A scoping review [5] using the keywords “human-animal relationship/bond,” “pets,” “companion animals,” “animal abuse,” “violence,” “homelessness,” “housing,” and “disasters,” was conducted between March and August 2022. The review focused on identifying empirical studies on the human-animal relationship and crisis or situational change with no date limitation. The review was guided by Arksey and O’Malley’s [16] framework for scoping reviews and conformed to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) checklist for scoping reviews [17]. English-language, scholarly peer-reviewed papers that included adults with a strong relationship with a pet and an event or change of situation were a criterion for the scoping review. All methodology types were accepted. Gray literature and certain animal types (rodents, wildlife, zoo animals, and working animals) were excluded. The papers were assessed on their ability to fit within the inclusion criteria. Five databases (MEDLINE Ovid, PsycINFO, Scopus, CINAHL, and Emcare Ovid) were searched, and a total of 42 scholarly papers that met the inclusion criteria were identified and included for data extraction. The scoping review mapped the concept of forced separation between people and their companion animals in areas of crisis or situational change and examined policies that included companion animals. The study design and methods used for the studies were also examined to inform the current project design. Please see the full list of papers included in the scoping review in the Multimedia Appendix 1 [3,4,6-11,18-51].

The identified studies in [5] scoping review were predominately quantitative and conducted in the United States, with a focus on the co-occurrence of animal abuse and domestic violence. The lens of research has recently focused on the relationship and animal maltreatment or welfare concerns. Surveys and semistructured interviews were the common forms for collecting quantitative studies and qualitative data respectively. The average sample size consisted of 200 participants for quantitative studies and 20 participants for qualitative studies. The target population was predominantly female adults seeking refuge from domestic violence shelters and support services.

The scoping review [5] confirmed a lack of support for both humans and animals at times of forced separation because of domestic violence. The oversights of the animals’ safety and welfare showed that animals were being left with the abuser [18] and women delayed leaving a violent relationship to protect the companion animal [19]. Additional barriers that were identified included geographical locations, lack of available supports [19], lack of awareness of supports, and attachment or fear of separation from the companion animal [4]. As a result of these barriers, the risks to safety, health, and well-being for women, children, and their companion animals have increased.

The scoping review [5] findings revealed survivors were often reluctant to reach out to services due to a lack of trust in accessing support services, veterinary care, and law enforcement. A lack of trust was associated with a fear of being forced to separate from their companion animal [10,18,20,21]. The reluctance to access support, and the responsibility weighing on women to access supports [6,22] is highly concerning. Although many studies in the literature provided implications for service providers, no research was found that investigated the policy frameworks that provide support to people and companion animals in domestic violence situations at any system, organization, societal, or individual level [5].

The following ethical considerations are guided by the Global Women’s Institute for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Fair Trade [52], which provides recommendations for projects specific to researching women in domestic violence situations. Ethical approval was granted from the Human Research Ethics Committee (approval H9148). Participation in this study is voluntary and written and verbal consent will be obtained from every participant. The data will be retained for a minimum period of 5 years and will only be accessible to the research team. All data collected will be deidentified and pseudonyms will be provided. All audio recordings for both target populations will be erased after transcription. The primary target population will have the opportunity to review the transcriptions in writing via email. To avoid comprising anonymity and confidentiality for the primary target population, specific locations, age, occupation, culture, and religious discourse in the primary target will not be included in the narrative where there is potential to make the participant identifiable. Consent will be obtained verbally prior to the commencement of the focus group discussion and interviews. Participants are reminded of the voluntary nature of the study and their rights to not answer questions or withdraw their participation from the study. The focus group will be informed that confidentiality is not guaranteed and will be requested to anonymize discussions of their opinions and keep the group discussions private. Confidentiality and anonymity are provided to the interview participants.

The research aims to inform the Australian policy framework by investigating how support services operate across different contexts for adult women and their companion animals affected by forced separation to reduce negative impacts for both people and animals when fleeing domestic violence situations. The research aim will be achieved by the following two objectives:

The research seeks to answer the following two questions.

A qualitative design will be used to address the gaps in the literature of a lack of national framework to guide pets and women in domestic violence; the impact of forced separation; and the roles, attitudes, and beliefs of seeking and providing services to better understand the impacts and perceptions of forced separation. The transformative paradigm views privilege and power as a social construction that is embedded through social, political, cultural, economic, gender, age, disability, race, and ethnicity. The transformative worldview is a suitable framework providing the lens of power and oppression with a focus on positive social change [53].

Based on the findings of the scoping review [5] and the role of support services in preventing or minimizing adverse outcomes due to forced separation, a conceptual framework (Figure 1) was developed. The framework indicates that policy and adequate, effective support services are required to improve the outcomes for people and companion animals who must leave their homes because of domestic violence. The scoping review [5] confirms that a policy framework, key supports, and elements required to achieve these outcomes remain unclear. It is important to understand existing policies, support services or providers, and those who use the services in Australia so that improvements can be made to best support people and companion animals fleeing domestic violence. Guided by the conceptual framework created for this study, 4 steps (Figure 1, studies 1-4) need to be implemented to enrich our understanding of the key elements leading to the development of a policy framework on the forced separation of companion animals because of domestic violence that is relevant to the Australian context. The steps include:

A critical analysis of steps 2-4 will be completed to compare the findings of the most common types of support, service gaps, and availability of services, leading to the development of an improved policy and support framework.

It is expected that the findings will identify the substantial issues experienced by women and pets in domestic violence situations such as psychological distress, grief, loss, and the complexity of decision-making when considering a pet. It is expected that women and pets need to be considered more seriously in Australia and the development of policies and services needs to include the consideration of pets in safety planning, accommodation, and long-term housing as their standard practice.

The research protocol builds on existing knowledge in the literature. We are unaware of any published national Australian frameworks or models that directly relate to responding to women and pets fleeing domestic violence. Previous literature indicates when women are seeking help to flee from domestic violence, the risk of safety increases for both women and their pets. In addition, the pet may be used as a coercive control measure, risking further abuse for both the woman and the animal [18]. The evidence indicates it is vital to address the increased risks to safety when fleeing domestic violence. The prospective data collection of service providers and women using domestic violence and animal welfare services in Australia, as we propose in this study, enables further understanding and development of an Australian framework that is embedded by those with lived experiences to improve outcomes.

Limitations include the small sample sizes that will not be generalizable to the wider populations, and the exclusion of non–English-speaking populations limits the ability of the research to understand the special needs of the linguistic and cultural populations [55]. The primary target population is recruited from service providers and is considered safe to participate. This is a limitation for women and pets in situations that did not seek formal service provision, had stayed in the relationship, or were not safe from abuse. Bias is more likely to occur in qualitative research than in quantitative methods, resulting in difficulty reaching true objectivity [59]. However, the strength of the qualitative design allows for flexibility and sensitivity in language, trust, rapport building, exploration of experiences, and collaboration within the community [58] and is appropriate for the study’s aims.

A research project guided by a conceptual framework informed by the findings of the scoping review confirms 4 key studies required to better understand the strengths, needs, and gaps of existing policy and support services for women and pets fleeing domestic violence, and the impacts of forced separation from companion animals. Ultimately, the project will develop an Australian national framework that will develop and provide more relevant guidance for supporting women and their pets fleeing domestic violence situations to improve outcomes for both women and their companion animals in Australia.