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A new study published in Taylor & Francis looked at forced separation between people and their companion animals.

“The research was about people and pets that shared a human-animal bond and had experienced a crisis situation, such as domestic violence, homelessness and natural disasters,” study author Jasmine Montgomery told us. “I was hopeful to find out what were the impacts on people and their pets when they were faced with being forced to separate from their pets because of a crisis situation.”

While working as a social worker, Montgomery determined it was evident that despite what event or crisis people were experiencing, people that shared a bond with their pets were often very concerned about their pets, more so than themselves, and there were little resources or supports available for their pets.

“I wanted to study this area to find out why it was so challenging to access formal supports for both people and their pets in times of need,” Montgomery told us.

Montgomery conducted a review of the literature over a 27-year period and found that it was evident that psychological distress was present when people are forced to separate from their pets in these situations and people were willing to risk their own safety and wellbeing to protect their pets.

“Devastatingly, the main outcome was death for pets,” Montgomery told us. “I was surprised by the devastating outcomes of maltreatment and/or death of animals in these
situations. Animals are often seen as an afterthought and human lives are often valued as priority in policies, and sadly, the result is devastating for both the animal and the pet owner.”

There are a lot of areas for future investigation where forced separation is involved. Montgomery is conducting a PhD project on the forced separation of pets in domestic violence situations with associate professors Janice Lloyd and Zhanming Liang.

“It’s important that pets are not considered an afterthought when people and their pets are needing crisis support,” Montgomery told us. “Pets and their well-being must be considered in all areas of safety planning, policies and legislation to reduce negative outcomes for both people and their pets.”