Refuge: A Duty of Care
When domestic violence strikes, what happens to the pets?
In New Zealand, Police attend a domestic violence incident every 4 and a half minutes. Meet the team behind Pet Refuge, New Zealand’s only shelter that takes pets from fractured households.
“I didn’t have anywhere for the dogs to go. He would have got rid of them.” In abusive relationships, pets are often used as tools of control, with threats against animals used to manipulate victims. At Oasis Pet Refuge, case managers like Nikki Marchant-Ludlow work tirelessly to support domestic violence victims by providing free animal care to victims while they escape danger. Founder Julie Chapman explains, “we are New Zealand’s only shelter dedicated to housing the pets of people escaping family violence”. She believes her “duty to care” for victim's beloved companions is critical.
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