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Press Paws Project
Registered Australian non-profit · 100% confidential

Escape Abuse Together. No Pet Left Behind.

Providing emergency, confidential foster care for pets of domestic violence survivors across Australia — at no cost, and with no questions that put your safety at risk.

Get Emergency Help NowBecome a Foster CaregiverDonate Today
48%
of survivors delay leaving because of a pet
$0
cost to survivors, always
24/7
confidential intake requests
A survivor sitting on a sunlit porch with her rescue dog and cat, safe together
Our Mission

Removing a critical safety barrier for domestic violence survivors.

Press Paws Project arranges emergency housing and foster care for companion animals, ensuring humans and pets escape abuse together.

The barrier
Why people stay longer than they want to.

Up to 48% of survivors delay leaving an abusive environment because domestic violence shelters rarely accommodate pets. Leaving an animal behind can mean leaving it in danger, and that is a decision no one should be forced to make.

Boarding kennels are expensive, ask for paperwork, and often require a fixed address — exactly what a person fleeing abuse cannot provide.

Our solution
Safe, temporary, anonymous foster homes.

We match each pet with a screened, background-checked foster household. Fosters are never told the survivor's identity or location, and the survivor is never told the foster address.

Care continues for as long as it takes to find safe permanent housing, with regular welfare updates passed through our coordinators so you always know your animal is well.

100% Confidential

We never publish your name, location, or story. Records are minimal, encrypted, and only seen by trained placement coordinators.

Zero Cost to Survivors

Food, bedding, boarding and essential veterinary care are covered by donations — never invoiced to the person seeking safety.

Immediate Pet Placement

Our on-call foster network across Australia is built for same-day and next-day emergency placements, including after hours.

Become a Foster

Open your home. Change two lives at once.

Fosters give a pet a calm place to wait while their person finds safe permanent housing. Most placements run four to twelve weeks, and we cover food, bedding and veterinary costs.

A calm foster living room with a cat resting on an armchair and a dog bed nearby
  • All food, bedding and veterinary care is reimbursed.
  • You are never given the survivor’s name or location.
  • Free induction training and a 24/7 coordinator contact.
  • You choose which species, sizes and timeframes suit you.
Foster interest form
No commitment — this simply starts a conversation with our volunteer team.

Because we protect survivors, all carers complete an identity and police check and sign a confidentiality agreement.

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