JERSEY veterinary professionals are to receive training on the link between animal abuse and domestic abuse as part of a wider drive to make the Island safer for women and girls.
Research from UK charity the Dogs Trust in 2019 showed a “significant connection”, with 89% of surveyed professionals saying they knew of cases where pets had also been abused, while 97% said pets are often used as a means of controlling and coercing victims.
Training local vets on this link was one of 77 recommendations outlined in Jersey’s Violence Against Women and Girls report, published in November 2023.
The independent taskforce behind the report recommended that local veterinary professionals should receive regular training on the link between animal abuse and domestic abuse, indicators of domestic abuse, and the referral pathways available to victim-survivors on the island.
It has now been confirmed that funding had been successfully secured and a training provider had been appointed.
Following a freedom-of-information request from the JEP, the government confirmed that £5,400 had been allocated for the training.
It will be provided by the Links Group, a charitable organisation which raises awareness of the link between the abuse of people and animals.
The funding includes a £1,000 contribution to the Links Group, with £3,000 to be spent on travel and accommodation for training facilitators.
The remaining £1,400 will be spent on venue hire and catering.
These are estimated figures and “there may be minor variations in travel and venue costs”, according to the freedom-of-information response.
The training will be offered to all veterinary practice staff including veterinarians, veterinary nurses, student vets, receptionists, and other team members.
The training will consist of introductory two-hour online training dealing with the human- animal bond and the connection with domestic, child and animal abuse.
This will be followed by a six-hour in-person training day that covers topics including how to recognise abuse and identify non-accidental injuries in animals, police response to domestic abuse, animal welfare from a legal perspective, and domestic abuse pet fostering services.
Two separate training days will be offered to allow staff from the same practice to attend on different days, minimising disruption to veterinary work.
Representatives from related professions, such as social workers, will also be invited to attend the training and resources will be shared.
The online training is available from this month, whilst the in-person training days are due to take place in September.
