The referral process

A Freedom Project team member sitting by their laptop smiling at the camera.

We understand how important dogs are to their families. Our research found that 95% of professionals said that some survivors of domestic abuse won’t leave their home without knowing their pet will be safe.

As many refuges can’t accept pets, Freedom provides a safe and loving temporary foster home for their dog, enabling your client to move to safety.

The service is free to access, and completely confidential. We cover the cost of dog food, veterinary treatment and any toys and treats the dog may need.

If you’d like to make a referral, or have any questions about the project, please get in touch using the details below. If your client doesn’t live within one of these areas, please call your closest regional team and we’ll offer support and signposting.

Step 1 : Referral paperwork

We’ll ask you or your client to complete a form to help us understand their dog’s needs, and we may ask for some photographs of the dog.
If possible, we’d love to speak to your client to find out all about their dog, so we’re best placed to match them to the right foster family.
Our supportive, female-only team are always happy to answer any questions about the project or talk through any concerns you or your client may have.

Step 2: Agreement and domestic abuse confirmation

We’ll provide an agreement document which explains the terms and conditions of the dog’s foster placement.
If your client decides to place their dog in foster with us, we’ll ask them to sign to confirm they agree to these.
We’ll also require an email or letter from you as the support worker, or from a relevant agency, confirming the client is moving away from domestic abuse and will be supported to find safe housing.

Step 3: Temporary fostering

We will carefully match the dog to one of our dedicated volunteer foster carers. A member of our team will make arrangements to collect the dog from their owner at a safe location. While the dog is living with the foster carer, we ask that clients' support workers stay in regular contact with our team, to ensure that they are also getting support and to keep us updated of how they are progressing with finding new housing where they can be reunited with their dog.

Placement lengths

We offer fostering placements for around 6-9 months, however we may be able to make some extensions to this period. In order to consider extensions, we will contact you as the support worker and ask you to provide an update of the client's housing situation.

We can also support you with finding new, pet-friendly accommodation for your client. We can provide Pet CVs and liaise with Housing Officers to highlight the importance of the new property being pet-friendly.