Pet Project ........

It is my great pleasure to help share awareness about the Pet Shelter Project the achievement of which is an important goal of Maplegate House for women. 

And it is one that we can help to make a reality.

At my book launch of Moose Road - a Canadian Tragedy Naomi shared information about this worthy project and it was my pleasure to offer ten percent of sales which took place at the launch to Maplegate for this reason.  Thank you to each person who bought a copy of my fourth novel at this launch because in doing so you made a generous contribution to help women in need help their pets in need.  Your giving to this project is what I like to call a double whammy.  Not only were you helping women who need to escape an abusive home life but also you were helping their pets to escape abuse sometimes to the point of death.

Representing Maplegate House for Women 

at my recent book launch is Naomi.

 

A friend who shall remain nameless shared with me a nightmare past experience she endured with an abusive partner several years ago.  She had simply said to her husband, "He is not eating again," in reference to her beautiful dog.   Her husband in angry response took that dog for a walk and the poor dog never returned.  This abusive man shot the dog not once but thirteen times making sure that the innocent animal was dead.

 

Another friend of mine shared with me that when she was a very little girl her father in a fit of rage shot and killed her beautiful little dog in front of her eyes.

 

These nightmare kinds of stories are not the vivid imagination of a fiction writer.  No.  Indeed these are true stories and they are just two of too many.

 

I am Mom to my pet, Ki.

 

Yes, Ki is my dog.  But anyone who knows me knows that Ki is my boy, my love, my child.  He is a much loved and respected family member.

 

I am grateful that I am not in an abusive relationship.

But I can easily imagine that if I were and if I were in a terrible situation where I needed to escape my home there is no way on earth I would leave without my children.

 

And thank God in our little town we have Maplegate House for Women where, if I needed to get away, I could find comfort and solace there, and I could take my children with me.

 

But what about my Ki?  What about my boy?

 

I can't take off knowing I am leaving this beautiful fellow in an abusive situation with no one to protect him or care for him or love him.

 

I have no money so I can't afford to take him to a shelter.

 

No, I will stay where I am.  I will try to stay alive to take care of my children and my beloved pet.

 

What we need here in Elliot Lake is a place where a woman in an abusive situation can escape her environment with her children and with her pet(s).

 

The wonderful people at Maplegate House for Women agree that this is what is needed. 

 

And this is the goal that you and I can help them to achieve.

 

We can find ways and means to support Maplegate's "Pet Shelter Project"

 

Maplegate can be a place that is sheltering Animals and Families together

 for Safety.

 

They need our help.

 

Let me share some important information from their Pet Shelter Project Poster.

 

Did you know?

 

(1) Twelve independent surveys have reported that between 18% and 48% of abused women have delayed their decision to leave their abuser or returned to their abuser out of fear for the welfare of their pets (Ascione 2007)

 

(2) Beween 71% and 85% of women entering domestic violence shelters reported that their partner had threatened, injured or killed the family pet (Ascione, Weber & Wood, 1997)

 

(3) Research has shown that 62% to 76% of animal cruelty in the home occurs in front of children (Favor & Strand, 2003).  Children often intervene to protect their mothers and pets from being abused.  Some children may even allow themselves to be victimized to save their pets from being harmed or killed (Edelson et al., 2003).

 

 

We can find ways to help.  I am sure that we can.   Anything that you can do to help Maplegate House for Women achieve their dream and make their Pet Shelter Project a reality will be appreciated.

 

Maplegate House for Women         705-461-9868          elwgacc@persona.ca

 



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