Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Monika's House is a refuge for both people and their pets

Monique Balas

A new joint task force in Washington County has made Hillsboro resident Cindy Steadman's life a little easier.

When Steadman's ex-boyfriend was arrested for domestic abuse, she wasn't sure how to retrieve her cats or where to keep them. A victim assistant specialist at the Washington County District Attorney's Office directed her to the county's Bonnie L. Hays
Small Animal Shelter. Shelter staff picked up the cats and arranged care for them until she can get an apartment.

"Everybody worked together so fast," she said. "If they hadn't gotten the cats out of there, (my ex-boyfriend) legally could have dropped them off anywhere and there would have been nothing I could have done about it."

The district attorney's office referred Steadman to the animal shelter because the two agencies are co-chairing a task force comprising social service agencies, law enforcement and animal advocates. The Animal Protection Multi-Disciplinary Team investigates the link between domestic violence and animal abuse and identifies tangible ways to protect victims and animals..." More

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