Dignity has been announced as one of seven successful applicants for the first round of the NSW Government Domestic and Family Violence Innovation Fund.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Dignity was founded in the Southern Highlands in 2016 and has grown from one emergency accommodation facility to 15 across NSW.
Dignity CEO, Suzanne Hopman, said that “up to 40 per cent of women who are considering leaving a violent relationship will not do so if it means leaving a pet with the abusive partner”.
Dignity offers emergency accommodation and now has several sites which take in domestic animals under supervised care from veterinarians and volunteers.
The $20 million innovation fund is an Australian first that provides financial investment for projects focusing on prevention, early intervention, and crisis response to reduce domestic and family violence in NSW.
Minister for the Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Pru Goward recently made the announcement.
If successful this project will be duplicated as part of services for homeless people all over Australia and in other countries.
More than $4.8 million from this round of the fund will be invested in these projects.
Applications were open to service providers, non-government organisations, community groups, educational institutions, government agencies, and the private sector.
The Fund forms part of the NSW Domestic and Family Violence Blueprint for Reform 2016-2021: Safer Lives for Women, Men and Children.
