*Nala protected the children she loved

*Nala is a gentle, protective dog who risked her own safety for the children she loved.

Nala had grown up alongside the children since she was nine weeks old. She slept beside them, watched over them and was always gentle with them.

But violence inside their home was escalating — and when the children were at risk, Nala’s instinct was to protect them.

One day, her human-mum came home to discover Nala had injured her ex-partner’s hand.

“I know Nala, and I know she wouldn’t do that unless she was protecting one of the kids from being hurt.”

As the danger grew, Nala’s determination to protect the children meant putting herself directly in harm’s way too.

“I had reached the point where I was genuinely scared I might come home from work and he’d killed my kids.”

The family found somewhere safe to stay and took Nala with them. But the landlord said Nala couldn’t stay. If they kept her, they would be evicted.

They couldn’t bear the thought of leaving Nala behind and at risk of violence. They needed somewhere safe for her too.

Pet Refuge provides temporary shelter and care for pets while families escape family violence, including nationwide transport, a safe bed, vet care, food and bespoke enrichment and training.

In just two weeks, 17 dogs entered our shelter, and right now, at least six more are on our waitlist. While they wait, these dogs remain at risk — and families can be left facing an impossible choice between their own safety and their pet’s.

We can create more safe spaces through trusted boarding partners, but we need your help to fund them.

Give $30 a month to our Safe Beds for Pets programme and help get dogs like Nala off the waitlist and out of harm’s way.