Services reach out to woman and children fleeing violence with their pets

‘‘Domestic Violence NSW Service Management runs a lot of the services and refuges in north-west Sydney and I’m working with them to convert two of the women’s refuges that also take children to be able to house pets on site,’’ Lydia Tong said. ‘‘They’ll be the first of their kind.’’

She and her colleagues at the University of Sydney are surveying victims of domestic violence who are pet owners, as well as pet owners who have not experienced violence.

‘‘There are a lot of cases of quite horrific violence against people and animals but, similarly, the threat of the animals is a form of control,’’ Dr Tong said, referring to her preliminary analysis of 1500 survey responses.

‘‘I’ve got responses from every state. At least half have described experiencing domestic and family violence and the majority describe themselves as being urban. I have postcode information, too, that I have yet to analyse.

“Around 70 per cent of women escaping violent homes also report pet abuse, so vets are often the first to see evidence of abuse in a family when they treat injured pets.

‘‘Most of the cases are male and female but I’ve opened it up to include any gender, same-sex relationships and also family relationships.

“Building a solid evidence base in this area will assist policymakers, domestic and family violence services and people working with animals to better respond to the needs of women and children with pets who are experiencing violence and are afraid to leave.’’

In a 2014 study, she collected cases of abused dogs who were punched, hit with a blunt weapon or kicked and examined their fractures. She compared them with genuine accidents.

Her results, published in The Veterinary Journal, found five features of fractures that vets could use to distinguish accidents from abuse.

‘‘The skeleton of an animal keeps a distinct record that indicates the force applied to bones from past injuries, breaks or fractures,’’ Dr Tong said.

‘‘But it can often be difficult for vets to say with confidence whether a fracture has resulted from abuse or accident.”

Dr Tong was a 2014 national finalist of FameLab Australia. FameLab is a global science communication competition for early-career scientists.

■ Take the survey: http://surveymonkey.com/r /familyandanimalssurvey.

COURT advocate Cheryl Alexander says victims of abuse are often scared or reluctant to leave an abusive relationship if they have to leave behind a pet. Sometimes it’s the lack of pet-friendly accommodation options that stop people from leaving a dangerous situation.

With the RSPCA Safe Beds for Pets Program, families can leave domestic violence situations and not fear for their pets.

The statewide program offers temporary housing for pets of people seeking refuge from domestic violence at all 10 RSPCA shelters, including Yagoona and Katoomba. All animals are accepted.

‘‘We have accommodated birds, horses, sheep, ferrets, rabbits and fish,’’ RSPCA’s community development manager Matt French said.

He said the program was introduced in response to a need identified by the RSPCA for a ‘‘safe option for the housing of animals in domestic violence situations’’.

‘‘Anecdotal evidence at the time suggested that many people would not leave a relationship due to threats made against their animals if they did leave,’’ he said.

The length of stay and number of animals at each shelter is managed on an individual basis by caseworkers, who are all skilled in animal handling and behaviour. There is no waiting list and animals can be visited at any time by prior arrangement.

‘‘Our capacity is restricted by resourcing and physical space but we’ve helped more than 250 people and several hundred animals,’’ Mr French said.

‘‘In the last 12 months we’ve accommodated animals in 70 individual cases.

‘‘Ideally, RSPCA provides short-term accommodation to increase availability for other clients, but we will always act in the interests of the animals and the person in order to keep them safe. RSPCA has a team of caseworkers ready to respond to enquiries.

‘‘All we need is contact from a person experiencing domestic violence or contact from a welfare service assisting the person. The caseworkers will then manage the case individually.

‘‘We provide training to human service agencies regarding animals welfare, as well as targeted education programs in the community designed to provide practical information to animal owners on the basic needs of their animals.

‘‘We run a youth program designed to assist young people into educational and employment opportunities in the animal industry.

‘‘RSPCA recognises the need to explore the link between human and animal health both physical and mental. We would always like to expand services in all of the social contexts in which we operate.’’

■ Details: safebeds@rspcansw.org.au or 9782 4408.

70 — the percentage of women escaping violent homes who also report pet abuse

250+ — the number of people whose pets have been sheltered under the statewide RSPCA Safe Beds for Pets Program

51,000+ — the number of animal cruelty complaints investigated by the RSPCA nationally in 2012, leading to 298 convictions