About Lucy’s Project
Lucy’s Project is a harm prevention charity that is focussed on addressing domestic and family violence (DFV) in Australia. We seek to facilitate women and children’s safety by reducing barriers to support and creating collaborative practices between human and animal services. Our work is in what we call the three A’s:
- Advocacy – amplifying the voices of people experiencing DFV where an animal is involved in the nexus of abuse.
- Awareness – Improving knowledge of animal abuse as a risk factor for human safety within the DFV sector, animal service sector, government, and among the general public to increase focus and provisions for establishing pathways to safety for victim-survivors with animals.
- Action – maintaining a network of support through working directly with organisations to upskill, build capacity, and provide resources to remove systemic roadblocks to safety. This includes concurrent crises safety planning – where DFV occurs during a natural disaster/pandemic/other social disruption and an animal is present.
Lucy’s Project is based in Lismore, New South Wales, and run by a team of volunteers. This includes our experienced board members who have expertise in animal abuse in the context of DFV.
Lucy’s Project recognises that animal abuse in domestic and family violence situations is common, traumatising, and a risk factor for the most severe kinds of abuse. It is also a crime in and of itself. Including animals in our domestic and family violence conversations and practice saves human and nonhuman lives.
We advocate for human and animal victim-survivors because we know that when an animal is at risk of abuse, there is a human at risk of abuse.
Domestic Violence and the human/ animal connection
Australia has one of the highest rates of animal ownership in the world. Sadly, we also have one of the highest rates of domestic and family violence and abuse (DFVA). This means that many companion animals also become victims when a family is subjected to abuse. For many people, leaving an animal behind to an uncertain fate is inconceivable. Many victim-survivors report that they delayed leaving a violent home, or returned to a violent home, because there was nowhere safe to care for the animal. As N Taylor and H Fraser explain, for many people who have experienced domestic and family violence, the loving relationship they share with an animal can provide victim-survivors with “the will to live, eat, sleep and keep caring for others, and in the process, maintain the will to rebuild their lives.”* An animal is often the only comfort, defender or friend a victim-survivor has.
For many victim-survivors, talking about the abuse and disclosing what’s going on can be difficult. Often, the only insight we may have that there is abuse occurring in a home is when vets notice signs of animal abuse, or when children report family pets being killed or harmed (The Link Coalition). For this reason, Lucy’s Project works closely with vets to help support both the animals and people who may be in need of protection, and for whom the vet may be the only person able to link victim-survivors with domestic violence support services.
Lucy’s Project is deeply concerned that animal cruelty can be a powerful indicator of an at-risk family. This is an under researched area of domestic violence and we strongly advocate for and support further studies into the link between domestic violence and animal cruelty in a quest to save human and animal lives.
When we fail to address animal cruelty, we are failing to address human need too.
* N.Taylor and H.Fraser, Companion Animals and Domestic Violence, Rescuing You, Rescuing Me, Palgrave, 2019, 4.
When animals are victims, humans are victims
When an animal is being abused in the home, there are often humans at risk in the home. Witnessing animal abuse is distressing, and some perpetrators will harm an animal as a way to punish, threaten, or control a human victim-survivor. A companion animal being abused in a home is a powerful red flag that no one is safe in that home. No happy home involves animal abuse.
What if police officers are more at risk during a domestic violence call out if there is a history of animal cruelty and they have no knowledge of it? What if a history of violence toward animals is an indicator of an increased likelihood that a perpetrator will go on to murder a human victim? These questions are under researched, but US studies suggest that in fact this could well be the case and further research here in Australia is vital.
A trip to the vet, where the vet notices that the animal has a non-accidental injury, might be the only time the human victim-survivor has a chance to speak with someone who is aware of the abuse and is able to provide support and help. We are proud to work with our veterinary partners and respect that taking animal cruelty seriously can save human lives.
All species are susceptible to domestic and family violence and abuse. We must protect all species from violence because violence is never ok.
Protecting animals to protect children
From birth, children are presented with animals or representations of animals as a form of soothing comfort, companionship, or as a relatable friendly face. Teddy bears, cartoon animals, the Easter Bunny – to name but a few – are central to the imagination and creative world of a child. Animals play an important role in the lives of children.
For many children experiencing domestic and family violence, the family pet can be one of their primary means of comfort and support. Animals can be a source of security for a child in a turbulent home. (Taylor and Fraser 2019)
Many children who witness an animal subjected to domestic and family violence are at risk of becoming perpetrators of abuse themselves, with some studies suggesting they are at higher risk of committing future criminality (Becker and French, 2004).
For children, escaping crisis with the family pet can ensure continuity in their source of comfort, security, and enjoyment of life during a time of great uncertainty, fear and change.
To protect children from domestic violence, we must also protect the animals so central to their sense of wellbeing.
Founder of Lucy’s Project, Anna Ludvik, was commended in NSW Parliament by the Hon. Mark Pearson MLC in 2016, and by the Hon. Kevin Hogan MP in 2017.
2018 Australia Day Awards ‘Citizen of the Year’: Anna Ludvik – Lismore City Council.
2018 Northern Star’s ’50 Most Influential People of the Northern Rivers’: Anna Ludvik
2019 Rotary NSW ‘Inspirational Woman of the Year’: Anna Ludvik, finalist.
2019 Northern Star’s ’30 Most Influential Women’: Anna Ludvik
2019 NRMA ‘Help is who we are’: Recognition of service
Awareness
Lucy’s Project raises awareness of the link between domestic and family violence and animal abuse. We do this both amongst the general public and within the government and non-government organisations tackling the domestic and family violence crisis in Australia.
Lucy’s Project recognises the importance of companion animals (“pets”) to Australian families, as well as the prevalence of domestic violence where animals are also within the home. We help people make ‘the link’. We believe that when an animal is at risk of harm within a family, there is also a human life at risk. Until we address the need to protect animals from harm, we are failing to address the whole family.
We support studies to increase knowledge and awareness of the extent of the animal abuse in domestic and family violence and to increase education on the effect of that violence on human communities.
We raise awareness of the resources, tools and support available to domestic violence organisations in Australia by forming a peak organisation and a network of services around the country.
We recognise the burden of domestic violence on the animal rights and welfare sector as they support animals needing refuge. We seek to raise awareness of the support needed and available to them through the network.
Advocacy
Lucy’s Project advocates for the animal victims of domestic and family violence in order to also protect the human victims of domestic and family violence. We do this in a number of ways.
We form a network of services across Australia including domestic and family violence peak bodies, government and non-government agencies, police, animal rescue services, housing, homelessness and mental health services, veterinarians, child support agencies, lawyers and universities.
We speak up for the non-human victims of domestic and family violence as well as the people who cannot be separated from their animals in a crisis. We seek ways to help build further support services for them.
Action
We offer direct consulting services to domestic and family violence organisations (and others) who are seeking to improve the outcomes for people with animals and be innovators in the field.
We work with organisations who need assistance understanding animal issues or who require referrals to further support.
We try to ‘bridge the gap’ using creative thinking when no services to a family are available for animal support.
We reach out to the DFVA networks to include animals in the knowledge nexus and grow awareness.
We partner with others to develop the body of research and knowledge.
We hold conferences on a bi-annual basis and create webinars, training programs, factsheets and provide up-to-date information.
We hold state-based working group meetings on a regular basis to partner on projects, share information and build awareness.
Lucy’s Project is an Australian charity company limited by guarantee, registered in the state of NSW. We are governed by an executive committee comprising an Executive Director, Chair, Secretary, and board members. Our membership records are held in NSW. We hold an annual general meeting where our financial records and annual report are available to all members. For more information, please email our Executive Director, Anna Ludvik at anna@lucysproject.com
Lucy’s Project recognises that domestic and family violence can affect all gender identities and all species. We also recognise that while individuals of all genders can and do experience domestic abuse, statistics show that domestic and family violence is gendered, with the majority of victim-survivors being women, and the majority of perpetrators being men.
Lucy’s Project recognises the importance of the family animal and their status as family members, pets, companions, and assistance and guide animals. We recognise that in times of crisis, the family animal can be a source of comfort, support, security and strength for survivors. We support initiatives and programs that assist in keeping human and animal together in crisis and recovery.
Lucy’s Project recognises the special trauma that can be inflicted upon children who witness the abuse of animals.
Lucy’s Project acknowledges that we operate our organisation on Aboriginal land as it always has been and always will be. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging, and acknowledge the vibrancy and resilience of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Culture to this day.
Lucy’s Project treats all member organisations and individual supporters equally without favour or prejudice. We are an apolitical organisation with no affiliations to any other organisation.
Lucy’s Project will not accept donations to sway or influence our position or lobbying.
Lucy’s Project has a zero-tolerance policy for bullying, cyber harassment and stalking, verbal abuse or threats of any nature.
Lucy’s Project recognises there are many approaches necessary to solve the crisis of domestic and family violence where animals are concerned, and we are dedicated to working with diverse solutions.
Lucy’s Project is a vegan organisation. This does not compel or request all members to be vegan, however:
- all Lucy’s Project events and meetings must be catered with vegan food only, if funded by Lucy’s Project
- our fundraising must not involve cruelty to animals or the loss of animal life
- we will not sell, endorse or promote products that harm animals
- we adhere to the vegan principles of considering our impact on animals in all decision-making processes
- we seek to minimise harm to animals wherever possible
Lucy’s Project acknowledges that our work takes place on Aboriginal Lands across Australia. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging. Always was, always will be Aboriginal Land.
Lucy’s Project recognises the animals who have passed away or live with the scars and trauma of domestic and family violence.
Lucy’s Project recognises the collective experience of the organisations we work with. We respect and acknowledge the resilience and strength of the human victim-survivors of domestic and family violence.
