Concern for the welfare of their beloved pets is often cited by victims of domestic violence as a reason they delay leaving unsafe situations. Naomii Seah pays a visit to Pet Refuge, which is working to change that.

This piece contains reference to domestic violence and pet abuse

On a grey, soggy day, I roll up a gravel road and park next to an unremarkable building. The building doesn’t look very different from the others around it, and it certainly doesn’t look like an animal shelter – at least, not from the road. Although the shelter is within Auckland borders, it’s in one of those areas of Auckland that feels truly rural. The building is set well off the road, and from a distance it looks no different to the residential properties I pass on the way in. It’s only when I get out of my car and hear the barking of dogs that I know I’ve found the right place. Although it might sound strange that an animal shelter is shrouded in secrecy, at this shelter, it’s all part of their service. As a member of the media, I’d be one of the few non-employees to ever visit a Pet Refuge shelter in person. 

“When we’ve got a pet coming in, we know that means a family has been able to leave abuse.” 

Julie Chapman, the founder and trustee of Pet Refuge New Zealand Charitable Trust, says that helping families escape violence has been one of the most rewarding aspects of founding Pet Refuge. One of the hardest has been hearing about and seeing the extent of abuse families and pets are subject to: “[it’s] way worse than I would ever have thought or expected.” 

In 2018, Women’s Refuge released a study showing pet abuse was often concurrent with domestic violence. The study involved a voluntary survey distributed over social media platforms, including the Women’s Refuge social media platforms. The survey found that threatening, harming or at times even killing pets were common methods of coercive control, and this abuse frequently occurred in front of children. Additionally, over half the survey respondents said that concern for animal welfare delayed or prevented them from leaving their abuser. Respondents indicated that there was a demand for safe, temporary pet accommodation, and that this service would help them escape abusive situations. 

Following the study, Chapman said she realised there wasn’t a dedicated service in New Zealand for removing this barrier to escaping family violence. Very soon after, she founded Pet Refuge, “New Zealand’s first shelter dedicated to housing pets affected by family violence”. 

The shelter sits on the outskirts of Auckland surrounded by lush green pasture, which I was later told was used for letting the dogs run around. Pet Refuge helps animals from all over the country, working with pet travel service Jetpets and Air New Zealand to fly pets up to their shelter. As a function of the non-disclosed location, the refuge collects animals at an agreed location, and when the time comes, pets and owners are reunited at another agreed location off-site. This secrecy ensures abusers can’t seek out pets in an effort to regain control of their owners. Owners are kept in touch with their animal companions via photos and updates.

As I walk up, I see some employees walking dogs. One, a wee white dog, promptly begins barking loudly at me – a response I’d been told to expect. Understandably, these animals aren’t necessarily trusting of strangers. I give the pair a smile and a wide berth, and am directed to the entrance of the shelter. At the door, I’m welcomed by Nikki Marchant-Ludlow, Pet Refuge’s programme manager; she’s mostly involved in managing clients. 

“For so many people [pets] are their comfort,” says Marchant-Ludlow. “They’re the one source of consistency that doesn’t judge them. They provide comfort and care.” 

And that knowledge of the true importance of our furry friends lies at the heart of Pet Refuge’s work. “[Owners] are putting an awful lot of trust in us,” acknowledges Marchant-Ludlow, who notes that pets are often like family. “These are their babies that we’re looking after.” 

“We do go above and beyond for the pets here. For us, it’s very much about enrichment and keeping, it’s not just a boarding facility. We’re here to provide the best care for the pets.”

That duty of care is evident from the design of the facility down to the premium food they keep stocked. Next to the office is a pantry stocked with bags of IAMs cat and dog food, some of which would go home with owners when they are reunited with their four-legged friends. There’s also a bedroom and a bathroom, which means any animal that requires close monitoring can be provided for overnight. 

The building also has a dedicated veterinary room, with an on-site vet where every pet comes for a check-up when they’re taken in, and given any care they may still need. Marchant-Ludlow notes that financial abuse is a hard reality for many owners, and “not providing money for veterinary treatment is one way of holding that financial control to try and get people to stay”.  

Downstairs, I’m given a glimpse into the cat enclosure, which is decked out with giant furry cat trees, and a sheltered outdoor area. A few metres away, there’s an enrichment yard for dogs. The whole shelter had been designed in consultation with experts in animal management and welfare, to “create an environment that really cater[s] to the needs of those animals… traumatised by abuse”, says Chapman. She describes the shelter as a “home away from home” for pets, and notes the building was designed to reflect this. “There’s no iron bars or cages or anything like that. It’s a place where pets can destress, we can give them that behavioural therapy that they need, the enrichment that they need until they can be reunited with their owners.” 

And because animals are often traumatised by their experiences when they arrive at Pet Refuge, the team is made up of “experts [who are] really qualified to deal with those behavioural type situations.” Evidence of the need for expert care is marked on the whiteboard roster just inside the entrance. It notes dogs who may bite when fed, dogs with anxiety and other special considerations for handling. Marchant-Ludlow herself has had previous experience working in council animal shelters, which Chapman describes as “invaluable” for setting up the refuge. 

But although the staff are experienced, the shelter itself has only been up and running for eight months. In that time, they’ve helped 106 animals, 64 of whom have been reunited with their families. Both Marchant-Ludlow and Chapman say they’ve only seen demand increase since opening. 

“It’s tough for people out there at the moment,” says Marchant-Ludlow. “People’s circumstances are changing. And when things get tough at home, that’s when violence tends to escalate… there’s no sign of [family violence] abating. So there’s definitely going to be a continued need for the service, and an increased need – unfortunately – for the service.”

Currently, the shelter is at capacity, housing around 40 pet cats and dogs, though they also have some capacity for larger animals. They’ve also got some off-site boarding facilities, says Chapman, which means they haven’t had to turn animals away yet. But Chapman notes that as word of their service spreads, they expect an increase in demand, which is driving a planned expansion of Pet Refuge’s service. Chapman says they’d like to build a shelter in the South Island, as well as “add[ing] another couple of shelters into the mix”. 

“It feels really great to be able to help, but it’s a sobering statistic that there’s so much need,” says Chapman. Currently, Pet Refuge relies on community and business support to keep their services running, and Chapman and Marchant-Ludlow say they’d like to be able to do more. 

“A lot of pets are injured or killed in front of children,” says Chapman. “That has a lifelong effect on kids. That’s why we need to do more to get [families] out earlier.” 

Dependents are often collateral in households experiencing intimate partner violence. National services like Women’s Refuge recognise children as primary dependents, allowing for children to escape abuse with their caregiver. But Chapman notes that pets are dependants too, and they often go unrecognised as a barrier to leaving abuse. Ultimately, says Chapman, Pet Refuge’s services are needed because “pets are part of the family.” 

Pet Refuge has launched an appeal to raise money for the Safe Beds for Pets programme. A donation of $25 a month provides a pet with everything they need when they come into the refuge’s care, from transport from anywhere in the country, to a warm safe bed, veterinary care, rehabilitation from abuse, and of course enrichment and love. To donate visit petrefuge.org.nz or call 09 975 0850.

For more Pet Week content keep an eye on The Spinoff and watch The Project, 7pm weeknights on Three.