the very positive aspects of the relationship
between people and animals, such as the therapeutic benefits of
animal-assisted therapy. American Humane's Human-Animal Bond Division will
address both aspects through an array of activities, including:
-- Enhance healthcare services and education -- increasing the rate of
healing and preparing children with important life skills -- by
providing direct services of trained animal-assisted therapy teams.
Further, educate professionals on the use of therapy animals as a viable
treatment, including addressing the urgency of ensuring that high
standards and safe, humane practices that protect therapy animals are
reinforced.
-- Develop new humane education curricula for use in classrooms from the
elementary to the co
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