Government announces $2 million funding boost for Pet Refuge for shelter maintenance

The Government has announced a charity rescuing pets from abusive homes will receive $2 million over three years to maintain their emergency shelter.

Pet Refuge New Zealand Charitable Trust – run by KidsCan founder Dame Julie Chapman – will receive the money through the Proceeds of Crime Fund, a contestable pool of money taken from assets seized from criminals.

Pet Refuge provides temporary shelter to pets affected by family violence around the country and the funding will support it while development of a second shelter continues.

Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee said abusers can threaten or harm animals as a way of controlling their victims and fear for a pet’s safety can keep people trapped in dangerous homes.

“This is exactly the sort of practical intervention the Proceeds of Crime Fund should support. We are taking money out of the hands of criminals and using it to remove an obstacle that can keep victims exposed to violence.”

“Knowing there is somewhere safe and confidential for a pet to go can make an enormous difference and allow police and other frontline services to focus on getting the victim and their family to safety,” she said.

The Act Party is campaigning to bolster protections for pets and their owners by amending the Crimes Act to make it an offence to use animals as a means to control or coerce victims.

Other recipients of the Proceeds of Crime Fund include Meke Academy in Hawke’s Bay, The Motueka Meth Harm Reduction programme and the Kauhanga – Creating Sacred Pathways programme, run by the Billy Graham Youth Foundation.

This story was first published on rnz.co.nz