KidsCan founder Julie Chapman opened New Zealand's first shelter dedicated to pets of family violence survivors. Photo / Alex Burton
KidsCan founder Julie Chapman opened New Zealand's first shelter dedicated to pets of family violence survivors. Photo / Alex Burton
The country's first shelter dedicated to housing pets of family violence survivors is bracing for a busy Christmas.
Police predict family violence will steeply increase over the festive season.
Family harm calls made to police last year jumped almost 8 per cent over the Christmas period, with police responding to 16,833 incidences nationwide in December and 16,905 in January - up from an average of 14,079 calls a month through the rest of the year.
On average, police attend one episode of family violence every four minutes.
Courtney* has been a victim in one of those callouts.
"We'd just got our cat not long before that and he was just a little kitten, and he was really scared, hiding under the bed in the bedroom."
She took her cat and dog into Pet Refuge this year shortly after leaving her partner, while she looks for new accommodation for her and her young child.
She said it a was huge help knowing there was somewhere safe for her pets to be cared for temporarily.
Previously her former partner had threatened to give them away if she didn't return to the relationship, or he claimed animal control had come to take the dog away, she said.
"It's really hard to leave an abusive relationship when you do have a pet involved.
"There were times I was trying to leave and take the pet with me and he wouldn't let me because the pet was like a child to him and he'd guilt me into coming back.
"I didn't want to give up my pets so Pet Refuge was a way for me to leave the relationship and know that my pets had somewhere to go that I could get them back."
The Auckland-based shelter opened in August, offering care for animals while their owners escape abuse and relocate to a new home.
Up to 31 cats, 16 dogs and 15 small animals can be housed at any one time at Pet Refuge. Photo / Alex Burton
It was launched by Kids Can founder Julie Chapman, who said it's a hidden issue.
A 2018 Women's Refuge survey of women whose partners had abused or threatened their pets found 53 per cent delayed leaving an abusive relationship out of fear for their pet or farm animals' safety.
Pet owners nationwide can arrange for Pet Refuge to pick up their animals at a certain time and location that fits in with their plan to leave an abusive situation. For people living elsewhere in the country, arrangements can be made to have pets transported to the Pet Refuge facilities free of charge.
There are 32 animals currently being cared for. Since the refuge was set up, 54 animals have been helped – 28 dogs, 26 cats, one rabbit and one horse. Twenty-two have been reunited with their owners.
Animals come from all over the country to the shelter, and can stay as long as the owners need.
Shelter staff are qualified and trained to help reduce trauma that the pets may be experiencing.
Pet Refuge is today launching its Christmas appeal aiming to raise $200,000.
The money will help cover the cost of blankets, toys and exercise equipment, medication, transport, and pays for vets, expert animal carers, case workers and support staff.
