Retired animal control officer Dick McGoldrick remembered finding a number of small animals buried around a residence once, something he attributed to an abusive man using the animals as examples of what he could do to his family.

It was experiences like this that made McGoldrick aware of the link between animal abuse and human abuse. In his 10 years as animal control officer for 10 towns in southwestern Maine, McGoldrick would sometimes refer cases to law enforcement if he suspected domestic abuse. Sometimes it would go the other way and police would refer suspected animal abuse to him, McGoldrick said.

McGoldrick isn’t the only person who recognized the link between different forms of abuse. A coalition of animal welfare and domestic violence advocates formed the Linkage Project three years ago to educate and shape policy around the issue statewide.

Bridgton police chief David Lyons said he has seen the link in his work. Charlotte Nolan, Bridgton outreach advocate with Family Crisis Services, and Tom Harriman, detective with the Oxford County Sheriff’s Department, have started reaching out to veterinarians and others to raise awareness about the link, starting recently with the Bridgton Veterinary Hospital.

Nolan said she wanted to let veterinarians know that when there was pet abuse, there was likely to be human abuse as well. She wanted to tell them about what they could do if they suspected abuse, namely call an animal abuse hotline, call the Family Crisis services hotline or give out those numbers.

Domestic violence is often kept a secret, Nolan said, and many people don’t know about the resources Family Crisis Services offers. Combating abuse has to be a community effort, Nolan added.

Maine was the first state to enact a law to include companion animals in protection from abuse orders in 2005. Additionally, in 2007 a law was passed to protect from liability animal control officers when they report human abuse and people who work in social service agencies when they report animal abuse. Around 10-12 states have cross-reporting laws, said Linda Jariz from Youth Alternatives Ingraham, who is the coordinator of the linkage project.

Over the last few years, there has been movement to provide foster homes for pets of victims of domestic violence. There are at least seven projects now formally operating throughout the state, Jariz said.

Family Crisis Services, the domestic violence agency for Cumberland and Sagadahoc counties, currently works with the Animal Refuge League in Westbrook to provide foster homes for pets whose owners are leaving their abusers and coming into the agency’s shelter.

Kathleen Fobear coordinates the foster home program for the Animal Refuge League. In almost two years, three or four animals have come through the program, Fobear said.

Fobear said for victims of domestic violence, having a safe home for their pets can provide them with a sense of security. “It’s one less thing they have to worry about,” Fobear said.

Silver Shea, residential services assistant team leader for Family Crisis Services, said the foster home program has been very successful.

“Without anywhere to put the pet, they don’t have a place to go,” Shea said. “It has helped people who have animals to come into shelter.”

It can be difficult to prosecute animal abusers, because it can be hard to find a witness who wants to testify, according to Norma Worley, director of the animal welfare division of the state department of agriculture, the agency that investigates complaints of animal abuse and neglect.

Though the vast majority of complaints are of animal neglect, Worley said her staff investigates around 50-75 cases of animal cruelty each year.

Over the past five years Worley said she has seen the courts and district attorneys take animal abuse more seriously. She added that she has seen a correlation to human abuse, and that abusers sometimes threaten or abuse the family pet to manipulate their partners or children.

Lyons said the same personality type would use violence against animals and humans. Lyons said there was no founded cases of animal abuse he could remember in the past year, though there are typically several reports of neglect each year. There are 15-20 cases of founded domestic violence in Bridgton each year, Lyons said.

“Pets are part of the family,” Jariz said.

Individuals can report animal abuse or neglect by calling (877) 269-9200. Family Crisis Services operates a 24-hour hotline for those concerned for the safety of themselves or others. The number to call is (800) 537-6066.