The Dog's trust, are rolling out a domestic violence help scheme to victims on Teesside

The Freedom Project, takes in victims' dogs when they're forced to flee their home, as many people won't leave their pets behind,

This extension of the project to the North East region comes after police statistics reveal over 54,000 reported incidents of domestic violence in Durham since January 2014 and 30,000 incidents in Northumbria in the past year alone. In Cleveland, figures show there were 15,000 calls to police regarding domestic abuse last year.

The link between animal abuse and domestic violence is well established; perpetrators may threaten to harm or actually kill a beloved pet in order to intimidate their partner into obedience and silence. Many pet owners remain in a violent domestic situation simply for fear of what might happen to their pet if they flee without it.

Dogs Trust’s Freedom Project, which is the only scheme of its kind in the North East, has been running in Greater London, Yorkshire and Hertfordshire for 12 years and launched in Essex last year. During that time has helped more than 800 dogs and owners to escape from abusive situations by fostering 1,100 dogs. With the North East consistently reporting increased incidences of domestic abuse year-on-year, the charity hopes that by extending the project to this area they will be able to help even more families and pets at risk.

Diane Muskett, Freedom Project Co-ordinator for Yorkshire & North East says,

“Some people find themselves in impossible situations, when the only option to flee from an abusive home would be to give up their dog or leave them behind. A survey of clients that have used our service showed that 52% of the dogs that we fostered on the Freedom Project had been threatened with or actually harmed by the abuser before the owner was able to go in to refuge and refer their dog to us for foster care. We could not run this project without the help of our amazing foster carers who lovingly care for the dogs in their own homes until they can be reunited with their owners. We now urgently need foster carers in the North East area as we expand our service, so if you think you could help, please get in touch.”

Due to the high demand for the service, Dogs Trust Freedom Project are urgently looking for volunteers with experience of caring for dogs, who are at home during the day and can look after dogs for an average of six months. All the dogs’ expenses are covered by Dogs Trust, so this is a particularly rewarding volunteering opportunity for dog lovers who aren’t able to own a dog on a permanent basis