Helping Wellington Pets and Families
A Safe Place While Families Escape Violence
For someone experiencing family violence, worry about where their pet will go can delay leaving an unsafe home. Pets are family, and leaving them behind may put them at risk.
Pet Refuge provides free, confidential, temporary care for pets while their families move to safety. Pets receive a warm bed, daily care, veterinary attention when needed, and support suited to their individual needs. Families receive weekly updates and reunite with their pets when it is safe.
Support across the Wellington region
We help eligible families in Wellington City, Lower Hutt, Upper Hutt, Porirua, the Kāpiti Coast, Wairarapa and surrounding communities.
Although our confidential shelter is in the wider Auckland region, families in Wellington do not need to transport their pets there themselves. Our caseworkers work with families and the agencies supporting them to arrange safe travel by land or air where appropriate. If a pet cannot travel because of medical or welfare needs, we can arrange care through trusted, confidential boarding partners.
What happens when a Wellington pet comes into care?
Pets have a secure place to stay while their families find safety. Our team provides nutritious food, a warm bed and daily care throughout their stay.
Pets have a secure place to stay while their families find safety. Our team provides nutritious food, a warm bed and daily care throughout their stay.
Getting a pet to safety can be difficult when a family needs to leave quickly. We coordinate safe travel by land or air where appropriate, taking each pet’s needs into account.
Every pet receives a health check, and those who need further care can receive treatment during their stay. This may include medication, tests or support for an existing condition or injury.
Our team gets to know each pet and provides activities, attention and training suited to their needs. This helps support their wellbeing while they are away from their family.
Families receive weekly updates about their pets while they are in our care. Pets reunite with their families when it is safe to do so.
Helping Wellington pets reach safety across New Zealand.
For families in Wellington, distance from our Auckland-region shelter does not mean facing the journey alone. Our caseworkers coordinate safe transport and temporary care for pets, with trusted boarding partners available when travel is not suitable.
Click on the map to view statistics and stories from different regions.
Escaping violence cannot always be planned, *Bianca didn't have much notice for the day she had to move out and leaving her pet *Skipper behind was not an option.
Escaping violence cannot always be planned, *Bianca didn't have much notice for the day she had to move out and leaving her pet *Skipper behind was not an option.
HERE FOR WELLINGTON FAMILIES AND SUPPORTERS
Need help for your pet?
If family violence is affecting you and you’re worried about your pet, speak with our caseworkers. We’ll listen to your situation and work with you on safe arrangements, wherever you live in the Wellington region.
Contact our team →
Supporting someone to leave?
If you work with a family experiencing violence, you can contact Pet Refuge about care for their pet. We work alongside support agencies to coordinate arrangements that protect the family’s privacy and safety.
Read more here →
Want to help pets from Wellington reach safety?
Your donation helps provide safe transport and temporary care for pets while their families escape violence. It keeps Pet Refuge’s support free for families in Wellington and across New Zealand.
Donate today →
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Pet Refuge supports eligible families throughout Wellington and across New Zealand, including:
- Lower Hutt
- Upper Hutt
- Porirua
- Paraparaumu
- Waikanae
- Masterton
- Martinborough
- and surrounding communities, including rural areas.
Yes. We coordinate safe transport by land or air where appropriate. Our caseworkers will discuss your circumstances and your pet’s needs before arranging a suitable plan.
No. You do not need to get your pet to our shelter yourself. Our caseworkers coordinate suitable arrangements, which may include transport to our confidential Auckland-region shelter or care with a trusted boarding partner when travel is not suitable.
Yes. We can provide transport-only support when a family has a safe destination for their pet but cannot get them there. Contact our caseworkers to discuss what is needed.
Yes. Our services are free for eligible families, including the transport and temporary care we arrange for pets.
Our purpose-built shelter is in the wider Auckland region, and its address is confidential. We support families in Wellington through our caseworkers and transport network, with trusted, confidential boarding partners across New Zealand when a pet cannot travel to our shelter.
If you or one of your clients need help, contact us on 0800 PET REFUGE (0800 738 733 843) or help@petrefuge.org.nz.
Other family violence support in wellington
Are you in immediate danger?
Call 111 and ask for Police. If you need Police but cannot speak safely, stay on the line and follow the prompts to request emergency assistance.
If you need support for yourself or your family alongside care for your pet, these services work with people in Wellington:
Wellington Women’s Refuge — Confidential support for women and children experiencing family violence in Wellington.
24/7 crisis line: 0800 REFUGE (0800 733 843)
Women’s Refuge Porirua — Crisis support and safe accommodation for women and children in Porirua.
Call: 0800 733 843 or 04 237 7027
Hutt Valley Women’s Refuge — Confidential crisis support and refuge services for women and children affected by family violence in the Hutt Valley.
24/7 crisis line: 0800 REFUGE (0800 733 843)
Taeaomanino Trust — Family violence support for Pacific individuals and families in Wellington, the Hutt Valley, Porirua and Kāpiti.
Call: 0800 345 345
Wellington Sexual Harm HELP — Crisis support for people affected by sexual harm, including people in Wellington and Porirua.
24/7 support line: 0800 FOR HELP (0800 367 4357)
Wellington Rape Crisis — Free, confidential counselling and social work support for survivors of sexual harm of all genders and the people supporting them.
Support line: 04 801 8973, Monday to Friday, 9:30am–4:00pm