New program at CWES launching in honour of domestic homicide victims
Article content
Hundreds of purple ribbons, similar to the ones that were wrapped around trees in the community of Cranston after the tragic deaths of Jasmine Lovett and Aliyah Sanderson, were pinned to people’s shirts as they honoured the domestic homicide victims at a gala on Friday.
Event organizer and Lovett family friend Dana Burrows described the event as an “uncomfortable night with uncomfortable conversations” but said she hopes they continue after the evening wrapped up. Tears flowed often from crowd members and speakers alike as personal stories of partner abuse and loved ones who lost their family members to domestic homicide were shared.
In honour of Lovett and Sanderson, Kim Ruse, executive director of the Calgary Women’s Emergency Shelter, announced a new program in their honour following a series of educational and emotional stories at the With Her gala at Mount Royal University.
The local organization will see two of their 15 emergency shelter beds transformed into pet-friendly spaces to accommodate small animals that arrive with women fleeing violence.
Robert Leeming, Lovett’s former partner, is charged with two counts of second-degree murder in relation to their deaths. A preliminary hearing is set for Feb. 3, 2020.
Documents obtained by Postmedia show Leeming pleaded guilty to three animal cruelty charges in 2018. His ex-wife wrote in divorce documents that Leeming repeatedly threatened the couple’s dog and left it chained to a tree to die.
In light of these charges, the CWES and Lovett family agreed the program would be a fitting way to honour the slain mother and her daughter.
The link between animal abuse and domestic violence is clear, according to experts, and offering services for victims to leave abusive situations with their pets has been life-changing for some.
Jill Duncan, for example, felt like she had virtually no options to leave an abusive household.
The Edmonton woman’s biggest fear was putting her dogs in danger while she faced the threat of homelessness and endured physical and mental illnesses. It wasn’t until accessing a local shelter and learning of a provincial pet safekeeping program that she finally left with the confidence that her four-legged “reasons for living” would be safe while she forged a path to stability.
“The Pet Safekeeping program was my saving grace,” Duncan said of the Alberta SPCA support. “These babies are my life. They are my reason for being and to have them treated poorly was enough to kill me in itself.
“You don’t want to leave your home and leave your animals behind, especially with an abusive person because they will take it out on those animals. They absolutely will, just for the simple fact that you aren’t there to beat on and be emotionally abused, but the animals are.”
Duncan, now, has a place of her own and her dogs are safe and sound.
According to an Alberta SPCA report in 2012, 59 per cent of abused women were afraid to seek help out of concern for their animals, 36 per cent of abused women with animals said their abuser threatened or harmed their pets and 85 per cent of those threats were carried out.
In cases that involve children and threatened animals, about 85 per cent of women reported that the children witnessed the threat or harm, and in half of those cases the pet belonged to the child, the report showed.
“I always stress to everybody, and I feel like I’m a broken record, but when people are at risk or in crisis so are their companion animals and vice versa,” said Patricia Mamak, who oversees the Pet Safekeeping Program with the Alberta SPCA.
“Even investigators who go to investigate animal cruelty, they are very rarely surprised to see there are other issues beneath the surface. I can’t even tell you how many times I have worked with women that have told me their family cat was abused or dog was drowned or the husband threatened to kill (the pets) if she left. It goes hand in hand,” said Mamak.
The Pet Safekeeping Program, which launched in 2014, provides short-term housing for pets belonging to individuals who have fled abusive situations. The program also includes customized safety planning for victims, crisis intervention and referrals to supporting agencies.
Mamak said they see at least 100 cases per year but witnessed a massive spike in service needs in 2018, with a 250 per cent increase in the amount of intakes compared to 2017.
“It hasn’t been around for very long, but we have definitely seen how incredibly impactful it has been for people,” she said. “I could go on and on about how many times women have told me they would have never left if it wasn’t for us — ‘You saved my life, you saved my kid’s life.’ ”
The Alberta SPCA services communities outside of city centres, whereas in Calgary there is a specialized program for pet safekeeping though the Calgary Humane Society. Ruse said CWES will be working closely with the humane society to ensure victims are supported.
Funds raised from the gala will go towards the program, in addition to supporting Nadia’s Hope Foundation and Homefront Calgary.
“Starting a movement and leaving a legacy is difficult. It might sound easy but to really have a profound impact is quite a feat and tonight is building on this movement,” said Ruse. “Starting a movement takes guts, leadership and commitment and we’ve certainly seen lots of this tonight.”
She hopes the continued commitment by community organizations and everyday Calgarians disrupts the cycle of intimate family violence, and that one day, with increased awareness and open conversations, domestic violence will diminish in our society.
Launching the new program is just one piece of a large puzzle that needs to be fitted together to end domestic violence.
Ruse said she’s happy CWES will play even a small role in putting that puzzle together.
Twitter: @alanna_smithh
Do you need help?
Domestic violence victims can contact the following organizations for assistance:
- Calgary Humane Society: 403-205-4455
- Alberta SPCA Pet Safekeeping Program: 780-447-3600
- Calgary Women’s Emergency Shelter: 403-290-1552
- Connect Family & Sexual Abuse Network: 1-877-237-5888
- Alberta Works – Support for Albertans Fleeing Abuse: 1-877-644-5135
- YWCA Calgary: 403-266-0707
- HomeFront Calgary: 403-206-2100
- The 24-hour Family Violence Helpline: 403-234-SAFE (7233)
- If you are in danger or suspect someone else could be harmed, call 911 immediately
Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion. Please keep comments relevant and respectful. Comments may take up to an hour to appear on the site. You will receive an email if there is a reply to your comment, an update to a thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information.