Learning How Animal Abuse Can Warn Of Domestic Violence

A hurt dog or cat can be more than a medical emergency. Sometimes it is the first visible sign that something dangerous is happening at home. Dr. Mike LoSasso, Chief of Staff at Frisco Emergency Pet Care, breaks down the real connection between animal abuse and domestic violence, why these cases are often underreported, and what it means when cruelty shows up before anyone is ready to say the words out loud.

We talk through what veterinary emergency teams may notice when a story does not fit the injuries, how fear and control can keep someone from seeking help, and why the presence of a beloved pet can stop a victim from leaving. You will hear how clinics can respond with a clear protocol, calm questions, careful documentation, and the right referrals, including when to bring in animal services or law enforcement. We also discuss the rare but powerful role of an on-site counselor or social worker, and how that support can help protect both the pet and the person attached to them.

For friends, neighbors, and family members, we share what to do when you suspect something is wrong, how to start a private conversation without judgment, and where to look for pet-friendly domestic violence shelters, safe havens, and partner organizations that can foster or transport animals, even large animals like horses. If you care about animal welfare, emergency veterinary medicine, and community safety, this conversation offers practical steps and a clear takeaway: noticing the signs early can change outcomes. Subscribe, share this episode with someone who works with pets or families, and leave a review to help more listeners find these resources.

To learn more about Frisco Emergency Pet Care visit:
https://www.FriscoEmergencyPetCare.com
Frisco Emergency Pet Care 
11201 Preston Road 
Frisco, Texas 75033 
469-287-6767 

Transcript

Welcome And Clinic Mission

SPEAKER_01 0:03

Welcome to the Frisco Emergency Pet Care Podcast, your trusted source for expert insight into emergency veterinary medicine. Hosted by Dr. Mike Lasasso, Chief of Staff at Frisco Emergency Pet Care, this podcast brings you essential information to help protect the health and safety of your dogs and cats. Serving North Dallas with 24-7 emergency and critical care, the team at Frisco Emergency Pet Care is here when every second counts. Now, let's begin.

Animal Abuse As A Warning Sign

SPEAKER_00 0:41

So today we have a powerful conversation about the connection between violence in the home and harm to animals and why recognizing the signs can save lives. Welcome everyone. Yeah, yeah, definitely. So fortunately, as you mentioned prior to us recording this episode, that you have not had a see too many cases of domestic violence and animal abuse come into the clinic, to your knowledge, but um you do feel like there's a lot that goes underreported.

SPEAKER_02 1:26

We know that there's a lot of animal abuse out there. The people that will take a litter of kittens and put them in a sack and throw them over the bridge into the river. I mean, that kind of stuff actually does happen. Um as I said before, I think I've seen two cases that I knew were violence toward a pet in 33 years. So it really is not a common thing for us to see in practice, at least not in emergency practice. But it's also probably one of the things that if you're going to do that, you're probably not bringing them to an emergency hospital. If your partner does that, you may be afraid to bring them in to an emergency hospital because when those things are going on in the home, there's um often either emotional or physical abuse or both. Um and you know, manipulation over uh over the checkbook could also be an important thing. I'll say women because it generally is women that that are victims of domestic violence. I realize that that's not always the case, and I don't mean to to exclude anybody because it certainly can't happen the other way. Uh, but it is abuse of pets, certainly is an indicator of a potentially escalating domestic violence situation. And I think people really need to be aware of that, not only if you're in that situation, and if your significant other is abusing the dog or the cat or takes delight in in torturing them somehow, that it could very well escalate to you. It's also not a situation that you're going to want to be in. Children that are exposed to that have all kinds of problems later in life. And children

Getting Help Without Going Home

SPEAKER_02 3:19

that are the ones that are abusing the animals really need serious psychological um intervention. As I was mentioning before, I had a um had a pet that was brought in that was injured by uh by a teenager and it very intentionally, uh, and fortunately we were able to recover that amazingly sweet dog. Um, but dad put that teenager in a psychiatric hospital that day. There was no question there was a psychotic break and he needed intervention, and dad did what needed to be done. Um, so it does happen that way, but animal abuse occurs uh you know pretty frequently. The stats are pretty wide because it's underreported. So there's some stats that say, you know, one-fifth of households that have intimate violence will have animal abuse, and some stats will say 90%. It's hard to say where they really fall in that in that range, but that's important to know. The you know, if you go in and visit a family member, right? You go over to your sister's house and her husband is super mean to the dog. Well, that would put me on uh a little bit of an increased index of suspicion and want to know, you know, that that my loved one was really safe and are they really okay? Because that's it's definitely an earlier warning sign than her showing up with a black eye, you know, saying that I ran into a doorknob, which or a door edge or whatever it is. Um, so it it is important that people know that that can be a warning sign, as well as as a veterinarian, right? I don't want this to happen. Nobody wants this to happen to pets. Um whether it's kids lighting cats on fire on Halloween, uh, I mean, it is a level of depravity. Those kids need psychiatric help. Um, so yeah, it's a big topic.

SPEAKER_00 5:19

Yeah, and you mentioned too that like if somebody comes in, they might be afraid. Um, and again, I know it doesn't happen often at all, but if they do come in and they don't know what to do with their pet and they need to get out of that house, what are the resources available and how do they find it? Is that something that a veterinarian can help with?

SPEAKER_02 5:42

It does, it does happen sometimes in veterin hospitals and we haven't had to do it, but there is a protocol for um, you know, if it's it's easy if if a woman brings in a pet and says, Look, but that this is actually happening, right? If if they actually tell us what's going on, then we absolutely can help them get to resources. It's like, no, you're not even don't even go home. All right. Um when they both come in, then we have to find a way to you know try to try to separate them. Um and uh including even calling the police if it's if it is if we think that somebody's really in danger. I mean, it absolutely is one of the things that as I say health professionals, but as trusted members of the community and people that are here to see to the well-being of this pet, but also the well-being of the owner, that we have a responsibility to intercede because we know that violence against pets will frequently you know happen before or at the same time as uh intimate partner violence.

Suspicious Injuries And Hidden Abandonment

SPEAKER_00 7:03

And before, too, you mentioned you know different cases of animal abuse and examples. Have you guys seen that where somebody may drop off an animal and say, look, I just found this animal injured, and you know, I don't know where it came from, but um, you know, they wanted to help the animal. Like, do you see that a lot?

SPEAKER_02 7:21

Not a lot. No, we do occasionally have we do occasionally have the uh the stray that is dropped off the you're like, oh, this is very clearly not a stray. Is this a is this somebody who needs to abandon this animal for for a or thinks they need to for from a uh a life situation? Is it because they're being abused? Those are really difficult to determine and a little bit out of our scope of practice. You know, we had animal control picked up a stray that they brought to us, or maybe the police did. You know, it's a it's a stray found in the Walmart parking lot wrapped in a blanket. Strays don't wrap themselves in blankets, you know. Um, so that clearly was an owner abandonment issue, but without an without a link to who it is, it's it's hard to say. So fortunately, we don't or have not seen that very often, but we are very aware when we look at any injury that's not caused. I mean, if it's a it's vehicular trauma, it was it was hit by a car. But when they come in with other problems, with bruises, um, with uh fractures, with those kinds of things, then you know we are very aware and try to be mindful of what's going on. If our counselor is there at the time, we'll say, hey, why don't while I'm looking at this dog, how about you go have a conversation and just make sure that you know you can she can talk to them about what's going on with the pet and maybe able to segue that into what's going on and make at home. And you know, we don't want to be don't want to be intrusive, but but also want to provide references when it's useful.

What Clinics Should Do Next

SPEAKER_00 9:17

And just to add to what you said before, too, is there any like general advice you give to veterinarians or teams at clinics, like anywhere across the world, really, if they suspect that the animals are being abused and you know they don't really know how to handle the situation, but they look at the injuries, like you mentioned some of them, and you're like, this is by the hands of somebody.

SPEAKER_02 9:38

It is a tough spot, and a lot of times, but because that's out of our purview, what we will what we frequently will try to do is if we if if what we're seeing is straight up and we know that this is an abusive situation, then we get authorities involved, and for us that's actually animal services, which is a subsection in our city of the police department. Frequently, in other places, it is actually a subset of the sheriff's department. So they're generally considered law enforcement. Now they don't have the same authority that police have, but by getting them involved in an animal abuse situation uh and informing them of what's going on or what our suspicion is, then they can follow up and tell. Uh it's been really nice. I'm obviously not an expert on domestic violence, uh, I'm just a doctor, but um, but it's nice to have that kind of resource in our counselor on staff. Should we run into that? Now that's not something you find in very many veteran hospitals. I think there's one or two others in the country that actually have a social worker on site. Um, but it is it's important that the whole staff is aware of the potential when we think that there's you know an animal being abused and checking on those owners and making sure that they are okay.

Resources For Family And Neighbors

SPEAKER_00 11:08

And then for like the the outside community, family, friends, neighbors that might suspect there is animal abuse and domestic abuse, where can do you think that there's a lot of resources out there that can take pet?

SPEAKER_02 11:22

Oh, I'm sure I am sure with all of the um with all the domestic violence shelters. I mean, those I think those would be my first call to get further guidance um on on where to go. But I I mean some of that is a you know, if that was that was my sister, that would be a really serious talk with her uh by herself out of the house um to make sure that things were were really okay. And unfortunately, you don't always get a straight answer. And um and all you can do is I think all you can do, but you know, just to be to let them know that you're you're not judging, that you're listening, and your concern is for them. Not not about villainizing anybody, but but to say, hey, if you need to get out of this situation, we will we're there for you. Bring the dog, or we'll find a spot for the dog or the cat or whatever. You know, we don't want don't want the presence of a pet because a lot of a lot of women won't leave that situation because they've got to leave the because they think they have to leave the dog or the cat behind or even the horse behind, right? I mean, it's not just small animals. You think, oh, if I leave, he's gonna take this out on my beloved horse. Um there are places in uh in there, places Frisco, there are places I'm sure all around that will actually pull up in the trailer in the middle of the night and haul that horse off. And you know, it takes a little bit of coordination, but you know, there there are resources for people that that are afraid of leaving that pet behind because I think it's a very real fear that it's not going to get better for that pet. Right. And and so there are uh safe havens, there are animal, there are domestic violence shelters that take pets, and there are other there are other ways for those pets to be taken care of as well outside of shelters. Shelters have got or the domestic violence shelters have got um partners with uh with other groups.

SPEAKER_00 13:28

Well, thank you so much, Dr. Lasasso, and also to Sarah on your team there, the counselor and everybody else. And you shed a

Closing And How To Reach Us

SPEAKER_00 13:36

lot of light on this really important uh topic, and like you said, it could be a hidden issue.

SPEAKER_02 13:43

Certainly can be.

SPEAKER_00 13:44

If if pets could talk, right?

SPEAKER_02 13:46

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 13:47

They would tell us a story. But um anyway, thank you again, Doctor.

SPEAKER_02 13:51

Yes, ma'am, thank you.

SPEAKER_01 13:56

Thank you for listening to the Frisco Emergency Pet Care Podcast. To learn more, visit FriscoPetER.com. Call 469-287-6767. Or stop by 11201 Preston Road, Frisco, Texas, 75033. Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Frisco Emergency Pet Care is always here when your pet needs us most. Until next time, take care of your pets, and they'll take care of you.