# Australian-first roadmap calls for national reform to protect people and pets from family violence

- Link: https://www.thailand-business-news.com/pr-news/australian-first-roadmap-calls-for-national-reform-to-protect-people-and-pets-from-family-violence
- Published: 2026-08-20T08:40:00+07:00
- Author: PR Newswire

_Led by Lucy’s Project and supported by the Petstock Foundation, the National Roadmap
for Change aims to ensure victim-survivors can seek safety without leaving their
pets behind_

CANBERRA, Australia, Aug. 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — A new National Roadmap for Change
to Prevent and End Family Violence against People and Animals launched on 19 August,
delivering an Australian-first framework to drive national action.

 [⌊Lucy's Project and Petstock Foundation gather in Canberra⌉](https://mmx.prnasia.com/media/MS1972738/20260819200223EDT_image_1.jpg?id=OA2899233&p=medium600)

Lucy’s Project and Petstock Foundation gather in Canberra

The Roadmap is championed by Lucy’s Project, a charity dedicated to improving the
safety and wellbeing of people and animals experiencing domestic and family violence.
The Petstock Foundation is supporting the work through a one-year alliance and $
150,000 investment.

Research shows people often delay leaving, or don’t leave, a violent partner due
to concern for their animal’s safety. Despite this, Australia has never had a national
policy or strategy addressing family violence used against people and animals at
a systemic level.

With 73% of Australian households living with a pet, and 1 in 4 women reporting 
experiencing domestic violence, the case for coordinated policy action is clear.

The framework set out recommendations for policy, programs and legislative change.
It launched at Australian Parliament House on 19 August, and NSW Parliament House
on 24 September.

Naomi Mancktelow, Petstock Foundation, says the partnership reflects a shared commitment
to a future where no person has to choose between their safety and their pet’s: "
By helping enable national collaboration and drive long-term systemic change, our
support reflects our dedication to strengthening the human-pet bond that is often
threatened during family violence."

Survivor advocate Talie Star, whose insights informed the Roadmap, says her animals
provided safety amid violence: "It was like a softness in all the hardness. When
you are going through daily violence, it’s a different and stronger connection."

Lucy’s Project CEO Monique Dam says, "If animals are at risk of violence, the people
who love them are at risk too. When there is nowhere safe for survivors to go with
their animals, many delay leaving. When animals are killed, harmed or separated 
from them, women and children grieve this loss for decades."

"We are calling on all levels of government to adopt the Roadmap’s recommendations
and invest in coordinated reform that protects people and animals together."

A lack of animal-inclusive crisis accommodation remains a key barrier to safety.

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