SAAV
Action
Since 2003, The SAAV Program has placed approximately 71 animal companions (as of 08/09) in temporary, confidential shelter while domestic abuse survivors were staying in domestic abuse shelters or living with a relative or friend who could not also house the pet. The SAAV Program has provided domestic abuse survivors with confidential shelter for their beloved animal companions, including: dogs, cats, turkeys, turtles, birds, horses, iguanas, and even a little hamster named “Faith.”
Domestic abuse survivors wishing to use The SAAV Program make their initial contact with us through Domestic Abuse Intervention Services (“DAIS”). Participation in the program requires the completion of a variety of paperwork, including a pet personality profile, veterinary authorization, and liability release. Once The SAAV Program accepts an animal into the program, the animal is matched up with a temporary, confidential shelter location where a SAAV Foster Parent or other care provider cares for the animal for a period of up to 90 days while the domestic abuse survivor stays in shelter at DAIS or secures other housing. For safety reasons, the identity and location of the SAAV Foster Parent or other shelter location remains confidential at all times, even to the domestic abuse survivor.
Once accepted into The SAAV Program, the pet will receive veterinary care at no cost, including vaccinations and spay/neuter surgery. Before placing an animal into the program, the animal will receive temperament testing by staff at the Dane County Humane Society (“DCHS”) to ensure as best as possible that animals placed into foster care do not present a danger or risk to their foster parents. Animals that cannot be safely placed into foster care may still be admitted into the program, at our sole discretion, however, in that event the animal may not be sheltered in a foster home.
The SAAV Program reserves the right and duty to determine, in its sole discretion and in collaboration with DAIS and DCHS, which animals it will and will not accept into the program, and may terminate participation in The SAAV Program at any time, for any reason.
While participating in the program, domestic abuse survivors may receive updates regarding their animals. However, for safety reasons, the victim and her animal companion will not have any contact with one another during the shelter period. Likewise, the victim will not have contact with The SAAV Foster Parent or other care provider, again, for safety reasons for all concerned. All communications regarding the well-being of the animal occur through staff at DAIS and DCHS.
The domestic abuse survivor must renew her participation in the program every 30 days, for a period of up to 90 days. Thereafter, arrangements will be made to either release the animal back to the survivor, or to relinquish the animal to DCHS. Due to resources, The SAAV Program cannot keep animals in shelter indefinitely. Therefore, the 90 day shelter period is strictly enforced to ensure that program resources are available to a variety of survivors.
The goal of The SAAV program is to ultimately reunite the domestic abuse survivor and her animal companion at the conclusion of the shelter period, but that is not always the end result. Sometimes a survivor chooses to relinquish her animal to DCHS, while another survivor may, for a variety of complicated reasons, return to living with her abuser. Research shows that on average it takes a domestic abuse survivor seven attempts to leave her abuser before she is able to do so for good. Barriers to leaving an abusive relationship include the emotional trauma of the abuse, lack of resources (both financial and other), and continued fear for her safety, the safety of children, and the safety of pets. The ultimate goal of The SAAV Program is to provide temporary, confidential shelter for animal companions during the most dangerous period in the cycle of abuse – when their human companion has found the courage to leave her abuser, even if only temporarily.