Women who are suicidal due to their abusive relationships may live longer and try to live for their pets (Fitzgerald). Animals are supportive and in some cases keep them together and kept them going through abusive situation. Social support was given by pets. They did not end their lives because they were loving to their pets. They provided unique social support to abused women, providing a barrier against suicide. The importance of pets to prevent the loss of life should be recognized (Fitzgerald). They are protective, companions, family members, surrogate family and more. THey provide security, in some cases literally, jumping out to protect someone. They provide mental strength by being a listening here, a helping paw and a friend. The animal can also be a surrogate child, work companion, worker, guardian, companion, friend, exercise partner, competitor and more. People enjoy animals in a variety of settings. They can be coworkers even. Sometimes they are your survival. They can be allies when there are few other people around.
In International Handbook of Animal Abuse and Research: A Sociological Analysis of Animal Abuse, Clifton P. Flynn recognizes the human-animal bond as being vital. Animals provide a place of defiance for animals. There is also a dark side, humans abusing animals. Sometimes people are inconsistent with opinions toward animals. Sometimes this may lead to periodic abuses. Some people enjoy exercising their power over animals, and in some cases also women. Animals may be seen as children or as family members by some people. They may stay in abusive relationships to prevent harm to an animal. Protective animals may be killed by an abuser.
When I was running a children’s program a few years ago, a woman we had worked with came up saying that someone was claiming her dog. Long story short, we found that a woman had been kidnapped in the area. She had been held hostage for a year underground. She had been lured out through the internet and was knocked out and drugged for a long time. She had brought her dog out. The dog tried to protect her one night while she was being tortured. The man struck the dog on the head until “dead” with a shovel. It was done in front of her, when he then told her he would do the same to her unless she continued to submit to his perversions. The dog was buried in the back. Later in the year, she was able to break out and get to help. When the police came she was saved.
She had no possessions though, everything she had was taken, so she stayed in the area. Later, she saw the dog, which it turns out, had been her dog. The woman who found the dog said she had discovered it covered in mud. It had been very sick and she nursed it back to health. The dog was never very healthy after that. However, the woman who had survived said it was her saving grace that he lived. She lets the family keep the dog since the dog’s finder’s son is deeply attached, but the prior owner has visiting rights. She related that she was fearful for the dog. She had lost hope when the dog died but still took her first opportunity for escape.
“They Gave Me a Reason to Live”: The Protective Effects of Companion Animals on the Suicidality of Abused Women. Amy J. Fitzgerald. http://has.sagepub.com/content/31/4/355.short
International Handbook of Animal Abuse and Research: A Sociological Analysis of Animal Abuse. Clifton P. Flynn. Univeristy of South Carolina Upstate.
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