17/06/2026
"Emergency housing didn’t allow pets, and we had no trusted friends or family who could take her in. We ended up hiding our cat Poppy in our motel for five days because we didn’t know what else we could do.
During the day, when my son went to school and I was working, I put her in the car and she slept in the footwell until it was time for school pick up. We were doing everything we could to hold onto her while trying to survive ourselves.
I had seen Pet Refuge years earlier on TV and remembered thinking what an incredible service it was, never imagining I would one day need it myself.
When Women’s Refuge and our support workers connected us with Pet Refuge, it felt like someone had finally thought about the part of this crisis I didn’t have room to think about. Suddenly there was a safe option for Poppy too.
From the moment I met the Pet Refuge team, I knew Poppy would be cared for.
The updates I’ve got from them about Poppy have been so amazing. The first time they sent me photos of her, I burst into tears.
We miss her so much, but seeing her happy, comfortable and cared for has made being away from her so much easier. She is being so spoilt – she has toys, blankets and catnip. In one of the photos, she was lying there on her back, showing her belly – she only does that when she’s comfortable.
Poppy has always been part of our family, and having to choose between our safety and hers would have been devastating.
If we didn’t have Pet Refuge, we would have kept hiding her and putting our own emergency accommodation at risk." - Gracie, family violence victim-survivor
This is the impact of Pet Refuge — giving families a safe way to leave violence without leaving their pets behind or putting them in danger. It provides secure, loving care for pets while their families find safety, along with updates and reassurance that keep that bond intact even when they’re apart.
And it is only possible because of the generosity of supporters. Every safe space, every moment of care, and every family reunited with their pet starts with people in the community choosing to give.
