“So why doesn’t she just leave her abuser?”That question often rolls off the tongues of those in the law enforcement, medical and media communities about abused women. The answer can be far more complicated than we might think.“Each victim endures a variety of circumstances which weigh on her decision to leave,” reminded Dana Zedak, spokeswoman for the Battered Women’s Shelter of Summit & Medina Counties.Finances, housing, and of course children among them. Pets are yet another major consideration.“Pets [who are like family] are sometimes used to control and manipulate victims of domestic violence: ‘If you leave me, I will hurt the dog,’ ” Zedak continued. “Even more disturbing, pets are frequently abused as part of family violence.”Four years ago, the Belle Bowman Fund awarded the Battered Women’s Shelter funds to explore options to address the needs of victims and their pets. That brings me to what’s planned from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 1, when the shelter co-hosts the second annual Walk and Wag, an awareness and fundraising event with Pawsibilities: The Humane Society of Greater Akron and Towpath Credit Union, at BARC, Akron’s dog park at 499 Memorial Parkway.“For every $300 raised, the Battered Women’s Shelter will be able to house nine individuals and locate housing for three pets,” Zedak said.To make that happen, please register to walk with one or two dogs at www.walkandwag.eventbrite.com. Print out the forms to ask friends and family to sponsor you. The person raising the most money will receive a $500 Visa gift card from Towpath Credit Union. Registration also will be available event day.Medina residents have their own event, Walk Your Best Friend Against Abuse, at the Medina Square, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 1. That campaign is sponsored by the Medina County Domestic and Sexual Abuse Coalition. Please call 330-723-9610.In the same vein, the Women’s Best Friend seminar, on the implications of animal abuse and response to domestic violence, will be held Sept. 30, planned by Battered Women’s Shelter of Summit & Medina Counties and presented by Phil Arkow of the National Link Coalition for $20 at the following times:• 9 a.m. to noon: Medina County Library, 210 S. Broadway, Medina.• 1:30-4:30 p.m.: American Red Cross, Summit County chapter headquarters, 501 W. Market St., Akron. To register for either session, please call 330-860-5635 or visit www.scmcbws.org.The shelter is also hosting a seminar this month in partnership with the Cut It Out Program, which educates salon professionals how to recognize the warning signs of domestic violence and refer clients to local resources.That session, sponsored by Gerber Akron Beauty School and the Gavin Scott Salon & Spa, is planned for 9 a.m. to noon Oct. 17 at the American Red Cross headquarters, 501 W. Market St., Akron. Training is free and open to all professionals who register.For more information, please call 330-860-5635 or visit www.scmcbws.org.The Domestic Violence Hotline is 800-799-SAFE (7233). If you’re an abuse victim, please note that after you’ve finished that conversation, call another number so this one is not shown as the last call.‘Pots of Love’Major kudos to Heather Mills and Eric Baker, co-founders of Kindness through Krafts, a local nonprofit whose mission is to provide random acts of kindness for cancer patients and survivors as well as acting as ambassadors and advocates for cancer research and funding.“We provide these random acts of kindness through the artistic and creative talents of our volunteers,” writes Mills. “Throughout the last year we have dedicated these talents to our ‘Pots of Love.’“The clay pots are painted and represent a theme of choice or request. They are then filled with a specific mix of candy presented with an attached letter titled ‘Recipe for a Smile.’“Our mission,” she continued, “is to ‘change the world through smiles.’ We would love to reach as many people as we can, whether it is someone they love who has cancer or a cancer hospital looking for a way to impact the lives of its patients.”For more details, email Kindnessthroughkrafts@yahoo.com, call Mills at 234-738-8375 or Baker at 234-380-0551.Cut-a-thon results A tip of the hat to Kathy Ball of Tallmadge Hair Service & Spa for reporting the results of the salon’s August cut-a-thon that benefited the American Diabetes Association: $1,950. “But the American Diabetes Association wasn’t the only one to benefit this year,” Ball noted. “We had raffles that benefited the veterans as well as Locks of Love. We had 10 people who cut off hair for Locks of Love, including 9-year-old twins Jenn and Nicole Penn who donated 10 inches; their mom Michelle donated 11 inches; and 7-year-old Alivia Bell donated 7 inches.“I’d like to thank all of those who worked the cut-a-thon and a big thank you to everyone who came out and supported our event.”Kathy’s team the Wild Ones will be participating Oct. 2 in Step Out Against Diabetes at Akron’s Lock 3.Golf outing a successCathy Reeves reports that the ninth annual Kelly Reeves Memorial Golf Outing “was another huge success on Sept. 16 at Oak Knolls Golf Club in Kent. Wells Trescaso Financial Group at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney was the main sponsor of this year’s outing. We had 112 golfers and several more who joined us for dinner. We served both lunch and dinner, offered auction items, 50/50 (raffles), gave out several prizes and everyone received a soft-sided cooler.”Proceeds go to the Kelly Reeves Memorial Foundation that supports area families in need. “It also supports Kelly’s Grief Center in Kent,” Reeves said. The event and the foundation honor the memory of Cathy and Bob Reeves’ infant daughter Kelly, who died unexpectedly Dec. 18, 2002. “Kelly’s Grief Center provides grief counseling by licensed mental health professionals to people who have experienced a loss due to the death of a loved one.”Individual and group sessions are held the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month at 420 W. Main St., Kent.For more information, please visit www.kellyreeves
memorialfoundation.org or www.kellysgriefcenter.org or call 330-677-2000.Jewell Cardwell can be reached at 330-996-3567 or emailed at jcardwell@thebeaconjournal.com.