The Link are delighted to let you know that today, they are releasing there new free training course supporting non-animal welfare professionals and individuals working in or around the home to recognise and act on “The Link” between abuse of animals and abuse of people!

Thanks to the generosity of the Pets Foundation, which awarded The Link a Preventing Pet Relinquishment grant, we have created this new course and resources.

Protecting Animals, Protecting People: In the Home is a course suitable for a broad range of professions and people. They could be a paramedic or a police officer, knowingly called to the home as a result of a domestic abuse report, or a social worker called out in such an event.

They could be a health or social care professional, such as a midwife, district nurse, health visitor or carer, who spots something when they’re working in a home, and their professional curiosity is raised when they spot something they’re just not sure about in terms of how the people and pets are interacting.

They could be the plumber called to fix a leak who is concerned when they see the animals’ living conditions and is unsure what they can or should do.

This course is designed with input from subject matter experts in these areas to offer an introduction to domestic abuse, abuse of children, abuse of animals and “The Link” between the three; how individuals and professionals might be able to respond safely and appropriately whilst offering support in these circumstances, whether they have a mandatory safeguarding duty or not.

It’s free, it’s modular, it’s bite-sized, it’s learn-at-your-own-pace, it’s an hour long (longer if you dive deeper into the further resources!) and it’s available now on our NEW learning platform, made possible from some very supportive friends in the veterinary world – they’d rather remain anonymous. We are incredibly grateful to the support that they have given us, alongside the Pets Foundation, to make this course possible and more. You can access the course and more on our Virtual Learning page here.

Domestic abuse is a public health crisis, and “The Link” is truly a One Health, One Welfare issue. The Links Group works to raise awareness of the link between the abuse of animals and the abuse of people. We do this through collaboration, research, training and advocacy. Our vision is A world free from the abuse of people and animals.
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