New law accepts pets can be victims

ANIMAL rescue groups have welcomed state reforms recognising pets as potential victims of domestic violence.

Legislation presented by the Animal Justice Party passed with unanimous support on Wednesday afternoon.

Animal Justice Party MP Andy Meddick said household pets were often used as “coercive tools” in domestic violence situations.

“The stories we heard from women were hauntingly similar, and the stories they told us directly informed the motion,” he said.

“Abusers will often threaten to kill pets or remove them, and they’re often used as a tool to stop people from fleeing the home.”

Under the proposed legislative changes, animal registration can be transferred to people fleeing domestic violence, or an independent third party nominated by a court.

It also calls on the state government to provide more petfriendly crisis and long-term accommodation.

RSPCA Victoria chief executive Liz Walker said the link between violence and animal abuse had been welldocumented over the years.

Geelong Animal Rescue director Jordan Barker said she would like a streamlined approach to tackling the issue.

“We absolutely support the commitment to providing more animal-friendly crisis and long-term accommodation for those fleeing domestic violence,” she said.

“We’d also love to see a centralised approach to tackling the issue. At the moment, it’s very much a patchwork approach using industry connections to find solutions.”

Ms Barker said victims were often forced to leave pets behind or surrender them to a pound if pet-friendly accommodation was unavailable.