Breaking the Silence on Male Survivors and the Animals They Lose
At Empowering Men Initiative CIC, we stand beside men who have experienced domestic abuse. Not just as professionals, but as people who have walked that road ourselves. And while physical and emotional abuse are tragically well known, there is another quieter form of pain that is too often overlooked, the loss of a beloved pet through coercive control.
For many survivors, pets are more than animals. They are comfort, loyalty, protection and sometimes the only source of unconditional love in a world that’s become terrifying and unsafe. Abusers know this. That’s why they use pets to control, to threaten, to punish and the damage runs deep.
This isn’t just something we hear from others it’s something we’ve lived. Our CEO, a survivor himself, lost his Weimaraner, Priest during his most difficult chapter.
He says, “Other than my son, who I did get back after 10 weeks. Priest was the next biggest loss”. That wasn’t just a dog. That was family. That was his peace, his reason to keep going when everything else had been taken. Having to let him go under the shadow of abuse left a scar no one could see, but one that cut just as deep.
Male survivors are so often erased from the conversation. Society doesn’t expect men to hurt or to grieve or to be vulnerable. But they do! They lose their homes, their safety, their children and yes, their animals too.
This is why campaigns like ‘Protect Animals. Protect People.’ matter. Because abuse isn’t about gender, it’s about power. Healing isn’t about blame, it’s about truth.
We believe in a future where all survivors are seen, heard, and supported. Where no one feels ashamed for grieving a dog like family and where losing a pet doesn’t mean losing hope. Because love and loss looks the same in every heart.