Los Angeles, CA (3/5/19) – Denisse Bernal, Director of Humane Education for Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animal Los Angeles (spcaLA) traveled to Taiwan to share expertise on the link between domestic violence and animal cruelty and spcaLA’s violence prevention programs. Bernal traveled at the invitation of the Duo Duo Project, an organization committed to ending the Chinese dog meat trade.
Denisse Bernal; Bernal with symposium attendees
Bernal attended the 30th anniversary celebration for the National Animal Enterprise Group in Taichung, which is a network of veterinary clinics that includes animal welfare charity work. The theme of the symposium was the human/animal bond. Bernal’s next stop was Taipei City, to present at a meeting organized by the Association of Asian Environmental Ecology and Conservation Associations, a lobbying and legislative group. The meeting was held at the Center for Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault and was well-attended by people from the non-profit and government sectors.
Bernal discussed the link between animal cruelty and interpersonal violence, and shared details and successes of spcaLA’s violence prevention programs. Such programs include the youth violence-prevention program, Teaching Love and Compassion (TLC)™; Animal Safety Net (ASN)™: Pet Housing for survivors of domestic violence and their pets; and Animal Safety Net: Youth & Families, a program for survivors and their children in partnership with the WomenShelter of Long Beach.
Bernal began working for spcaLA in 2010 and became the Director of Humane Education in 2015. She completed her B.A. in Latin American and Latina Studies at Smith College in Massachusetts and earned an M.A. in Education from California State University, Long Beach. Since joining the Humane Education Department, she has continued to work on strengthening her approach to violence prevention, youth development, and education through training and volunteer work with local domestic violence agencies and youth-centered advocacy organizations.
This is the second goodwill trip of spcaLA staff at the courtesy and request of the Duo Duo Project. Last year, the spcaLA Veterinary Services staff traveled to China to share spay and neuter expertise.