Eliminating Violence Against Women: What Part Do Pets Play?

This article contains discussion of domestic and family violence. If you or someone you know are unsafe, please reach out for help. If you are in immediate danger, please call emergency services on 000.

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25 November is International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. This day used by the United Nations to raise awareness for the global struggle of women and advocate for change.

Why am I, a dog trainer, writing about this topic? The connection between animals and family abuse has been established for decades, it remains an overlooked topic when addressing violence against women.

Globally, a woman or girl is murdered every 10 minutes by someone they should be able to trust. Usually this is an intimate partner or another family member [1].

Around 70% of family violence situations involve a pet. Over 50% of survivors  reported that their abuser had hurt or killed their pet. Even more said that threats of violence against their pet had been used a form of control [2]

Another form of abuse involves watching a pet be harmed. Even if no physical harm is caused to the human survivors, witnessing pets be injured is psychologically and emotionally traumatising [3].

For many people, leaving an abusive situation is made more difficult by having a pet. More than half of survivors said they didn’t leave a dangerous relationship because they were worried about their pet. Some said they tried to leave, but later returned because their pets were threatened [2, 3].

There also aren’t many emergency shelters or refuges that allow pets. Combined with a general housing crisis, this makes it difficult for families with pets to find affordable accomodation [4]. While there are options available such as boarding in kennels, these are expensive. Most people don’t have the funds for an extended stay.

While most of us love pets, some will still struggle to understand why someone wouldn’t leave an abusive situation because of a pet. But in many cases, pets are the most safe, comforting, and constant relationship in a person’s life. It is essential to respect that and preserve that relationship when we can.

How can we help?

There are numerous ways you can help families and pets experiencing violence.

Support organisations who accomodate pets, such as Safe Steps or Yang Family Violence Service.

Become a foster carer or volunteer with an organisation such as Paws and Recover, Happy Tails Animal Rescue, Safe Pets Safe Families, or ARC Support [5].

Donate food and money to your local food banks and shelters.

Share online resources so they are more accessible, both to those who need help and those who can provide it.

Get involved with policy and law reform, such as that conducted by the Community Legal Centres NSW. Lucy’s Project is a comprehensive site that provides many opportunities for community campaigns and advocacy as well [5].

I encourage pet professionals to research  local and national resources and have them available if someone discloses to you their situation. You may be in an unique position to give them the help they need.

References:

There are many excellent references available online, however I relied heavily on the following:

1. United Nations, 2025. International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women November 25. https://www.un.org/en/observances/ending-violence-against-women-day

2. Safe + Equal, 2023. Supporting Victim Survivors of Family Violence with Family Animals. Supporting-victim-survivors-of-family-violence-with- ...Safe and Equalhttps://safeandequal.org.au › wp-content › uploads

3. Australian Institute of Family Studies. 2024. Violence Against Family Animals in the Context of Intimate Partner Violence. https://aifs.gov.au/resources/policy-and-practice-papers/violence-against-family-animals-context-intimate-partner

4. Community Legal Centres NSW. No date. Animal Abuse and Domestic Violence: Action Needed To Protect The Human and Animal Victims. https://www.clcnsw.org.au/animal-abuse-and-domestic-violence-action-needed-protect-human-and-animal-victims

5. Lucy’s Project. https://lucysproject.com