WHAT WE DO

Donna* came to us in the middle of the night dropped off by a police car, bringing only the clothes on her back and her 4-year-old Staffy. Donna and her dog had long been victims of Domestic Violence, with both herself and her precious pet beaten on numerous occasions. It was when her partner tried to strangle her dog that Donna built up the courage to call the Police.

Her partner had constantly abused Donna and threatened to kill her pet if she ever left him. This controlling and abusive behaviour included physical abuse, threatening behaviour, isolation, swearing and death threats if she ever left him. This resulted in a very broken and helpless woman arriving at our doorstep.

It was only after a few days of rest and walks with her pet within the beautiful parks located nearby, that we saw Donna and her dog start to heal. We secured her a case manager, assisted her with her Housing applications and crisis payments, all of which helped her to secure a long term safe house for herself and her Staffy.

Today, she is happy and secure, living independently and has dropped off dog food and treats for other women and their pets.

We are one of the few Women's Shelters which accept animals, as we understand the close relationship and how important the bond with their pets are for these brave women. We have seen all types of animals within our designated rooms– birds; cats; dogs; hamsters; rabbits; and even pet rats.

Tommy* is 7 and in Grade 1. Tommy’s family came to us in the middle of the night, suffering from many incidents of domestic violence. 

Tommy couldn't attend school for over four weeks as his mum attended many meetings trying to establish a new, safe, long term placement for her family. During this time, we worked with Tommy's school to access  Grade 1 resources including worksheets and readers. 

By being able to engage with his school work, thanks to our collaboration with Future Leaders, Tommy had his own focus and online encouragement, which greatly assisted his confidence and wellbeing. 

Children are the silent sufferers of Domestic Violence and we encourage their own identity and focus on school work, to provide a much needed self-esteem boost. 

When Tommy reached his new school, he had advanced in his school work and his self confidence.