Animal Abuse within Domestic Abuse. #BreakingTheLink

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Join APDAWG & Naturewatch Foundation this National Domestic Abuse Awareness Month for Breaking the Link: Protect Animals. Protect People. 

Animals can be abused, threatened or killed within coercive control cases, a crime that affects 2.4 million people a year in UK. Perpetrators of domestic abuse identify that special bond people build with their pets & use this to exert control over children, partners or elderly relatives. 

Legislation & safeguarding strategies for people often miss the importance that pets have within relationships & families. As a result, not only are instances of animal abuse missed, but opportunities to protect people are too.  

Following on from the success of last Oct's APDAWG event during Domestic Abuse Awareness Month, we are excited to collaborate with Naturewatch Foundation again to highlight why it is so important to consider pets used & abused within these horrific crimes. 

Our impressive speaker line-up (below) incl. professionals in this field, as well as survivors of the abuse, who will bravely share their experiences. Many of those who attend this event & many of the MPs who are invited, will have experienced abuse within a personal relationship. 

Guest Speakers

Sam Beckinsale 

Sam has had a long & varied career in TV, film & theatre ranging from dramas such as London's Burning & Hoby City, to comedies such as Time After Time & An Evening with Gary Lineker, to feature films such as Katherine of Alexandria with Peter O' Toole, Steven Berkoff & Joss Ackland. Sam founded the groundbreaking LOVE? Project bringing together criminal justice system, business, health, financial, political & grassroots Domestic abuse orgs, students & general public together to connect, communicate, affect cultural change & support each other; plus works with numerous orgs such as Crown Prosecution Service, UK Police, NHS & others to aid the real understanding of coercive control, it's life threatening & life changing impact and the huge costs to society as well as to the victims. She hopes to help towards changing the outcomes for both perpetrators & all victims of this world wide crime epidemic.

Mary Wakeham 

Founder & Chief Executive Officer of Refuge4Pets, a charity providing a specialist animal fostering service to victim-survivors of domestic abuse in Southwest of England. Member of the Links Group & academic researcher with a specialism in the dynamics & implications of animal abuse in the context of domestic abuse.

Rebecca Stephens 

Rebecca Stephens is a Senior Lecturer in Social Work at Sussex Uni. She is a pioneer of Vet Social Work in UK & Director of Education with the International Assoc. of Vet Social Workers. Rebecca’s current research focuses on opportunities for social workers to support vet teams to promote safeguarding of human clients. She is also Trustee with The Links Group & Our Special Friends charity.

Dr Samantha Pickles 

Samantha is Chair & Founder of the Animal Related Crime Working Group, a multi-agency group supported by the Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences & Beds Uni, where Samantha is a Senior Lecturer in Forensic Science. Samantha is an advocate of collaborative working & committed to raising awareness of the ‘links’ between animal & human abuse. This incl. seeking changes to educational & professional training programmes, plus offering guidance to those encountering (or likely to encounter) such matters.

David Martin 

David Martin has been a vet for over 25 years & has spent the vast majority of that time working as an independent expert in animal welfare. He is the Group Head of Animal Welfare for IVC Evidensia & Trustee for the Links Group. He has considerable experience in supporting investigations into non-accidental injuries in animals.

Working together we can help in #BreakingTheLink 

National Domestic Helpline - 0808 2000 247

If you would like to register interest in attending please email events@naturewatch.org