WASHINGTON — Saturday’s weather was perfect for dogs and their humans to support a cause you may not know about.
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and the eighth annual K9 Krawl 5K took place at the Fairfax County Government Center. The walk honored the victims of domestic violence and celebrated survivors, but there was another reason it was held.
“Basically, it’s to bring awareness to domestic violence and animal cruelty,” says Detective Jacqi Smith, a Fairfax County domestic violence detective, adding that pets are not immune to the struggle.
“We see it all the time,” Smith continues. “Abusers control their victims through their pet. Peoples’ pets are like their children.”
Zoe Zaret and her dog, Djngo, took part in the K9 Krawl.
“We wanted to come out and support the cause and let people know the connection between animal cruelty and domestic violence,” Zaret says.
Still, she’s not at all surprised by the high percentage of women, whose animals are threatened by their domestic abuser: “Makes perfect sense to me that people who don’t have respect for human life and dignity wouldn’t have respect for animals.”
The walk is a good way to get the community walking and talking about domestic abuse. It’s also a way for victims to learn about the resources available to them.
Kacey Kirkland is a victim services specialist with the Fairfax County Police department. She started the K9 Krawl after learning about the prevalence of domestic violence situations where women wouldn’t leave their abusers out of fear for their pet’s safety.
“The Fairfax County animal shelter has a
