The team are thrilled to say that Vetlife, in collaboration with The Links Group and Hestia, is providing an online safe space for any member of the veterinary community who may be experiencing domestic abuse, or are searching for resources to support those who might be.
The Online Safe Spaces initiative was created and launched in 2020 by Hestia, a charity that supports adults and children in times of crisis. It provides a portal of information, resources, and discreet pathways to specialist support on company websites for people experiencing domestic abuse. Many businesses have adopted Online Safe Spaces, which has been accessed over 1.5 million times.
This unique widget, located at the bottom right of the Vetlife homepage, opens as an untraceable pop-up window, leaving no internet history and providing quick exit options for the person seeking help.
This safe online access to advice and help is critical. Victims of domestic abuse may have their physical and online movements tracked by their abuser. However, they may be ‘allowed’ to visit certain websites, for example, to pay bills or book appointments, or those associated with their work.
Founded in 1992, Vetlife has been offering 24/7/365 independent, confidential and free help for everyone in the veterinary community including vets, veterinary nurses, their families, students and non-clinical staff. Through the Vetlife Helpline, Vetlife Financial Support, Vetlife Health Support, Suicide Postvention services and their many resources, Vetlife provides a unique and essential source of support for all those in the veterinary family. Responding to over 4,000 contacts in 2023, Vetlife is ideally placed to signpost to specialist services for those living with domestic abuse, experiencing vicarious trauma, and/or dealing with cases of suspected non-accidental injuries.
Having Hestia’s Online Safe Spaces scheme available on the Vetlife website will offer a route for the veterinary community to access, or to enable them to signpost clients to access, reliable support across the UK. This will include pet fostering schemes for those fleeing domestic abuse.
Joanne Driver, Head of Operations at Vetlife, says, ‘Safe Spaces is a fantastic resource for people who might feel vulnerable in their home or other environment. We recognise the importance of providing safe access to support for victims of domestic abuse and welcome this helpful addition to our website and the valuable role of the Links group in supporting our veterinary community’.
The Links Group is delighted that Vetlife has joined other veterinary professional associations in GB and NI to support their colleagues and our professions through this scheme. Adoption of Hestia’s initiative will help ensure that trusted veterinary community websites can effectively signpost to reliable resources under difficult circumstances.
Thank you, Vetlife!
Find out more about Hestia’s UK SAYS NO MORE national campaign, focused on raising awareness of and preventing domestic abuse and sexual violence. No More Week runs from 2nd-8th March 2025 and you can download your No More Week Partner Toolkit here.
