Animal Cruelty and Domestic Abuse
An interview with Christine Mott
Pets are often the first targets of abusers or become pawns of abuse and control toward their victims. Statistics show domestic abusers harm pets and animals in the home just as they abuse their partner or children. Christine Mott discusses the link between animal cruelty and domestic abuse and the crucial role lawyers can play to help victims and their pets.
About Christine Mott
“Animals may be a first target of abuse, violence, child abuse or neglect. Often times, animals are actually used as a pawn towards abusing a partner.”
Christine Mott is Vice President and General Counsel at the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC). Prior to joing the ICSC, she was an associate at Cahill Gordon & Reindel LLP. Mott has been actively involved in many organizations related to animal protection. She is the Chair on the Board of Directors of Empire State Humane Voters (ESHV). ESHV is a political advocacy group whose mission is to help elect candidates who support animal protection, lobby for stronger laws to stop animal cruelty, and hold elected officials accountable to humane voters. She is the former chair of the Animal Law Committee of the New York City Bar Association and is also a New York State Council Member at the Humane Society of the United States, the nation’s largest organization dedicated to the protection of animals.
