Charities hail violence strategy’s pet inclusion

Animal welfare charities have welcomed the recognition of pets in the Government’s Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) strategy.

Published in December, the cross-Government strategy aims to halve VAWG within a decade via a range of measures focused on education, prevention, pursuit of perpetrators and supporting survivors.

The strategy’s accompanying action plan outlined four measures to ensure opportunities are not missed to protect those with pets:

• Commencing a research project exploring the connection between pet abuse and domestic abuse.
• Working with the veterinary profession to support initiatives to help clinicians and practice staff recognise potential signs of domestic abuse through non-accidental injuries.
• Strengthen the pet microchipping regime to prevent records of domestic abuse survivors being accessed inappropriately.
• Working with charities to increase awareness of services available for the pets of domestic abuse survivors.

Home Office meetings

The Links Group, an organisation raising awareness between the abuse of people and animals, and accredited domestic abuse specialist pet fostering services – Cats Protection Lifeline, Endeavour, Dogs Trust Freedom and Refuge4Pets – had met with the Home Office and Defra to highlight the link between animal and domestic abuse.

The organisations are said to have called for a collaborative, multi-agency approach to provide the most effective support.

Cats Protection Lifeline manager Amy Hyde said the service was “incredibly pleased” to see the action plan’s pet-related measures, adding: “Our animals are more than pets – they’re family – and for many people experiencing domestic abuse, knowing their pet will be safe can be the difference between staying or finding safety.

“We look forward to working together closely to help support the delivery of these measures.”

She concluded: “Through this recognition in the VAWG strategy, its action plan and continued collaboration across human and animal welfare sectors, we’re committed to ensuring that no one has to choose between their safety and their pet.”

Temporary fostering

The Links Group specialist pet fostering services provide free, confidential temporary fostering for pets belonging to people experiencing domestic abuse, as many refuges and emergency accommodation do not accept pets.

It is said perpetrators of domestic abuse use or abuse animals to exert control over their targets in up to 88% of households where animals are present.

A Dogs Trust survey found that 95% of professionals reported survivors being unwilling to leave their home without knowing their pet would be safe.

Referrals double

Dogs Trust’s Freedom service revealed in 2025 that referrals to its service had doubled over the past five years.

Over the past 12 months, the Links Group has provided free training to 3,711 professionals across the domestic abuse, social care, housing, veterinary and animal welfare sectors on recognising and responding to the links between animal and domestic abuse, including 1,400 undergraduate vets.

A new Defra-funded research programme at the University of Bristol will further explore the connection between animal abuse and domestic abuse-related deaths.

The university’s senior research associate Mary Wakeham said: “The ambition here is to develop the evidence base necessary to create an effective, integrated approach to safeguarding all victim-survivors of domestic abuse (people and animals), as well as the better management of perpetrator behaviour relating to domestic abuse and animal cruelty.”