May 20, 2019

Fear for pets’ safety a significant barrier to women escaping family violence

New Zealand's first shelter dedicated to housing pets affected by family violence is being built. Pet Refuge will provide a temporary safe haven for pets, while their owners escape abuse. The initiative comes as new research from Women’s Refuge reveals harrowing stories of animal abuse. The charity surveyed women whose partners had abused or threatened their pets. 23% said their partner had killed an animal. 53% said they delayed leaving the relationship out of fear for an animal’s safety.

“Essentially, the pet becomes yet another mechanism for the abuser to use, and pets are frequently harmed or even killed in order to assert power and further traumatise victims,” Women’s Refuge CEO Dr Ang Jury says. “It is yet another means for a controlling partner to exercise that control.”

Pet Refuge is the brainchild of Julie Chapman, Founder and CEO of children’s charity KidsCan. “For many people, pets are family. For victims of domestic violence, they provide real solace. Leaving them behind with an abusive partner just isn’t an option. We hope that if victims know their pets will be well looked after while they escape, it will remove a barrier to them leaving.”

Modelled on the RSPCA New South Wales’ successful domestic violence programme, Pet Refuge will transport small animals from around New Zealand to the shelter, and develop a national network of safe farms to care for larger farm animals.

Chapman lost both her parents in the last 5 years. She used the money from the sale of their home to purchase land for Pet Refuge. With further private donations, construction is now underway with build partner, Signature Homes, who have also designed the shelter. It is due for completion in early 2020, but the charity needs the public’s help to complete the internal fitout.

“What we will have soon is the outer shell of the shelter, and we need people to contribute to the real heart of that: the internal pet enclosures, bedding, toys, food, the health clinic and play areas,” she says. “It will mean we can create a calm, comforting environment for traumatised pets.”

Pet Refuge has partnered with Women’s Refuge to assist pets via referrals. “Women’s Refuge enables victims and families to remove themselves in a time of crisis. Pet Refuge will be key to helping facilitate victims’ safety, as the new service will remove one of the many barriers for victims by providing their pets a loving temporary home during times of crisis,” Senior Sergeant Fiona Roberts, NZ Police’s National Family Harm Coordinator, says.

New Zealand has the highest rate of reported family violence in the OECD, and the second highest rate of pet ownership globally. When the two co-exist, animals can pay a large price. The survey respondents shared stories of pets being shot, assaulted, starved and tortured:

“He strangled my cats almost on a daily basis and wouldn’t feed them if I wasn’t there.”

“He took my two sons (aged 5 and 8)... and shot the pups dead while the boys watched.”

“He threatened to slit the dogs’ throats if I left.”

“This research is extremely important, despite the accounts of victims being distressing, and highlights that for many women living with abusive intimate partners, animals are not exempt from the abuse taking place in the household,” Dr Jury says.

Due to practicalities, women escaping family violence are usually unable to take their pets with them to Women’s Refuge. Of those surveyed, 73% would have found it easier to leave an abusive relationship if there was a shelter offering temporary accommodation for their animals. 22% returned to a relationship because their partner threatened the safety of their pets or farm animals.

Pet Refuge is aiming to raise $250,000 from public donations to fund the internal fit out of the shelter via a crowdfunding campaign. To donate visit: http://pldg.me/petrefuge

For more information visit petrefuge.org.nz

NOTES TO EDITOR

929 women* whose partners had abused, or threatened to abuse their pets participated in the 2018 survey “Pet Abuse as Part of Intimate Partner Violence.”

73% of respondents said their partner had kicked a pet or farm animal

49% said they had hit them with an object

23% said their partner had killed a pet or farm animal

41% said they or their children were made to watch a pet or farm animal being harmed

53% delayed leaving an abusive relationship out of fear for their pet or farm animals’ safety

73% would have found it easier to leave an abusive relationship if there was a shelter offering temporary accommodation for their animals.

22% returned to a relationship because their partner threatened the safety of their pets or farm animals.

*Please note that not every survey participant answered every question. The percentages listed are of the total who responded to the individual question.

Thank you to these Pet Refuge partners for making the work so far possible: The Lindsay Foundation, Trillian Trust, Signature Homes, NZME, DDB, PETstock Assist, Bayer, MARS Petcare, Bauer Media, QMS Media, Val Morgan, Oasis Beauty, Rydges and artist Olivia Bezett.

ends

© Scoop Media