Two specialist fostering services that support pet owners fleeing domestic abuse have issued an urgent appeal for more volunteers to come forward and open their homes to pets in need after experiencing an increase in demand for their services.
This appeal comes as Freedom, managed by Dogs Trust, and Lifeline, managed by Cats Protection, mark 20 years of supporting pets and their owners fleeing domestic abuse. Since the services launched two decades ago, over 4,500 dogs and cats have been supported, enabling thousands of survivors to get to safety knowing their beloved pet would be safe too.
Both organisations launched in partnership in 2004 due to emerging research at the time highlighting the link between domestic abuse and animal abuse, combined with the majority of refuges being unable to accept pets.
Since then, the two leading dog and cat charities have expanded their services significantly and continue to work closely together to provide temporary foster homes, enabling their owners to access safe accommodation without the fear of what may happen to their pet if left behind.
However, over the last 12 months, both charities have seen an increase in demand and have issued an urgent call for more volunteers to come forward to provide temporary foster homes for cats and dogs until they are able to be safely reunited with their owners.
The support of Freedom and Lifeline is vital as many refuges and emergency accommodation providers are unable to accept pets. In fact, the results of a survey conducted by Cats Protection* revealed 90% of domestic abuse professionals surveyed said that, in their experience, having a pet had been a barrier to someone experiencing domestic abuse getting to safety.
Further to this, research by Dogs Trust** found that pets are often abused and, in some cases, killed by the perpetrator of domestic abuse in order to control and coerce. In addition to the physical abuse that pets may suffer, 97%* of professionals working in the domestic abuse sector also said that animals are often used as a means of controlling someone experiencing domestic abuse.
This vital service can only be offered through the incredible support of the Lifeline and Freedom volunteers who open their homes and hearts to pets who are at risk. All volunteers are fully supported by the experienced Lifeline and Freedom teams who will provide everything the pet will need throughout their stay, including organising photos and updates for the pet’s owner on how their pet is doing, ensuring that they still feel connected despite their short time apart.
Confidentiality is key for these services and no foster carer details are shared with the pet’s owner, and vice-versa. Dogs Trust Freedom and Cats Protection Lifeline cover all the costs involved in caring for the animals, so volunteer foster carers get to experience all of the benefits of having a pet in their home with none of the financial implications.
Annika is one of the people supported by Dogs Trust’s Freedom scheme.
“Both me and Jake were suffering domestic abuse on a daily basis. The level of violence was extreme; it was physical to the point that I was punched and kicked but also, he was controlling and would emotionally abuse me.
“I’d had Jake from just a few months old and he was like my baby, he’d follow me everywhere. After a while my perpetrator realised that if he couldn’t get to me, he would harm Jake. Jake was also punched, had wood broken over his head, he’d get picked up and thrown against cupboards.
“There were times when I tried to leave but this would be when the levels of physical violence would escalate and end really badly for me. I knew that if I left without Jake, it would end very badly for him too. He made threats to say that if I ever left that he would kill Jake or let him roam out on the streets.
“I contacted a domestic violence helpline and I was given a safeguarding social worker, so both my care co-ordinator and social worker wanted me to leave straight away, but I couldn’t without Jake. I wasn’t going to leave without him. This was when the social worker told me about Freedom.
“I want to say a massive thank you to the volunteers who make this service possible. It’s fantastic what they do, it enabled me and Jake to leave a really awful situation and if they weren’t there, I don’t know what I would have done.”
Laura Saunders, Freedom Manager at Dogs Trust, said: “We’ve seen first-hand the ways that perpetrators use dogs to coerce, control, physically harm and threaten as a tool to maintain power and control over their victim. This is incredibly frightening for survivors and is often aimed to leave people isolated.
“By offering this service, we are able to support survivors to access safe accommodation with the reassurance that their dog will be taken care of until they can be reunited.
“However, we are busier than ever and now need more volunteers to open up their hearts and homes and provide temporary foster care so that more people can flee domestic abuse, knowing their much-loved pets will be looked after until they are safely settled.”
Amy Hyde, Lifeline Service Manager at Cats Protection, said: “Over the past 20 years, we have been proud to support so many survivors and their beloved pets, who mean absolutely everything to them. Sadly though, demand for our services is only increasing and now more than ever we need more volunteers to step forward and join our fostering teams.
“Fostering comes with so many benefits. There’s absolutely no cost and it’s perfect for anyone who would like to enjoy the company of a pet without the long-term commitment. Ninety-five per cent of our foster carers tell us that fostering with Lifeline has had a positive impact on their mental health and wellbeing. While it may be emotional to say goodbye when the survivor is safe and ready to take their pet back, it’s incredibly rewarding for fosterers who know they have supported a pet and their family to get to safety, at a time when they so desperately needed support.”
