Service Animals in Domestic Violence
Service Animal Education with a Special Emphasis on Domestic Violence Survivors
In 2017, NMCADV partnered with Assistance Dogs of the West to convene a workgroup of content knowledge experts in disability rights and service animals, and consumers with lived experience (people with assistance dogs who have experienced or are experts in domestic violence) to customize and standardize best practices for domestic violence victim service providers in New Mexico to serve people with service animals, emotional support animals, and companion animals, and to develop training resources.
This workgroup developed a best practice and sample policy document built on existing policies from other states, for New Mexico’s domestic violence victim service providers, which is customized to the laws, culture, and resources of the State of New Mexico. Becoming informed and developing organizational policies and procedures can not only help mitigate some of the complexities involved with serving individuals with service and emotional support animals, but it may also ensure that survivors have better access to safety and independence.