The Foundation's Violence Prevention Initiative was launched in the spring of 1995. That s the same year that the American Medical Association declared domestic violence the number one health care issue for women in the United States. Domestic violence causes more emergency room visits than car accidents, rapes and muggings combined. Health Foundation and Polaroid Corporation partnered to collaborate on the Domestic Violence Camera Program. This program is an effort to assist local police and social service agencies in their efforts to reduce the incidence of domestic violence.
Photographic documentation helps to encourage victims to press charges.
It also enables the state to pursue prosecution if the victim should change his or her mind. This project is a collaboration of intervention strategies addressing the concurrence of family violence and animal cruelty in Miami-Dade County. Recent research shows that victims will sometimes stay in a violent home in order to protect or remain with a pet. Also studies have shown that people who abuse their pets are likely to abuse other persons. This project will provide a safe and secure emergency shelter for the pets of domestic violence victims.