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Living with pets in a violent domestic situation often means an impossible decision, leave them behind or stay in a dangerous situation - Upgrades to a women & children's refuge may provide a solution

Source : PortMac.News | Citizen :

Source : PortMac.News | Citizen | News Story:

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Galbaan House Port Macquarie : pets & domestic violence
Living with pets in a violent domestic situation often means an impossible decision, leave them behind or stay in a dangerous situation - Upgrades to a women & children's refuge may provide a solution

News Story Summary:

Galbaan House in Port Macquarie has just established facilities to house pets at their woman's & children's refuge.

CEO of Liberty Domestic and Family Violence Specialist Services, Kelly Lamb, said being able to take pets could mean at-risk women and children could leave earlier.

"We know that a lot of women and children have not come to our crisis accommodation due to them not wanting to leave their pet," Ms Lamb said.

"Pets are often used by perpetrators in coercive control, to intimidate, manipulate or punish victim-survivors, and often a woman will stay in a violent situation or delay leaving to ensure the safety and welfare of her pet."

Minister for the Prevention of Domestic Violence and Attorney-General Mark Speakman said a small percentage of refuges had the capacity to take pets but he wanted that to improve.

"We know that in 30 to 50 per cent of intimate partner violence situations, threats of harm or harm to companion animals is a big part of the coercion and control that perpetrators seek to exercise," he said.

"We want to make sure that the need to accommodate companion animals is not an obstacle to victim-survivors fleeing dangerous situations."

Liberty is one of 19 groups to share in $500,000 in state government grants under the Pets and Animal Welfare (PAWS) program, with the grants used to either enable refuges to house pets or for animal welfare groups to develop or improve facilities for pets of people escaping domestic or family violence.

"I'm not the treasurer, but I'll be certainly badgering him for more in this area," Mr Speakman said.

"I think it is a no-brainer: domestic violence is a complex and intractable problem but if there are relatively straightforward ways we can reduce the threat of harm and the threat of danger to victim survivors we should exercise common sense and do it."

Other funding for Liberty's facilities came from the Community Building Partnership program, RSPCA and PETstock Assist.

Source of wellbeing

Kelly Lamb said pets could also be a source of comfort after leaving a domestic violence situation.

"It definitely promotes wellbeing and safety," she said.

"We have the option for the children to come out here and play with their cat or their dog or their bird or whatever it might be, and that promotes that sense of wellbeing and safety for the whole family."

Galbaan has room for two dogs, two cats and smaller pets such as rabbits and guinea pigs.

Story By | Kerrin Thomas


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