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Barriers to reporting included insufficient training or guidelines, concerns about breaching client confidentiality, limited knowledge of support organisations, lack of confidence and apprehension about damaging the client – practice relationship.
Open-ended responses highlighted additional challenges such as pressure from management not to report, a sense that the issue remains taboo, and a lack of confidence in relevant organisations and the legal system. The reluctance to act is compounded by veterinary professionals ' uncertainty about their legal obligations and fear of insufficient support from the authorities.
The study also found that veterinary professionals often question whether interventions will be effective, and whether they can assure the safety of animals and clients after reporting. Many feel unsupported by senior management and governing bodies, and cite a lack of clear protocols and repercussions for perpetrators as key barriers. The introduction of additional guidelines and support measures was widely supported, with indirect support such as informational materials being particularly favoured.
Overall, these findings suggest that while veterinary professionals are a crucial potential intervention point for cases of domestic violence and animal abuse, their current efficacy is limited by a lack of training, support and clear protocols. This reinforces the need for targeted education and standardised procedures to empower members of the profession in this area.
Limitations
This study did not include demographic questions, so demographic trends within the answers cannot be discussed. The study may also be limited by personal subjectivity from participants due to their own experiences.
A wider range and larger number of respondents could have improved this study, with respondents including managers and members of educational bodies within the veterinary profession, as this would have allowed further insights from those working in a variety of roles.
The study was initially planned to gather opinions from victims of domestic violence and pet abuse residing in a women ' s refuge; however, a lack of responses led to inadequate data being gathered for analysis. The project was then adapted and the focus shifted to the role of veterinary professionals.
Conclusions
There is a significant link between domestic violence and animal abuse. Concern for the welfare of a pet results in many women in an abusive relationship delaying leaving their abusive partner. In addition, the perpetrator ' s motivation for animal abuse and factors raising suspicion of these forms of abuse show clear similarities to motivations and factors in domestic violence.
This study has provided evidence in support of the hypothesis that while there is awareness within the veterinary profession of the connection between domestic violence and animal abuse, veterinary professionals have low efficacy for dealing with this issue. The lack of adequate training and guidelines available to veterinary professionals contributes to this low efficacy. The study has concluded that further training and guidelines are required to assist veterinary professionals with reporting to ensure they are able to fulfil their duty of care to their clients and patients.
Key takeaways
• There is a significant connection between domestic violence and animal abuse, of which the vast majority of veterinary professionals are aware.
• Many veterinary professionals experience barriers to reporting cases of suspected non-accidental injury.
• Veterinary professionals report a lack of confidence in the justice system and supporting bodies.
• The overwhelming majority of veterinary professionals are in favour of additional training, guidelines and protocols being implemented to assist with cases of suspected abuse.
Additional information and support
Non-Accidental Injury Support Helpline
Shortly after this paper was submitted as part of the author ' s BSc( Hons) veterinary nursing degree at Edinburgh Napier University, an important resource for veterinary professionals, the Non-Accidental Injury Support Helpline, was created. This helpline gives veterinary professionals across the UK direct access to help from an experienced welfare team. It is important to note that many people are concerned about lack of evidence when reporting, but veterinary professionals are encouraged to remember that they only need to have a suspicion that something is wrong to report it; it is up to the organisation to conduct an investigation. Reporting can be daunting, and the support network for handling cases of non-accidental injury is available to guide veterinary professionals through this process, 24 / 7.
Access the helpline
Scan the QR code to access the Non-Accidental Injury Support Helpline.
Volume 41( 5) • October 2026
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