HABRI Central

Mandy MacLeod explores the largely unrecognized issue of the effect of domestic violence on family pets. Born in Kitchener, Ontario, Mandy studied drama and theatre performance in Calgary before attending law school at the University of Alberta. There she met her (now) husband, and the love of his life, Smudge the cat (to whom she is deathly allergic). Mandy is a local Crown prosecutor. She specializes in family protection: the prosecution of abuse of intimate partners, children, and animals. After years of sniffling her way through court appearances, Mandy gained an appreciation of the fact that pets are part of families, and there isn't much we won't do for them. She is acutely aware, however, that her allergies pale in comparison to the real suffering of victims whose pets are abused and used against them. Mandy believes that protecting families means protecting all members of a family: including the furry ones.

Researchers should cite this work as follows:

1. Animal abuse
2. Animal roles
3. Animal welfare
4. Domestic violence
5. open access
6. Pets and companion animals