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Support for people and pets
Pets and domestic abuse.
Your pet can be part of the plan for safety.
If concern for an animal is making it harder to seek help, specialist services may be able to arrange temporary foster care. You can ask about your options without having everything worked out.
Call 999 and ask for the police. If you cannot speak on a mobile call, listen to the operator and press 55 when prompted. This only works on mobiles and does not itself reveal your location. Read the emergency guidance.
Many refuges cannot accommodate pets. Refuge describes how confidential fostering can help. Temporary care aims to keep an animal looked after while their owner finds safety; it is different from deciding to permanently rehome a pet.
Abuse is the responsibility of the person causing it. Needing help with an animal is a valid concern, not a reason to be judged.
Specialist services
Find temporary care for your pet.
Contact a provider when it is safe, or ask a domestic abuse worker to help. Areas, eligibility and available foster homes vary. A listing here does not guarantee an immediate placement.
Dogs
Dogs Trust Freedom
Free, confidential temporary dog fostering, with food, veterinary care and essentials covered during the placement.
Regional teams: London and South East, East Anglia, Yorkshire, North East, North West, East Midlands, West Midlands, Scotland and Wales. Outside these areas, ask the nearest team about options.
Owners can contact the service directly or through a support worker. Freedom explains the referral information and supporting agency confirmation it needs. Its published criteria include dogs over eight months old and cared for by their owner for at least six months; ask the team if this does not fit your dog.
Free, confidential fostering for cats whose families are experiencing domestic abuse, with arrangements made through its specialist team.
Areas listed: London and South East, East Anglia, Yorkshire, the Midlands, Scotland and Wales. If your area is not listed, Lifeline invites you to contact the nearest team to discuss options.
The team can explain collection, your cat's needs, the referral process and how you will receive updates.
Specialist pet fostering for owners going into refuges or temporary accommodation in the North West. Its service includes cats and other domestic animals, such as small pets, reptiles and fish; it works with Dogs Trust Freedom for dogs.
Ask about your animal, referral arrangements and current availability. Endeavour explains how it protects placement information and keeps owners updated.
Specialist temporary animal fostering for people escaping domestic abuse in Devon and Cornwall. It supports a wide range of animals, including dogs, cats, horses, birds, reptiles and small pets.
Speak to the team about the animals you have and what care is possible while you move towards a safe home.
Outside these areas, or caring for another animal?
Ask a domestic abuse adviser about local options and tell them about every animal, including assistance animals and any specialist care needs. Do not assume the services above cover all of the UK. In Northern Ireland, the Domestic and Sexual Abuse Helpline can help you explore support. Dogs Trust also maintains a specialist pet fostering directory.
A conversation with a specialist
Include your pet in a safety plan.
A domestic abuse worker can help you consider what is safest in your circumstances. Tell them if someone has threatened your pet, controls access to them or prevents you paying for food or treatment.
Questions to ask
Can my accommodation accept my pet, or is temporary fostering an option?
How would collection and transport work safely?
What information is shared, with whom, and how will the placement be kept confidential?
How will veterinary care, costs, updates and reunion arrangements work?
What happens if I have several animals, or one has medical or behavioural needs?
Care details that may help
If safe and practical, tell the fostering team about medicines, the usual vet, feeding, behaviour, vaccination records and any available identification details. Ask what equipment is needed, including a secure carrier where appropriate.
Do not put yourself at risk to collect supplies or records. If a pet has been left behind, ask the police or a specialist worker about safe arrangements rather than going back into danger. For an injured or unwell animal, seek veterinary help as soon as it is safe.
Support for you
You can talk through your options.
You do not need to wait for physical violence to seek support. Tell the adviser about your pet and agree a safe way and time for any contact back.
England
Refuge's National Domestic Abuse Helpline, for women experiencing domestic abuse. Free, 24 hours.
In England and Wales, NCDV explains help with civil protection orders, eligibility and funding. Tell a qualified adviser about threats involving pets and ask what protection may be available. This page does not determine ownership, legal rights or the terms of a court order.
Before making contact
Think about how you use this page.
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Quick exit opens BBC Weather in this tab. It does not erase earlier visits, searches, downloads, call records or other traces. Changing settings or deleting history can also be noticed; use specialist guidance to consider what is safest for you.
Ask what support would help. Avoid pressuring someone to leave or making plans on their behalf. Agree a safe way to stay in touch and help them reach a specialist service when they want to.
