The AVA has lodged a submission to the Australian Government’s consultation on the Second Action Plan to End Violence Against Women and Children 2022-2032, calling for greater recognition of the links between animal abuse, coercive control and domestic and family violence (DFV).
The submission communicates that animals are frequently used as tools of coercive control in violent households and that veterinary professionals are a vital but under-recognised part of Australia’s DFV response system. Veterinary teams often encounter signs of abuse affecting both animals and people, sometimes before victim-survivors engage with specialist support services. The AVA’s submission emphasises that concerns for animal welfare can prevent victim-survivors from seeking safety.
To address these challenges, the AVA has recommended increased investment in animal-inclusive crisis accommodation, emergency fostering programs, veterinary support services and integrated safety planning that considers both people and animals. The submission also calls for animal abuse to be explicitly recognised within DFV risk assessment and prevention frameworks.
A key focus of the submission is the formal recognition of veterinarians within national DFV workforce planning. The AVA is advocating for trauma-informed training, stronger referral pathways between veterinary and DFV services, and wellbeing support for veterinary professionals who respond to abuse-related cases. The AVA also urged the Government to improve national data collection on animal abuse in DFV contexts, including its role in coercive control, barriers created by a lack of animal-inclusive accommodation, and the impacts on children, victim-survivors and veterinary professionals.
In its submission, the AVA stressed that no victim-survivor should be forced to choose between their own safety and the safety of their animals, and reaffirmed the profession’s commitment to supporting integrated, One Welfare approaches that recognise the interconnected wellbeing of people and animals.
The full AVA submission can be read here.