Keeping families together at pet friendly refuges
Leaving a violent home is one of the hardest decisions someone will have to make. It’s often a decision made harder by having to leave behind a beloved pet.
Upwards of 70% of victim survivors of domestic and family violence have pets, many of whom have reported that their pets have been abused or killed by a perpetrator.
Victim survivors of violence have been known to delay leaving out of concern for their pets or having to surrender them in order to secure safe accommodation.
No one should have to face these choices, which is why the St Vincent de Paul Society NSW has been working to make our services more pet friendly.
The Society NSW has so far transitioned three of our domestic and family violence refuges to accommodate pets. There’s a cost to making changes, but the benefits are measured far beyond dollars and cents.
“These are lives we’re talking about. You can’t put a cost on lives. If it’s a matter of spending $10,000 to have these pet-friendly facilities, then it’s worth the investment,” says Suzy Pace, Homelessness and Housing Manager – St Vincent de Paul Society NSW.
Domestic and family violence impacts one in four women and one in eight men in Australia. It is also the leading cause of homelessness for women in Australia, and is reflected in the Society NSW’s own demand for assistance, consistently accounting for over a quarter of requests from our homelessness and housing services.
Over the last year, the Society NSW supported more than 2,100 women and children through our domestic and family violence services and programs.
The prevalence of domestic and family violence across society, along with the behaviours that allow gender inequality and discrimination to continue, require a whole-of-society approach, including how services deliver support.
In order to better respond to the needs of the people we assist, the Society NSW has worked in collaboration with RSPCA NSW to make changes to our refuges so that residents can have their pets close by as they recover and rebuild their lives.
“We work really closely with these women to identify their goals and work with them every step of the way,” says Suzy.
“Often, when women are in violent situations with partners, their pet is a family member and used as a threat.
“When they know that they have a safe place to live, they’re more likely to leave, and it literally saves lives.”
“Vinnies have definitely recognised that there is a gap in service when it comes to pets being included in a domestic violence situation, and they are at the forefront of trying to address and put those practical solutions in place to be able to support the entire family in these situations,” says Sandra Ma, Crisis Support Manager – RSPCA NSW.
The Society NSW is working towards making more of our refuges and services pet friendly. Your generosity can allow us to undertake these upgrades so that families of all shapes and sizes can stay together and recover from violence.