Health, Wellness and Fitness for People & Pets JUNE 2015 | Page 56

NEWS from the NATIONAL LINK COALITION
Two Coalition Members Named Among Top 10 Animal Defenders

Two members of the National Link Coalition’s Steering Committee were honored in April by the Animal
Legal Defense Fund by being named two of America’s Top 10 Animal Defenders. Allie Phillips, J.D., and
John Thompson were included in this select group as part of the celebration of National Justice for
Animals Week.
Allie is the director of the National Center for Prosecution of Animal Abuse at the
National District Attorneys Association. She founded the network Sheltering Animals
& Families Together (SAF-T) to help families with pets flee abusive homes and find
safety. She is a nationally-recognized author, attorney, and legal advocate for animal
protection.
John is the deputy executive director and chief of staff for the National Sheriffs’
Association. He has served as chief of police for Mount Rainier, Md., and as an animal
control officer. In 2014, John led the movement to establish the National Coalition on
Violence Against Animals and successfully petitioned the FBI to include animal abuse
crimes in the Uniform Crime Report.
When National Link Coalition leaders comprise 20% of a national award’s selections, we must be doing
something right. Way to go, Allie and John!

THE LINK… in the LITERATURE
(If you’re having trouble finding any of these articles, please let us know. We may be able to help you
track them down.)

Intimate Partner Violence as Link and Health Issues

This article, written primarily for health professionals, aims to change the perception of intimate partner
violence (IPV) from what was previously considered a private matter or law enforcement issue into a
recognized individual and public health problem. The article describes the epidemiology of IPV, its costs
to society, and its links to animal abuse, elder abuse, child abuse, workplace violence, school violence. It
describes the medical manifestations of IPV and recommended procedures for emergency room
screening for IPV. (The article is available in the National Link Coalition’s website resources.)
-- Goodman, P. (2006). The relationship between intimate partner violence and other forms of family and societal violence.
Emergency M edicine Clinics of N orth America, 24 (4), 889-903.

Permission to Reprint

The news items and training opportunities contained in The LINK-Letter are intended to disseminate as
widely and as freely as possible information about the connections between animal abuse and
interpersonal violence. Permission is hereby granted to re-post these articles in other newsletters,
websites, magazines, and electronic publications provided that appropriate credit is given to the
National Link Coalition and with links to www.nationallinkcoalition.org.

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