Australian-first roadmap calls for national reform to protect people and pets from family violence

The Roadmap is championed by Lucy's Project, a charity dedicated to improving the safety and wellbeing of people and animals experiencing domestic and family violence. The Petstock Foundation is supporting the work through a one-year alliance and $150,000 investment.

Research shows people often delay leaving, or don't leave, a violent partner due to concern for their animal's safety. Despite this, Australia has never had a national policy or strategy addressing family violence used against people and animals at a systemic level.

With 73% of Australian households living with a pet, and 1 in 4 women reporting experiencing domestic violence, the case for coordinated policy action is clear.

The framework set out recommendations for policy, programs and legislative change. It launched at Australian Parliament House on 19 August, and NSW Parliament House on 24 September.

Naomi Mancktelow, Petstock Foundation, says the partnership reflects a shared commitment to a future where no person has to choose between their safety and their pet's: "By helping enable national collaboration and drive long-term systemic change, our support reflects our dedication to strengthening the human-pet bond that is often threatened during family violence."

Survivor advocate Talie Star, whose insights informed the Roadmap, says her animals provided safety amid violence: "It was like a softness in all the hardness. When you are going through daily violence, it's a different and stronger connection."

Lucy's Project CEO Monique Dam says, "If animals are at risk of violence, the people who love them are at risk too. When there is nowhere safe for survivors to go with their animals, many delay leaving. When animals are killed, harmed or separated from them, women and children grieve this loss for decades."

"We are calling on all levels of government to adopt the Roadmap's recommendations and invest in coordinated reform that protects people and animals together."

A lack of animal-inclusive crisis accommodation remains a key barrier to safety.