It is no secret that we all form very strong emotional bonds with our pets. But new research has found that owners may risk anything, even life-threatening situations, to stay with them.
The new study, which collated 27 years of research from international scientists, found that those in crisis situations, including victims of domestic violence, face increased hardship and risks when they are separated from their beloved animal. Separation can also lead to subsequent feelings of guilt and distress. The findings were published in the journal Anthrozoös.
"As a social worker in the health care system in Australia, I could see how impacted and concerned people were for their pets when facing complex situations, such as risk of homelessness, ill health or domestic violence situations. I was surprised at the lack of resources and support available to people and their pets in these situations which inspired me to conduct a PhD project on the forced separation from pets in crisis situations," Jasmine Montgomery, lead author of the study and PhD candidate at Australia's James Cook University, told Newsweek.
"I was surprised by the devastating outcomes of maltreatment and/or death of animals in these situations. Animals are often seen as an afterthought and human lives are often valued as priority in policies, and sadly, the result is devastating for both the animal and the pet owner."
To reach these findings, scientists examined 42 case studies that involved separation between owners and pets due to crisis situations such as domestic violence, homelessness or natural disasters.
They found that in domestic violence situations, victims will often delay leaving the situation due to their pet. Owners often chose to stay in abusive relationships longer than is safe to protect their pet, the study reported.
"This is often because there's a lack of shelters or housing places which can accommodate pets, or a lack of trust placed in formal support systems that they won't be separated from their pet," Montgomery said in a summary of the findings. "In those cases where threats to pets are made, victims can be lured back by the perpetrator which places significant risk to their safety as well."
Natural disasters were also studied. The study said that floods, fires and earthquakes are increasing in severity and frequency, meaning that companion animals are also at risk, as they "rely on their owners to survive and care for them."
Forced separation during these events is an "excruciating situation," the study found.
"In times of housing crisis, natural disasters, or domestic violence, people may be forced to separate from their pets and leave them behind," the authors wrote. "Forced separation may lead to feelings of intense grief, guilt, and trauma and a decline in psychosocial functioning."
The situation was similar for those who were homeless. The researchers discovered that homeless people often suffer from health issues as well as unemployment. They are also exposed and vulnerable to violence and exploitation. This can lead to pet separation due to there being a lack of accommodation that will facilitate the animals. But again, this leads to increased mental distress and guilt in the owner.
"Often, it's expected people will choose human interests over animals at all costs, without consideration of the shared human-animal bond," Montgomery said. "What we need to start doing is taking our pets, and the value of our pets, very seriously. And, as a collective in the community, sharing that responsibility and placing the needs of pets in those areas of policy development, legislation, service provision and housing to help prevent unacceptable outcomes such as animal maltreatment or death."
Following these findings, the researchers identified several steps that can be implemented to help the situation.
These included services that help those in domestic violence situations, being more inclusive of their pets, and asking questions about them. In terms of natural disasters, the researchers recommended that evacuation plans including plans are put in place. For homeless people, there should also be pet-friendly accommodation, the authors said.
"I'm conducting an Australian nationwide qualitative study of forced separation from pets in domestic violence situations with Associate Professors Janice Lloyd and Zhanming Liang in order to confirm the service gaps of the Australian support systems in place for survivors and their pets," Montgomery told Newsweek. "I'm hopeful this will develop recommendations that inform a national policy framework for the domestic violence and animal welfare sector, which may provide some potential insights on a global scale as well."
Update 01/30/24, 6:20 a.m. ET: This article was updated to include direct quotes from Jasmine Montgomery
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