Our pets are protected under the Family Violence Act 2018, Section 11. As noted in the Breaking Silence documentary about pet and animal abuse, 46% of primary victims state that animals are harmed or killed by predominant aggressors. Please be aware that this video contains strong content about animal abuse and may be upsetting or triggering. Watch Debbs’ story of pet abuse in the Breaking Silence documentary on YouTube.
We love our pets deeply, and this love can make them targets for abuse by a predominant aggressor. I experienced this myself when my ex-partner killed and maimed my pets because he didn’t want me to leave. So please, watch out for them as well.
Our love for our animals often keeps us from leaving, especially if we can’t take them with us. We don’t want to leave them alone in case they get hurt. When a primary victim leaves a predominant aggressor, the aggressor may become furious, and an animal can be an easy and vulnerable target.
Sometimes primary victims leave and take their animals with them, resulting in pets living in cars with their owners. At least they are safe, but thank goodness we now have Pet Refuge to support exactly this situation. Please see the contact details below.
You can call the SPCA. Contact your local SPCA Centre or visit their website: SPCA New Zealand.
Or you can call a fantastic organisation called Pet Refuge. They survive on donations, so please support these animals to be safe.
Pet Refuge Contact Details:
Main Office: 09 975 0850
Helpline: 0800 PET REFUGE (0800 738 733 843)
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