CSUEB researchers examine role pets play in decision to escape domestic violence

• June 21, 2011 5:48am

A shared love of dogs and an interest in domestic violence research led two CSUEB associate professors — Dawna Komorosky of the Department of Criminal Justice Administration and Dianne Rush Woods of the Department of Social Work — to embark on a six-month research project to examine pet policies at the state’s domestic violence shelters.

“The family pet is often an overlooked victim of domestic violence,” Komorosky says. “Concern for the safety of a family pet prevents many women from leaving a violent situation. They fear the worst if they leave their pet behind.”

Komorosky and Rush Woods queried 73 shelters about their pet policies and found that most shelters don’t provide care for animals, citing reasons including liability and space concerns.  The shelters that responded to the research study all noted that the professors had identified a critical gap in the system — one that often forces women to choose between their own personal safety and the safety of a beloved pet.

“I see the next steps in our research project as helping to identify funding for these domestic violence shelters who want to accommodate pets and linking them with agencies and (volunteers) that can house pets on a temporary basis,” Komorosky says.

Read more about the research being done by Dawna Komorosky and Dianne Rush Woods in the spring issue of Cal State East Bay magazine.

KL