Even when the physical abuse ends because of ending the relationship, verbal and emotional abuse often continue for a long time.
Times that I cry during meditation and morning prayers, my four-legged kin comes and sits next to me. She doesn’t ask to be pet; she only witnesses my moments of grief.
Ongoing abuse through emails and text messages, false accusations to the family court, and threats of litigation can be unavoidable when children are involved. It turns out that there are no easy solutions for exiting abusive relationships.
In the lists below, you will see some reasons a dog might be right for you and your family post an abusive relationship.
Benefits of a Dog
Why you might want to get a dog post abusive relationship
1. Safety and sense of safety
2. Keeping busy with dog training tasks, even if you think you already live a busy life
3. Daily walks for both you and your dog
4. Receiving constant emotional acknowledgment and sincere comfort when no known end for the abuse is in sight
5. Comic relief for those of us who are fortunate enough to have a silly dog
Why you might want a dog for children post abusive relationships
1. Same as 1 through 5 above
2. Company and playtime is so fun for children, particularly for one who is an only-child
3. Pride and confidence in managing a dog can bubble forth from the child
More Resources
At least 1 in 3 of us, Latinas, report relationship abuse in surveys, says the U.S. Center for Disease Control. This type of data requires that we view and define the violence in our relationships as abuse. Further, 4 out of 5 of us Native to North America report relationship violence, says the U.S. Department of Justice. Importantly, 96% of the Native sisters who report abuse identify attackers as non-Native. The epidemic of murdered and missing Native women should be understood in our commitment to end domestic violence; check out this helpful description.
Check out Encuentro Latino resources here in both Spanish and English.
Check our National Indigenous Women’s Resouce Center resources here.