Maya Badham - Unveiling the Dark Side: Safeguarding Animals & Humans from Abuse

 In this episode, I had an enlightening conversation with Maja, who is based in Gloucestershire, England, and runs an international organization called Safeguarding Animal and Human Survivors of Sexual and Domestic Abuse (SASTA). 

We delved into her work and its focus on raising awareness about the use of companion animals in coercive control within abusive relationships, animal sexual abuse, and ritual abuse. 

Maja shared her robust educational background in human rights law and her extensive experience working with abuse survivors. She discussed her journey into the field of pet behavior and the importance of recognizing signs of abuse in animals. We covered the challenges faced by pet professionals and the development of a new safeguarding qualification for them. 

This conversation sheds light on a critical yet often overlooked issue that intersects human and animal welfare. 

00:00 Introduction and Greetings 
00:12 Background and Business Overview 
01:34 Journey into the Field 
03:53 Combining Passion for Dogs with Professional Experience 
06:46 Establishing SASTA 
08:22 Recognizing Signs of Abuse 
19:08 International Perspectives and Cultural Influences 
23:03 Challenges and Solutions in Supporting Survivors 
29:21 Contact Information and Resources 
30:19 Conclusion and Final Thoughts 

To find out more and get in touch with Maya: www.sahsda.org

As always, all about Soul Touched by Dogs at https://soultouchedbydogs.com