Humans aren't the only victims of domestic violence who need protection.
Experts say pets can be threatened, beaten or killed by abusers and that the fear of what might happen to an animal can keep someone from fleeing a dangerous situation.
"In some cases, women would come home and find their cats hung from the ceiling," said Frank R. Ascione, a psychology professor at Utah State University who studies the relationship between domestic violence and animal abuse.
Anne Arundel County Animal Control is trying to ease such fears.
Following a nationwide trend linking animal abuse and domestic violence, the county's animal shelter will provide a safe house for pets of domestic violence victims when the new shelter opens in Millersville next month.
"We don't want anyone staying in an abusive situation because they're afraid their animals will get hurt," said Tahira S. Thomas, the county's animal-control administrator. "We don't want them hurt, and we don't want their animals hurt, and at least we can do something about the animal part of it."
Thomas said a critical demand for shelters to house pets of domestic violence victims exists because such a county resource has never been available and the county's domestic violence shelter cannot take in pets.
Those fleeing abuse can turn only to their families or friends for help with their animals, and Thomas has seen some battered women give up their pets at the animal shelter because they had no alternative.
The program is in the early planning stages, and Thomas said she wants to officially offer the service within a few months of the shelter's opening. The new shelter won't turn away anyone who needs help before then, she said.
"If a person comes in and says, `I need a place for my pets,' we're going to help," Thomas said.
The shelter is looking into providing space for pets for up to 30 days, and Thomas said the shelter will coordinate with volunteers who own farms to house larger animals, such as horses. The new shelter, Thomas said, has room for twice as many animals as the one in Glen Burnie.
The idea for the shelter program originated with the Anne Arundel County Domestic Violence Coordinating Council, which heard about the link between domestic violence and animal cruelty from Mary Lou Randour, who works for Psychologists for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, based in Washington Grove.
"As soon as people see the connection, it's obvious," Randour said.
