Citation

Wuerch MA, Giesbrecht CJ, Price JAB, Knutson T, Wach F. J. Interpers. Violence 2017; ePub(ePub): 886260517700618.

Affiliation

Saskatchewan Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Saskatoon, Canada.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2017, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/0886260517700618

PMID

29294694

Abstract

The current study examined the knowledge and experience of animal welfare and human service providers in urban and rural communities of Saskatchewan, Canada. Nine exploratory qualitative interviews were conducted to gather a more in-depth understanding of whether the concern for animal care and safekeeping impacts the decision to leave situations of intimate partner violence. The interviews were semistructured and guided by four questions, which were designed, reviewed, and revised based on feedback from a community-based research team. Thematic analysis highlighted important findings, allowing for the generation of suggestions for improvement of current supports and services offered. The current study findings suggest that concern for animal care and safekeeping creates significant barriers regarding the decision to leave situations of intimate partner violence and abuse, warranting further research to inform support services and resources within a Canadian context.

Language: en

Keywords

animal care; intimate partner violence; rural communities; service providers