*Nala protected the children she loved

*Nala is a gentle, protective dog who risked her own safety for the children she loved.

Nala had grown up alongside the children since she was nine weeks old. She slept beside them, watched over them and was always gentle with them.

But violence inside their home was escalating — and when the children were at risk, Nala’s instinct was to protect them.

One day, her human-mum came home to discover Nala had injured her ex-partner’s hand.

“I know Nala, and I know she wouldn’t do that unless she was protecting one of the kids from being hurt.”

As the danger grew, Nala’s determination to protect the children meant putting herself directly in harm’s way too.

“I had reached the point where I was genuinely scared I might come home from work and he’d killed my kids.”

The family found somewhere safe to stay and took Nala with them. But the landlord said Nala couldn’t stay. If they kept her, they would be evicted.

They couldn’t bear the thought of leaving Nala behind and at risk of violence. They needed somewhere safe for her too.

Pet Refuge provides temporary shelter and care for pets while families escape family violence, including nationwide transport, a safe bed, vet care, food and bespoke enrichment and training.

Nala’s family had made it to safety, but without somewhere for Nala to stay, they faced another impossible decision: risk losing their accommodation or leave a beloved member of their family behind.

Pet Refuge gave Nala a safe place to stay while her family continued rebuilding their lives and working towards a future where they could all be together again.

For Nala’s family, having somewhere safe for her meant they didn’t have to choose between keeping the pet they loved and holding onto the safety they had fought so hard to find.