Providing Choices and Referrals
Victims may be looking for many types of information to assess their next step. Information about emergency housing, financial resources, health insurance, legal options, and protection orders, among other issues, may be useful. Because the abuser has often lied to the victim about their options in order to maintain control over them, it is important that the person receive clear, accurate, and concise information.

In cases where domestic violence has been identified, Animal Abuse Investigators can provide informational brochures on domestic violence, hotline numbers, and referrals to agencies that will provide professional assistance. Animal Abuse Investigators are not expected to provide specific counseling to victims on domestic violence. Your objective is to provide choices, not interventions.

You should never tell a victim of domestic violence what to do. They have been told what to do and how to act by their abuser and you don’t want to simply fill the abuser’s shoes, even though it may seem like the victim is encouraging you to do so. Although suggesting that the person “leave immediately” or “stand up for themselves” may seem like healthy advice, our goal is to empower the victim to take control of his/her own life. Offering choices and referrals to professional agencies will allow the victim to make his/her own decisions when he/she is ready. Allowing the victim to make decisions is the first step towards regaining control of his/her life.

Outside of dialing 911 in an emergency, the first step for the victim should be to contact the local domestic violence center via the hotline number you provide (see the Resources section for contact information). The professionals at the local domestic violence center will be able to help the victim coordinate the various services they may need from other agencies.

Chapter 6, Utilizing Community Resources outlines in detail, the specific roles of other agencies in responding to domestic abuse, but the following guide highlights appropriate referrals that will be provided by the domestic violence center. You may also contact the local domestic violence center to obtain brochures and cards to hand out to victims with hotline numbers and information printed on them.