Role of Veterinary Professionals in Addressing Domestic Violence

In the Literature

Paterson R, Boller E, Kim Y, Hammond K, Diemer K. What can veterinary professionals do? Measuring the effect of one domestic violence training pilot program on veterinary professionals' capacity to recognize, respond, and refer human victims of domestic violence. Front Vet Sci. 2024;11:1254373. doi:10.3389/fvets.2024.1254373

The Research …

Animal abuse is a risk factor for and often coincides with domestic violence.^1,2 Veterinary professionals are in a unique position to recognize and respond to animal abuse and domestic violence²; however, only a very small amount of training (≈1 hour) on animal abuse is provided as part of veterinary education, and only minutes are dedicated to domestic violence.³ This insufficient training can lead to feeling ill-equipped to respond to suspicious or reported cases of domestic violence and animal abuse.

This exploratory study was developed to measure the effects of the Vet 3-R’s (ie, recognize, respond, refer) educational training program, which covers domestic violence myths, facts, and recognition; appropriate responses to domestic violence situations; referral sources for victims of domestic violence; and the link between domestic violence and animal abuse. Clinicians, veterinary technicians, office staff, veterinary students, and animal control officers answered questions that measured initial understanding of domestic violence and animal abuse and completed pre- and posttraining surveys.

Results showed an overall increase in knowledge and ability to recognize, respond to, and refer victims of domestic violence after participation in the training program. Largest improvements included understanding of risk factors for domestic violence and the responsibilities of veterinary professionals when responding to suspected animal abuse.

… The Takeaways 

Key pearls to put into practice: 

• Animal abuse may be an indicator of additional types of violence in the home.  

• Veterinary professionals are in a position to intervene and guide victims of domestic violence to specialized support and suggest options for safe housing of pets. 

• Local resources (eg, animal control agencies, humane societies, domestic violence shelters, county social services) can provide training to improve awareness and knowledge of animal abuse and domestic violence (see Domestic Violence Resources), which can increase confidence to address suspected cases. Reporting requirements and safe, appropriate methods of referral for those experiencing domestic violence can vary widely based on location.

• Educational programs from domestic violence shelters can provide verbiage for asking clients whether they live with domestic violence, as well as understanding of how domestic violence situations can be perilous and how decisions in these situations can have severe consequences.