In the UK, where I'm currently living, you will get 15 years imprisonment for armed robbery, due to the lasting physical and psychological damage to the victim. But abuse, or kill an animal? You'll get away with a maximum of 5 years, but probably less, even if this animal is the companion of a human.
The abuse of companion animals is rife in domestic abuse settings, yet it is rarely spoken about, nor taken as seriously as other crimes. My guest today wants to change that. Maya Badham trains professionals to recognise the link between abuse of animals and abuse of humans, particularly within a domestic setting.
She joins me in this episode to discuss how we often overlook actions that affect the animals present in the home when we investigate domestic abuse.
You can read more about her work on her website: https://sahsda.wixsite.com/sahsda
As our audience is international, we cannot signpost to specific organisations here, but if you, or anyone you know is affected by anything discussed in this episode, please reach out to your local support services as soon as possible.