30.10.25
Each October, we pause to recognise Domestic Abuse Awareness Month, a time to reflect, to raise voices, and to renew our commitment to protecting the vulnerable.
For the last three years, we’ve taken the ‘Protect Animals. Protect People.’ campaign to the UK Parliament, to explain not just that the animal–human relationship matters, but why it matters.
We’ve been joined by incredible speakers and dedicated advocates, people whose compassion and professionalism remind me that, at its heart, this movement is about empathy and justice. Along the way, I’ve also made wonderful friends and allies who continue to fight for those who cannot speak for themselves.
Seeing Change on the Horizon
After decades of working for change, you start to recognise the signs of progress. In the movement to recognise the suffering of pets harmed, threatened, or killed within domestic abuse, I can sense a real shift. Hearing senior professionals and policymakers repeat the mantra, “When you protect animals, you protect people too.” is both heartwarming and validating.
Legislation will change.
Ruby’s Law will happen — it’s not a question of if, but when.
And long-outdated laws on animal sexual abuse will finally move into this century, a cause I worked on initially with my late dear friend and colleague, Paula Sparks, whose advocacy continues to inspire meaningful reform.
Recognising the Role of Animals in Coercive Control
In the UK, pets are present in the majority of homes, and in too many cases, they are part of the coercive control dynamic. They are threatened, harmed, or used to manipulate and terrorise victims. Every police officer responding to a domestic abuse incident should know what to look for, understand how animals fit into the risk picture, and be trained in the powers available to them.
Right now, that isn’t happening, but it will.
Research by Naturewatch Foundation found that only 60% of frontline police forces in England and Wales include training on how pets are used within coercive control. That gap must close.
A Global Message
These past few weeks have been extraordinary, from events across Greece to London, senior politicians, police officers, and prosecutors have been coming together to share and strengthen the Protect Animals. Protect People. message. Each conversation, each collaboration, brings us closer to a future where the animal–human bond is not an afterthought in safeguarding, but central to it.
Read more about our recent work in Greece and our latest event in Parliament.
Taking a Moment
Amid all the advocacy and campaigning, we must also remember to pause. To simply stop and appreciate that special relationship we share with animals, the comfort, loyalty, and unconditional love that sustains us through our most difficult days.
That relationship is precious. And it is worth protecting.
Looking Ahead: The Purple Paw Project.
Next year, we’ll be highlighting this message through the Purple Paw Project, celebrating the animal–human bond and recognising its vital role in compassion, recovery, and community.
Because when we protect animals, we truly do protect people.
