Three out of four women victims of violence have reported receiving threats from their abusers to harm or kill their pets as a form of control and intimidation. These alarming figures were revealed by Rebeca Peralta, Vice President of the Human Rights Commission of the capital's Congress.
The legislator's stance promotes the idea that shelters and emergency houses in Mexico City should be safe spaces not only for women suffering violence but also for their pets, considered indirect victims of these situations.
In Peralta's words: 'It is crucial that these shelters are safe and welcoming spaces where no woman is forced to choose between her safety and the well-being of her loved ones or the well-being of her animals that she considers part of her family.'
According to statistics from the Executive Secretariat of the National Public Security System, it has been observed that in households where there is domestic violence or child abuse, cruelty towards domestic animals reaches 90%.
Referring to this relationship between domestic violence and animal abuse, the legislator emphasized the importance of providing a safe place for battered women where they do not have to face the difficult decision of leaving their pets in danger. Therefore, she proposed that the 70 existing shelters in Mexico City should allow women accompanied by their children and pets.
Peralta also stressed the link between animal abuse and other types of crimes, noting that those who abuse animals are more likely to commit violent acts against people, property crimes, and crimes related to drugs or public order disturbances.
In this context, the initiative presented by the legislator seeks to reform the Law on Access for Women to a Life Free of Violence to guarantee the victims' right to take refuge alongside their animals, thus protecting all parties involved in situations of domestic violence.
