DV and housing?

[SnailsEverywhere]

I'm living in a situation where my ex is abusing me and my pets. It's escalated and I need to move out. I delayed moving out for so long already because I'm worried about where my pets would go.

We currently rent a house together, I have no money to move anywhere else. I talked to the police and I am going to the station in a few days to try and get help. Emergency accommodation and shelters etc have been mentioned, with the council able to help organise that until they can find permanent accommodation.

Does anyone know if I joined the register for a council house, how long would it take to get one in my situation? If I'm in temporary accommodation or a shelter I don't know where my pets will go and I can't abandon them.

Would it be feasible to stay in my current home and wait for a council house? I'm unable to talk to the police or council until next week due to another situation but I can't stop thinking about it and worrying :(

RSPCA have a fostering service for pets belonging to people fleeing DV;

www.rspca.org.uk/whatwedo/care/petretreat

You would need to speak directly to your local authority about what you could expect in terms of housing.

My friend was moved straight into LA housing with no B&B or hostel or refuge but it may not be like that everywhere.

Thanks Offred, good to know that it's even possible for it to go like that for your friend so it's calmed me down a bit. I contacted the rspca already but their scheme is full. I contacted dogs trust too as they also have one but I'm out of the catchment zone

If you could safely look at the local authority housing page it may be a good start for you. Where I live there are two councils who's boundaries are quite interlinked, one of them you do not have to be on the housing prior to being homeless and needing to be housed yet the other one you do need to be on the list.

That's difficult about the pets.

My neighbour fosters dogs, it might be worth looking around in the local neighbourhood for less formal schemes, speaking to dog walkers etc to see if there is anything they can do to help.