Task Force Information

Animal Abuse Task Force

Clergy Task Force meets at noon on the 1st Tuesday of the month at the Family Justice Center (August 1, October 3 and December 5, 2006)

Education Task Force meets 2nd Monday of every month, at 2:30pm, at the Family Justice Center

Elder Abuse Task Force meets 4th Friday of every month, at 9am

Family Violence Helpline
865-521-6336

CCFV

400 Harriet Tubman St
Knoxville, TN 37915
865-215-6854

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Adult Protective Services

Adult Protective Services is a legislatively mandated service provided by the Tennessee Department of Human Services. It is provided to those adults who, because of physical or mental impairment, are unable to protect their own interests and are in threat of harm due to abuse (physical, sexual, or emotional), neglect (self-neglect or neglect by a caregiver), or financial exploitation. The majority of our clients are elderly, and at times they are unable to protect themselves or their pets. Elder abuse is considered a hidden problem, like animal abuse, because many times the elder and his or her pet are isolated from the community and the physical and emotional scars of abuse remain unseen.

There are several different situations where elder abuse is linked with animal abuse. In some situations, the elder and pets live with an adult child or grandchild. The elder may have lost his or her spouse and turn to the pet for love and companionship. The adult child or grandchild has become the elder's caregiver and may begin to neglect or abuse the elder due to alcohol or drug use, ignorance, immaturity, or frustration. The abuser may threaten and intimidate the elder by threatening the pet or actually abusing the pet if the elder does not sign over assets or property to the abuser. There may be a financial dependence of the abuser on the elder. The elder may be ashamed and embarrassed to report this kind of treatment because the abuser is a family member. Often times, the burden of caring for an elder and the elder's pets becomes so great that a caregiver is pushed over the edge to abuse. The caregiver becomes frustrated because he or she cannot get the elder or the pet to do what the caregiver wants the elder to do.

Another situation that exists in situations of adult protective service cases is one in which the elder lives alone and is no longer able to care for himself/herself or the pet. The elder will attempt to care for the pet while neglecting his/her own needs. He or she will spend limited funds on pet food at the expense of their own medicine. There will be a denial that the elder is not able to take the pet outside for toileting needs. The pet is forced to urinate and defecate on the elder's floors and carpets and the elder is unable to clean. This situation becomes a health hazard for the client and the pet.
 

Many times, elderly women will begin feeding stray animals and will become hoarders of animals or "animal collectors". These people will rarely call the authorities for help (even from abuse) because they do not want to alert the authorities to the number of animals in their possession or the condition of their home. They will apologize for the condition of their home, stating that they have not had time to clean or have been sick, when it is obvious that a much greater problem exists. Collectors may have 50 cats or dogs inside the house, and these often are sick or dying. Inside, the house may be covered with pet hair, urine, and feces, but the elder denies that there is a problem. Many times, the elder is covered with fleabites and needs medical attention due to animal related diseases but does not have the resources to care for the animals or himself or herself.
 

For these and many other reasons, it is essential that all agencies work together to try to solve these complex problems. Representatives of Adult Protective Services, local humane societies, housing and codes enforcement, animal control departments, and other agencies and organizations are needed to reduce the risks not only to elderly victims, but to the animal victims as well.