A Salisbury-based insurance firm is backing a national campaign to strengthen legal protections for pets caught up in domestic abuse.
Perfect Pet Insurance has become an official supporting partner of Ruby’s Law, which is calling for changes to legislation to protect animals from abusive partners.
Under current legislation in England and Wales, pets are treated as property, meaning court orders designed to protect domestic abuse victims do not explicitly cover their animals.
Campaigners say abusers can exploit this gap by threatening or harming pets to intimidate victims or prevent them from leaving dangerous relationships.
Ruby’s Law is seeking to address situations where animals are threatened or harmed as a means of controlling people in abusive relationships.
The campaign wants protection orders to explicitly cover pets, courts to have powers to determine where animals should live for their safety, and family law to recognise harm to pets as a form of coercive control.
Founded by family law barrister Christina Warner and named after her cat, Ruby, the campaign has already reached Parliament.
Its proposals were introduced by Ruth Jones MP in March as the Domestic Abuse (Pets) Bill.
Salisbury-based Tedaisy Insurance Group, which operates Perfect Pet Insurance, has now pledged its support, with sponsorship helping to fund advocacy events across the UK.
The funding will also support briefings for MPs and training for legal, animal welfare and domestic abuse professionals.
Paul Byrne, Group Chairman and CEO of Tedaisy Insurance Group, said: “As a business built around protecting pets and the people who love them, Ruby’s Law is a cause close to our hearts.
“Abusers too often use pets to control their victims, and nobody should have to stay somewhere unsafe because they’re afraid of what will happen to the animal they love.
“We’re proud to back the campaign and help give pets the protection they need.”
