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Unique pet-fostering scheme is honoured for ‘Increasing Safety’ in London.
Dogs Trust Freedom Project was awarded for ‘Increasing Safety’ in London at the launch of Mayor Ken Livingstone’s second London Domestic Violence Strategy Awards. Deputy Mayor Nicky Gavron presented the award to Freedom Project Coordinator Rosanna Boylan at the annual Domestic Violence Awards, which honour organisations making a real difference to victims of domestic violence in the capital.
The presentation took place on Friday 25th November which also marked the International day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. The awards recognised that the Freedom Project truly considered the obstacles that abused women face when trying to change their situation by providing temporary foster-care for pets whose owners are fleeing domestic violence. The awards mean a great deal to the Freedom Project team who have worked so hard to make the scheme a success.
A new service, The Freedom Project, launched by Dogs Trust – the UK’s largest dog welfare charity, gains the support of Pet Rescue presenter Wendy Turner-Webster, who believes the scheme will open the door to freedom for many women, who are in a domestic violence situation.
Wendy says:
‘As a survivor of domestic violence, I know how pets can be used to intimidate and control those in an abusive situation. Pet-fostering services such as Dogs Trust Freedom Project can provide a lifeline to women, children and their pets who might otherwise remain in a very dangerous situation’.
Wendy’s experience is far from uncommon, and the service has been in massive demand since the pilot scheme began in London last year. The project has also recently been set up in the Yorkshire area.
Dogs Trust has just extended its successful dog fostering scheme for women fleeing domestic violence by opening up a new service which will cover the Yorkshire area. We have had a great response from refuges and women’s projects in the area, who feel the service would benefit their clients, some of whom remain in violent relationships because they have no one to look after their pets and are scared for their safety should they leave them behind. The project will be ready to take referrals for pet fostering from July.
In the meantime we are desperately searching for foster carers in the Yorkshire area to look after dogs belonging to women feeling domestic violence, as we have people waiting to use the service. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer foster carer please contact us immediately.
If you are visiting this site as a victim of domestic violence please click here to see how to delete traces of your visit to this page.
Our office is open Monday to Friday from 9.00 to 5.00pm but there is an answer machine to leave messages out of hours.
If you are and have not already obtained advice you should phone the 24 hour National Domestic Violence Helpline on:
Dogs in homes with domestic violence are often targets of abuse. In several recent studies of women entering refuges for protection against domestic violence, nearly half reported that their pets had been threatened, injured, or killed by their partners. Dogs Trust is a member of the The LINKS Group, a coalition to develop understanding of the link between domestic violence and mistreatment of animals as well as the problems faced by victims of domestic violence.