RSPCA NSW reports 108 per cent increase in DV victims seeking help for pets when escaping perpetrators

The welfare of the family pet can be a key reason for domestic violence victims leaving their perpetrators, with demand on one program vastly outstripping availability.

The number of domestic violence victims who ask for help with their pets when escaping perpetrators has more than doubled, with the RSPCA only able to help about a quarter of those seeking help.

In the first five months of 2024, RSPCA NSW Domestic Violence Program has helped 148 people and 248 animals, the largest number to date. It was an increase of 108 per cent of people helped since the previous year.

The program will temporarily re-home a pet at a shelter, or with a foster family, while the victim, most often a woman, finds alternative housing. Veterinary services, and financial services to help with transportation costs are also provided for the pet.

In situations, where RSPCA NSW can’t help, it will then try to support the owner and pet through referrals to other agencies, or providing free food and resources to that person’s family or friend to take care of the pet on a short-term basis.

RSPCA NSW’s General Manager of Community and Engagement, Ursula McGeown said pets were remaining in care situations for longer due to the state’s rental crisis, with plummeting rental stock making it harder for applicants with pets to secure homes.

“Due to challenges with rental limitation, we’re having to hold on to the animals (that come through the Domestic Violence Program) for longer,” she said.

“There are all these compounding factors. If a woman’s looking for somewhere else to live, the landlord tends to typically go with the applicant that doesn’t have a dog.”

Despite overwhelming demand, the RSPCA is only able to provide direct support to about 23 per cent of people trying to access its Domestic Violence program. Picture: RSPCA NSW

In situations involving domestic violence and abuse, Ms McGeown said the abuse of pets were one of the ways perpetrators may intimidate and coerce victims.

Red flags could look like threats of violence, or threats to kill the animal in order to force the victim into returning to the family home, or acquiesce to the perpetrator.

Confronting figures show abuse of pets occurs in about 70 per cent of domestic and family violence incidents, a 2023 report from the RSPCA also found one in three women reported delaying escaping a domestic violence situation due to fears for their pet’s welfare.

Financial abuse can also happen, especially when the victim-survivor’s financial independence has been restricted.

“It might be that the victim cannot provide flea or tick medication, or pay for surgery to fix a broken leg, and that can result in economic euthanasia,” Ms McGeown said.

“That’s a threat that can be used, that the victim is not given any money to care for maybe the only support mechanism in their life, because we know victims are often isolated.”

Harm to pets to become DV ‘red flag’

The concerning statistics released by the RSPCA comes as NSW parliament is set to debate landmark domestic violence bail reforms from Tuesday.

While centrepiece will be on removing the presumption of bail for people accused of serious domestic violence offences, and require ankle monitoring for offenders given bail, it will also require judges and magistrates to consider new domestic abuse risk factors when considering bail for domestic violence related offences.

This includes “red flags” like behaviour that causes death or injury to an animal, and behaviour that is intimidatory, verbally abusive, sexually abusive, coercive and violent.

Minister for the Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Jodie Harrison acknowledged the link between abuse of pets and abuse of intimate partners.

She said the government was also making additional strides to ensure women’s refuges were pet friendly.

Separately, RSPCA NSW has partnered with seven refuges to implement models which supports residents with pets, with an addition four in the pipeline.

“Pets are often part of the family. It is known that perpetrators can use threats or abuse against a family pet to coerce a victim into staying or making them return to a violent home.

“Existing women’s refuges will cater to animals where possible and safe to do so, taking into account the needs of women and children being accommodated at the service.”

Minister for the Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Jodie Harrison acknowledged the link between abuse of pets in domestic violence situations. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gaye Gerard

While Animal Justice Party MP Emma Hurst welcomed the bail reform, she says more can be done, flagging the creation of animal custody orders during an ADVO application process, which grants custody of a pet to the victim-survivor and remove them from a potential perpetrator.

Ms Hurst was also criticised the government for delaying its election promise which would make it more difficult for landlords to refuse pets.

“The number of people who stay in dangerous situations because they can’t get access to safe or suitable accommodations with their animals is staggering,” she said.

“Leaving an animal behind could be a death sentence or lead to continued abuse of a beloved animal, as we know animals are often used as a form of coercive control.”

Animal Justice Party MP Emma Hurst criticised the government for delaying reforms to allow pets to be kept in rentals across NSW. Picture: NCA NewsWire/ Gaye Gerard

The reforms have yet to be introduced into parliament, and are still under consultations with Labor’s newly created Rental Commissioner Trina Jones, and falls under the portfolio of NSW Better Regulation and Fair Trading Minister Anoulack Chanthivong.

Ms Hurst says the delay is “simply unacceptable”.

“We must take violence against animals seriously. We know people who are violent are violent to all species,” she said.

“Minister Chanthivong’s failure to bring in this legislation to date has left many people in extremely dangerous situations. The delay is simply unacceptable.”