Pet Refuge has provided shelter for more than 300 pets affected by family violence, enabling their families to escape abuse, when previously many would have stayed to protect their pet’s lives.
Before Pet Refuge, opened in July 2021, 53% of women surveyed in a Women’s Refuge study, chose to stay in violent homes because there was nowhere for their pets to go while they secured their own safety. Pet Refuge is New Zealand’s only shelter dedicated to temporarily housing, and then reuniting pets with their families once they are ready to start new lives together.
Now that there is an option for pets to be lovingly cared for, a growing number of people are calling on Pet Refuge’s services, which are running at capacity and the charity urgently needs support to meet demand.
One woman Pet Refuge helped had been moving from house to house in regional New Zealand to escape her partner and protect her two dogs from being stolen by him. Abusers often try to take beloved pets, to control their victims.
Rebecca, (not her real name), had run out of places to hide her dog and her vulnerable young puppy, when her caseworker told her about Pet Refuge.
“My ex and others were climbing the fence, and threatening my friends and family and I didn’t want to put people in that situation any longer,” she says.
A Pet Refuge worker drove from Auckland to the town and picked up both dogs who were then cared for at the purpose-built shelter, for several months, until Rebecca was able to find safety. Her partner is now in jail, and she is getting her life back on track living in a safe house with her babies.
These dogs are just two of more than 300 pets the charity has helped since opening in 2021. The refuge has been full for over a year, and badly needs funds to keep meeting the need.
“Pets are the silent victims of family violence” says Pet Refuge Founder Julie Chapman. “Abusers will physically harm or kill pets, deny them food or vet care or leave them out in the cold, to punish the victim.
Pet abuse is a significant but hidden part of family violence, in a country with the highest rate of pet ownership in the OECD – more than 63% of households have a pet.
23% of victims surveyed also said their partner had killed an animal in the past and 22% of children had witnessed pet abuse first-hand.
Pet Refuge takes pets out of this alarming picture by sheltering and protecting them, keeping them safe while their owners escape abuse. The charity helps pets from all around New Zealand giving them a warm, safe bed, vet healthcare as well as exercise and rehabilitation if needed. They are then reunited with their families when they themselves have found a safe home.
Pet Refuge works with the NZ Police, Women’s Refuge, hospitals and other organisations that help those experiencing family violence. The Refuge also receives direct calls from those in need seven days a week and is run by compassionate, animal care professionals. The location of the shelter is kept confidential for security reasons with families receiving weekly updates, and photos on how their much-loved pets are doing.
Pets often arrive showing signs of psychological trauma due to the violence they have witnessed and experienced.
“Some are very timid, scared and reactive,” says Pet Refuge Head of Programmes and Facilities, Nikki Marchant-Ludlow. “Some are overwhelmed and completely shut down. They are nervous without their owners and wary of strangers. Some who may have been beaten are afraid of things like vacuum cleaners. Others are over excited and stimulated but settle down quite quickly.”
The Refuge urgently needs people to get in behind it. To support the Refuge’s May Monthly Giving Appeal, which starts today, visit www.petrefuge.org.nz or call 09 975 0850 to donate what you can afford or join our monthly giving programme. $25 a month to give a pet a safe bed. Your monthly donation will cover shelter expenses such as a safe place to sleep at night, warmth, bedding, enrichment and exercise, transport, vet healthcare, animal behaviour therapy, and expert animal carers and case workers.
