The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence reports:

• 71% of pet owners entering domestic violence shelters report that their batterer had threatened, injured, or killed family pets 
• 87% of batterer-perpetrated incidents of pet abuse are committed in the presence of their partners for the purpose of revenge or control
• 76% of batterer-perpetrated pet abuse incidents occur in the presence of children
• 13% of intentional animal abuse cases involve domestic violence
• Women in domestic violence shelters are 11 times more likely to report animal abuse by their partner that women not experiencing violence
• 85% of domestic violence shelters report that they commonly encounter women who speak about pet abuse incidents
• 52% of victims in shelters left their pets with their batterers
• Criminals and troubled youth have high rates of animal cruelty during their childhood; perpetrators often were victims of child abuse themselves
• Investigation of animal abuse is often the first point of social services intervention for a family experiencing domestic violence
• Similar to domestic abuse, abusers demonstrate control over the family by threatening, harming, or killing animals
• Victims whose batterers abuse their pets report more than twice as many incidents of child abuse as compared to domestic violence victims whose batterers have not abused their pets
• Batterers threaten, harm, or kill their children’s pets in order to coerce them into sexual abuse or to force them to remain silent about abuse
• Abusers harm pets to punish the victim for leaving or in attempts to coerce the victim to return
• Abusers may harm pets to retaliate for acts of self-determination or independence
• Animal abusers are more likely to be domestic violence abusers, to have been arrested for other violent crimes and drug-related offenses, and to engage in other delinquent behavior
• Many abusers have a history of animal abuse that precedes domestic violence toward their partner
• Animals may sometimes be used a weapons against domestic violence victims
• 65% of woman who report prior pet abuse continue to worry for their pets’ welfare after entry into a shelter
• Up to 40% of domestic violence victims are unable to escape their abusers because they are concerned about what will happen to their pets when they leave