im crying
Do you know how many dogs I’ve met that get scared or anxious around men because in their previous home men hit them? A lot, and they are very protective of the women who have adopted them now.
Men who are violent towards women are often violent towards animals as well. They think we’re all chattel. If a man wants you to choose between your dog or cat or him, dump the guy. Those animals will love you for the rest of your life, loyal and true.
Actually, I have something to add.
The other day I saw a story where a woman was asking why her dogs had suddenly started growling at her boyfriend whenever he was in the same room as her son.
And my immediate thought was ‘that boyfriend has hurt the kid somehow.’
Spoilers: that was exactly the case.
Trust ur dogs when they say something is off.
The first time my sister came to visit, via plane, after I got my dog, pupper growled at her and wouldn’t go near her for the first day. Next visit was by car (two day drive)and pupper LOVED my sister. They snuggled and played and none of us could figure out why the change. We thought maybe the scent of my sisters cat had lingered on her clothes, making that first visit a rough one. Whereas when she came by car, the scent had had time to wear off. Well that was partially true…
Fast forward about six months when I went north to visit my family. My sister walked into my parents’ house and pupper ran to greet my sister. Stopped dead in her tracks and started growling and barking. Hackles raised, full protection mode. My sisters husband had just walked in behind her.
My precious puppy wanted NOTHING to do with him. She barked, growled, ran away, and sat between him and my sister. Y’all my dog had spent maybe a weekend a half around my sister but protected her like this was her flesh and blood.
Eventually, my sister filed for divorce on grounds of “Extreme and repeated mental, emotional, and sexual abuse.” Divorce was final in less than a month because her claims were substantiated.
Trust the dog, honey. They KNOW.
I’ve never owned dogs, but I used to work with horses (which are a lot like big dogs).
There was this one horse I worked with named Tonto. He was a doll. He followed me like a puppy, snuck treats out of my pocket, he was the sweetest thing. We were practically inseparable.
A guy I was considering dating came to visit me one day, and Tonto wanted NOTHING to do with him. Normally well behaved, he shoved himself between us and would NOT let this guy near me. He was stomping, acting really aggressive, and tried to bite the guy. This horse was practically dragging me back toward the barn. At that moment, despite being like, 17, I knew something was up, and ultimately things didn’t pan out for guy and me.
A year later I found out he had lied about his age (he said he was 18 but he was actually 27) he was arrested for sexually assaulting an 11 year old girl.
TRUST THE ANIMALS.
Can I add a cat story? I adopted a kitten while I was still with my ex. She-ra loathed him. Absolutely hated his guts. My ex was violent. We split up eventually & after some initial side eye She-ra warmed up to my new boyfriend. Still hated my ex, one day my ex comes by with his new girlfriend & She-ra tried to rip her face off. Come to find out she abused my son. I won full custody eventually, and my kid hasn’t seen either of them in more than a decade. Trust the animals.
My Great Grammy had a cat, her name was Twinkie, and she HATED my father. He was an abusive asshole, mind you, and after she passed my mom, sister and I adopted her. Every time my father came to pick us up she would hiss, scratch and bite him, get between my sister and I and absolutely go to freaking town on him. She was like… 28 years old and protected us for years. Bless her heart, she was such a grumpy old lady, but she adored us and protected us.
My little bird (green cheek conure for anyone who knows species) who takes horrible care of her feathers and no one really knows how old she is because she was a Craigslist rescue initiated by my horrible ex-roommate knew that the ex-roommate was no good for me. Zodi, this little bird would regularly escape out of her cage, climb up two flights of stairs, crawl into the ex-roommate’s bed and not let her into her own bed by biting the snot out of her.
And this person also was emotionally abusing and manipulating me but this tiny scruffy bird who bonded to me took it upon herself to fight her off. And the ex-roommate really wanted to rehome her, which I always resisted.
Long story short, I still have the bird and left the roommate a long time ago.
My tiel Rembrandt generally likes people. But he definitely showed a change in feelings toward my husband once we separated, despite the fact that they had a relationship of more than ten years. I would absolutely trust him if he showed me he did not like someone.
My mom’s had horses, dogs, and cats all try to protect her from her abusive ex (and from my dad too). She always tells me how much she regrets not keeping her horse Jesse, he didn’t like my dad one bit and it turns out there was a good reason for it…
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