Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/354830
66 BRAVA MAGAZINE | AUGUST 2014 GO+DO CATALYST PHOTOGRAPHED BY SHANNA WOLF WHEN MEGAN SENATORI was in law school, she knew she wanted to use her legal expertise to help animals. It wasn't until a conference in Virginia that Sena- tori and classmate Pam Hart became aware of how abusers use pets as a tool to CONTROLVICTIMSŀ EYDIDNmTWˬITTOGRˬD uate to take action. What started as an assignment in a single-credit class, for the pair turned INTOTHEFOUNDˬTIONOFˬNONPROǠTSERVING abuse survivors and their pets. Just a cou- PLEOFYEˬRSˬFTERTHEYBOTHGRˬDUˬTEDIN 2000, Sheltering Animals of Abuse Vic- TIMS 4""7 KICKEDOFFIN%ˬNE$OUNTY 4""7 IS ˬN ˬLLVOLUNTEER NONPROǠT DEDICˬTEDTOENDINGTHECYCLEOFˬBUSE WITHINFˬMILIES4""7PLˬYSˬUNIQUEROLE INTHISǠGHTBYRECOGNIZINGTHEIMPOR TˬNCEOFˬNIMˬLSˬSVITˬLFˬMILYMEMBERS and arranging for their safe harbor at a time of critical need. 4ENˬTORISˬYSRESEˬRCHSHOWSNEˬRLYHˬLF OFDOMESTICˬBUSEVICTIMSDELˬYLEˬVING an abusive relationship out of fear of what would happen to their pets. n<#ˬTTERERS>USEˬNIMˬLSˬSˬSYMBOLOF WHˬTTHEYCˬNDOTOPEOPLEINTHEFˬMILYo SˬYS4ENˬTORIn*TmSˬNEFFECTIVEWˬYTO keep victims compliant. We didn't want VICTIMSTOEVERHˬVETOlCHOOSEmSˬFETYFOR themselves at the expense of harm or even DEˬTHOFBELOVEDˬNIMˬLSo ŀ EPROBLEM4ENˬTORISˬYSISVERYFEW SHELTERSINTHECOUNTRYHˬVETHESPˬCETO take in these animals, even in an emer- GENCY#UTINTHENEW%OMESTIC"BUSE Intervention Services (DAIS) Madison FˬCILITYWHICHOPENS"UGTHEREISˬ designated room to keep animals for up to 24 hours, serving as a transition for SURVIVORSǠRSTˬRRIVINGˬTTHEFˬCILITYˬND a place to help SAAV connect them to a FOSTERFˬMILYFORTHEPETFORUPTODˬYS DAIS Crisis Intervention Services .ˬNˬGER.EG4OHNSSˬYSTHISTˬKESˬWˬY THEFEˬROFLEˬVINGˬFˬMILYMEMBERBE hind and keeps victims from spending one more night with their abuser. She SˬYSMˬNYWOULDSˬYn*CˬNmTSEEKSHELTER TONIGHTIF*CˬNmTBRINGMYˬNIMˬLo ŀ EPROGRˬMISNmTLIMITEDTODOGSˬND CˬTSn8ESERVEYOUNˬMEITˬSLONGˬSWE HˬVEˬPLˬCETOTˬKETHEˬNIMˬLoSˬYS4EN ˬTORIn<4URVIVORS>DONmTWˬNTTOLEˬVEˬNY MEMBEROFTHEFˬMILYBEHINDTHˬTMEM BERMIGHTBEˬSNˬKEˬHORSEORˬDOGo Since 2003, SAAV has provided safe SHELTERTOMORETHˬNˬNIMˬLSˬFFECTED BYDOMESTICˬBUSEIN%ˬNE$OUNTY8ITH THENEWSHELTERINPLˬCETHEYPLˬNTOKEEP providing this vital refuge so all members OFˬSURVIVORmSFˬMILYHˬVESOMEWHERE safe to go. 12 | 8:30 a.m. UNLOCK THE DREAM TOUR Build awareness and learn how to get involved on this tour of a Habitat for Humanity home and presentation of an owner's story. Harmony Park neighborhood, Madison. habitatdane.org/tour. ON A MISSION: NONPROFIT EVENTS 23 | 9 a.m. SCOPE IT OUT Find your stride in this 5K race benefi tting research programs, individuals and families impacted by colon cancer. Warner Park, Madison. scopeitout5k.com. 30 | 9 a.m. COLOR ME RAD Don't forget to wear white as you join others on this 5K course speckled with color bombs, cannons and mortars. Funds benefi t the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Madison. Alliant Energy Center, Madison. colormerad.com. SHELTERING ANIMALS OF ABUSE FINDING A SAFE REFUGE FOR ABUSE SURVIVORS' BEST FRIENDS BY BRITNI MCDONALD, NBC 15 NEWS ANCHOR Megan Senatori, of SAAV, and Meg Sohns, of DAIS, are always looking for foster families to help pets of abuse survivors in need. Visit saavprogram.org for more. "WE DIDN'T WANT VICTIMS TO HAVE TO 'CHOOSE' SAFETY FOR THEMSELVES AT THE EXPENSE OF BELOVED ANIMALS." –MEGAN SENATORI