Congratulations to registered veterinary nurse Jessica Ross on the publication of her research in the Veterinary Nursing Journal!
Jessica qualified from Edinburgh Napier University in 2021 with a BSc (Hons) in veterinary nursing, completing her research study ‘An investigation into the links between domestic violence and animal abuse: the role of the veterinary professional’ as part of her Honours degree.
Recognising and acting on ‘The Link’ between abuse of animals and abuse of people relies on every member of the veterinary team being aware of the issues in the first place and working together to address and respond to concerns encountered in practice.
Jessica’s work, completed for her 2021 degree, surveyed 161 veterinary professionals in the UK and we encourage you to read it in full. Some figures to highlight here include:
- just over 80% of the respondents recognised the link between domestic violence and animal abuse,
- almost 60% reported treating patients where the history was inconsistent with the injuries presented, which could have been non-accidental injuries (NAIs),
- almost 74% were not aware of the specialist domestic abuse animal fostering services available in the UK,
- veterinary professionals experienced barriers to reporting cases of suspected NAIs,
- over 82% felt they hadn’t received adequate training in ‘The Link’,
- and almost 94% felt that implementation of additional protocols and guidelines for identifying and reporting suspected cases of domestic violence and animal abuse would be beneficial.
The Links Group has been working to raise awareness of ‘The Link’ between abuse of animals and abuse of people for 25 years, for all members of the veterinary team, for all species of animals, and for our colleagues working in the safeguarding of people.
Jessica’s work highlights the ongoing need for training in ‘The Link’ throughout the veterinary professions. She presented her research at BVNA VNJ Live in 2025, and joined us at our multi-agency Links Veterinary Training Initiative (LVTI) day in Edinburgh in March 2026, where she displayed her research poster which can be viewed through BVNA’s site here.
Our LVTI days have been supported by BSAVA since 2017, are free to all BSAVA members and have previously been capped at £50 to reduce barriers to learning. The 2027 dates will be released soon, so sign up to our free quarterly newsletter here to stay in the know or check back on our training page, where you can also access free regular webinars run by colleague Dr. Mary Wakeham and regular Links Group speakers on Animal Abuse as a Strategy of Coercive Control.
The Links Group has been training veterinary undergraduates for over 20 years, although this training has not been a mandatory part of the curriculum. We are now glad to say that Links Group veterinary undergraduate training, made possible by the generous support of MSD Animal Health, is available in all full-course vet schools, and we are engaged with the newer schools too.
We have been fortunate to have been supported by the BVNA and BVRA with Links Group speaker and RVN Emily Mills delivering presentations at recent congresses. We have also delivered training to student veterinary nurses in Northern Ireland and Ireland. The Links Group were commissioned to deliver training to veterinary teams and allied professionals by the Government of Jersey in 2025, and these courses, resources and more are all freely accessible on our virtual learning hub.
The Links Group Guidance Documents for veterinary teams, including step-by-step guides to managing cases of suspected NAIs and abuse of people – including our colleagues – can be downloaded for free here.
We are delighted to hear that Jessica’s research is now published and is highlighting the need for such training across our professions, as well as the existence of the NAI Helpline, available to any member of the veterinary team across Europe, and Links Group resources. Thank you, Jessica!
Jessica’s research can be viewed on VNJ here.
The Links Group – Protecting Animals, Protecting People
