MPs Attend Charity Event in Parliament to Support Victims of Domestic Abuse with Pets
Thursday 24 October, 2024
[London, UK] – Members of Parliament (MPs) were invited to a charity event in Parliament on October 22nd to show their support for those affected by domestic abuse where pets are involved.
The event, which was hosted by Gloucestershire-based animal welfare charity Naturewatch Foundation and the All-party Parliamentary Dog Advisory Welfare Group (APDAWG), was attended by a number of MPs, including Sadik Al-Hassan, Jess Asato, Alex Brewer, Jess Brown-Fuller, Mims Davies, Marsha de Cordova, Rosie Duffield, Cat Eccles, Will Forster, Sir Roger Gale, Marie Goldman, Claire Hanna, Rebecca Harris, Tom Hayes, Ruth Jones, Alex Mayer, Caroline Nokes, Joshua Reynolds, Greg Stafford, Robin Swann, and Caroline Voaden.
During the event, Naturewatch Foundation highlighted the issue of pets being used to coercively control victims of domestic abuse. Perpetrators often threaten to harm or kill animals in order to manipulate their victims, who may delay leaving in order to protect their pet. This adds additional danger and strain on already-stretched safeguarding resources.
As part of their ‘Protect Animals. Protect People’ campaign, the charity is calling for the addition of animal abuse awareness to the domestic abuse prevention toolkit and an increase in support for the animal victims of domestic abuse.
The campaign was launched to complement Naturewatch Foundation’s work aimed at breaking ‘the link’ between animal and domestic abuse. It has been implemented in Eastern Europe since 2023 and was extended to England and Wales in June of that year. As a result, 95% of police websites across England and Wales now offer advice to domestic abuse survivors where animals are involved, and police policies and training programs have been adapted.
Mark Randell, campaign manager for Naturewatch Foundation, expressed gratitude to the attending MPs for their support of the campaign. He stated, “It was really encouraging to see cross-party concern regarding the link between animal abuse and domestic abuse. Domestic abuse makes up 18% of ALL recorded crime*. Abusers understand the special bond that exists between a person and a pet. Targeting that relationship is a way they can coercively control, in the same way that they cut their victim off from their family, friends, and financial independence. Tackling animal abuse should form part of any strategy to tackle domestic abuse, and a multi-agency approach is crucial. By ‘breaking the link’ and protecting animals, we can make people safer too.”
For more information on Naturewatch Foundation’s ‘Protect Animals. Protect People’ campaign, please visit their website – naturewatch.org.
If you or someone you know is affected by the issues covered in this article, there is help available. Contact the National Domestic Abuse Helpline at 0808 2000 247, Dogs Trust Freedom at 0800 298 9199, Cats Protection Lifeline at 03000 121212, Refuge4Pets at 0300 4000 121, or the Endeavour project at 01204 394 842.
*Source: NPCC
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Derick is an experienced reporter having held multiple senior roles for large publishers across Europe. Specialist subjects include small business and financial emerging markets.