Dog fostering scheme supporting domestic abuse victims sees demand increase
Dogs Trust says its Freedom Project has seen a 23% increase in demand in the North East
A specialist dog fostering service which supports people escaping abuse relationships in the North East has seen a significant increase in demand in the last twelve months.
Dogs Trust, the UK's largest dog welfare charity, says the need for the support their 'Freedom Project' provides is up 23% compared to a year ago.
The project offers a lifeline for dog owners who are escaping from domestic abuse, by providing temporary foster homes for their pets.
The charity - which has a rehoming centre in Darlington - says the Freedom Project enables survivors to access safe accommodation without the fear of what may happen to their dog if they cannot take them with them.
Research by Dogs Trust shows pets are often seen by abusers as a means of controlling and coercing victims into staying in the relationship.
A charity spokesperson said:
"Pets are often abused and, in some cases, killed by the perpetrator of domestic abuse in order to control and coerce.
"In addition to the physical abuse that pets may suffer, Dogs Trust found that 97% of professionals working in the domestic abuse sector also said that animals are often used as a means of controlling someone experiencing domestic abuse."
So far this year, Freedom Project volunteers have fostered 211 dogs, allowing 163 people to flee domestic abuse.
All costs are covered by Dogs Trust, including vet bills, food, treats, grooming and bedding.
Neil is a volunteer currently fostering for the Freedom Project:
“We lost our own dog about five years ago, and while we had a dog shaped hole in our lives, we didn’t want to commit to another dog of our own. My wife found out about dog fostering for the Freedom Project online and we realised this was something we could do to support people in a difficult situation.
“Being a dog fosterer gives us the opportunity to be more sociable outdoors, and it’s incredibly rewarding seeing the dogs settle and to know you have provided a safe place for the dog. The owner doesn’t need to worry about where their dog is or how they are being cared for, and they are much loved part of a family until they get to go home.”
Due to the increase in demand on its services, Dogs Trust’s Freedom Project says it "urgently" needs additional volunteer foster carers so that the scheme can support more people.
Laura Saunders, Freedom Project Manager at Dogs Trust said:
“We’ve seen first-hand the ways that perpetrators use dogs to coerce, control, physically harm and threaten within abusive relationships. This is incredibly frightening for survivors and is often aimed to leave people isolated.
“By providing temporary foster homes for dogs, we support survivors to access safe accommodation with the reassurance that their dog will be taken care of until they can be reunited.
“Whilst we are pleased to have been able to help so many people, there is still very much a need for our service, and we urgently need more foster carers across the UK so that we can continue this life-saving work.”