An Animal Rights/Vegan Activists' Strategies Article used with permission from All-Creatures.org

The National Link Coalition shares news, efforts, and comments from researchers from around the world related to The Link and the work being done globally to protect companion animals and humans from domestic violence.

Growing Global Link Awareness in “Link Deserts”
From April 2026 LINK-Letter, The National Link Coalition
April 2026

Images from Canva and The Met (woman and dog, children teasing cat)

When the National Link Coalition was created in 2008, we could not envision how rapidly our premise would inspire others in foreign countries and gain traction on a global scale. Within a few years, similar Link groups began to emerge, primarily in Eurocentric and Western nations: Sweden, the UK, Portugal, Spain, Canada, Latin America, Japan, Australia, France, Italy, and others.

Our American experiences, programs , research and legislation have inspired a worldwide network of academic and advocate changemakers for systemic pet welfare initiatives that prevent animal cruelty more effectively by demonstrating how it also impacts human well-being. The LINK-Letter has been instrumental in nurturing this progress and channeling this dramatic growth: over 20% of our multidisciplinary readers are in 86 countries; 93 of the 349 articles published in 2025 (26.6%) covered news and research in “Link Deserts” and other foreign countries.

Here are a few recent examples of how our efforts are succeeding:

AOTEAROA NEW ZEALAND: Continued its groundbreaking work by publishing 14 articles (including one from the National Link Coalition) urging the inclusion of the human-animal bond and animal abuse in social work training and practice.

AUSTRALIA: Parliament added the welfare of companion animals to what courts must consider in divorce case dispositions. Tasmania now defines animal abuse as family violence or coercive control. New South Wales affirmed a resolution that animals are also victims of domestic and family violence.

BELGIUM: A Link training module was developed for veterinary students.

BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA: A criminology student conducted that country’s first research on the complex interactions of violence against humans and animals and the inconsistencies of criminal law prosecutions that hinder effective protections.

BRAZIL researchers reported: a Link between animal hoarding cases and human and animal fatalities from fires; a Link between cockfighting, child abuse and domestic violence; and a tool for veterinarians to identify animal cruelty in homes with domestic violence.

CZECH REPUBLIC researchers reported that domestic violence is a cause for people to become homeless, and because these individuals’ emotional bonds with pets can be very strong more homeless shelters should allow pets to remove a barrier to finding shelter.

ECUADOR, experiencing high rates of intimate partner violence, reported that animal maltreatment by abusive partners operates in parallel with intimate partner violence, particularly in the societal norms of a machista culture.

FINLAND farmers’ rationalizations and denials of animal abuse were found to be similar to those employed by domestic violence abusers, suggesting similarities and connections between domestic violence and animal abuse.

FRANCE convened its first conference on animal abuse for veterinarians.

HUNGARY: Veterinarians conducted that nation’s first study of public attitudes towards animal sexual abuse, observing that “zoophilic acts often serve as a predictor for other criminal offenses, and perpetrators of such acts are frequently observed to commit additional crimes, as well.”

INDIA is training police officers and calling for more stringent anti-cruelty laws based on how people who harm animals often hurt more animals and humans.

INDONESIA: Psychologists conducted that nation’s first study of childhood acts of animal cruelty as a crucial marker for mental health that relates to Conduct Disorder and Antisocial Personality Disorder.

IRELAND launched its first pet safekeeping program for domestic violence survivors.

ITALY: Health and veterinary authorities are proposing a structured operational protocol to support multidisciplinary assessment and management of animal hoarding cases.

JAPAN: Veterinarians reported they need more training on The Link. Other researchers found that pets are often killed in murder-suicide cases.

KAZAKHSTAN: Researchers called for joint assessment and intervention programs between animal protection and domestic violence services in describing animal abuse as “a growing public health concern” and “an early indicator of domestic violence,” especially when directed against pets.

MEXICO enacted a law allowing courts to award custody of pets in the animals’ best interests during divorce property settlements in recognition of pets’ emotional and social significance, particularly if they have been threatened as part of domestic violence’s coercive control.

THE NETHERLANDS: The Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at Utrecht University launched the Veterinary Forensic Expert Center “to prevent more serious abuse from occurring in the future.”

NIGERIA: Researchers called for taking animal cruelty more seriously as it is a form of violence whose study will help give insight into other social vices and results in more stray dogs and rabies epidemics.

PARAGUAY mandated the inclusion of Animal Welfare as a distinct core curriculum topic in primary and secondary education based on the underlying premise that the recognition that cruelty toward animals often serves as an early indicator of violent behavior within society.

THE PHILIPPINES: A prominent newspaper columnist published “Dark Link Between Animal and Human Abuse”, citing Link statistics in calling for support of a Senate bill that would enact stricter standards, harsher penalties, and a national Animal Welfare Task Force that “could help prevent future crimes against animals and humans alike.”

PORTUGAL: A study of mothers and children in domestic violence shelters reported the beneficial aspects of animal-assisted interventions.

ROMANIA: We conducted a podcast with animal welfare advocates trying to establish a Link coalition.

SERBIA: Researchers called for more severe sentences in animal cruelty convictions due to the fact that scientific research and practice have shown that violence against animals often leads to violence against people and that punishing perpetrators actually protects both animals and people. Two studies gave veterinarians guidance on how to recognize non-accidental injury committed by juveniles in a country where “The social and legal responses to crimes of animal abuse committed by juveniles and children are often inadequate or entirely absent.”

SOUTH KOREA: Veterinarians recommended that they receive training and legal protections to be mandated to report suspected animal abuse to fill a crucial gap in ethical responsibilities and as a way to improve animal protection. A women’s study journal proposed four recommendations to protect human and animal survivors of domestic violence.

SPAIN: Canary Islands veterinary students’ attitudes about animal abuse were explored. Another study cited The Link in calling for more training in veterinary forensics.

THAILAND: Veterinarians and prosecutors need a more integrated approach and harmonized protocols to address pet abuse and animal welfare enforcement.

TURKEY’s courts are having a national discussion about awarding pet custody in divorce settlements following a case that may set a precedent for treating companion animals as family members rather than property. The need for veterinary forensics and Link training was cited to better protect animals. Link issues were found to be part of veterinary pathology cases.

UNITED KINGDOM: Pilot programs are introducing the first Veterinary Social Work programs in Jersey and Northern Ireland. 100% of police departments now include Link information and resources on their websites.

And Here’s What Researchers Are Telling Us...

UKRAINE: "Veterinary forensics in foreign countries is actively developing as an independent field of veterinary medicine, which is largely driven by increased awareness of animal cruelty and the establishment of a link between such acts and violence against humans.”

ARGENTINA: “Thank you very much for your interest in our work and for helping to raise awareness of this important issue. We highly value your outreach and engagement. Research on the intersection of domestic violence and animal welfare is of great importance. Unfortunately, this area has not yet been sufficiently developed in our country, and we hope to contribute more substantially to it in the future. We sincerely appreciate your willingness to share The Link’s resources with us.”

INDIA: “Addressing animal abuse as a potential sentinel indicator of broader family and community violence is an area that urgently needs greater research, policy attention, and public sensitization in India. Understanding animal abuse as part of the broader continuum of human violence can significantly strengthen prevention, early intervention, and protection frameworks.”

ITALY: “The Link between animal abuse and human violence remains largely unexplored in Italy: the available evidence is still extremely limited and confined to very specific disciplinary contexts. We warmly welcome the opportunity to access the resources made available by the Coalition and are open to considering possible forms of collaboration that may help strengthen awareness and research on the Link in the Italian context.”

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Posted on All-Creatures.org: April 21, 2026
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