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About Us
We champion animal-inclusive safeguarding through expert training, consultancy, and research. We support professionals across sectors to not only understand the links between animal cruelty and interpersonal abuse but to apply that knowledge in practice—creating safer outcomes for all survivors, human and animal alike.
Meet our Founder
Maya is a trusted expert in domestic abuse, sexual violence, and trauma-informed practice, and a pioneering authority on the link between animal cruelty and interpersonal abuse. With over a decade of experience across frontline support, advocacy, and education roles, she holds a Master’s in Human Rights Law and is a qualified Independent Sexual Violence Advisor with extensive experience supporting female, male, and LGBTQ+ survivors of sexual and domestic abuse.
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A Level 4 qualified educator, Maya has over six years’ experience delivering training to statutory and voluntary organisations on a range of topics, including abuse, safeguarding, and trauma-informed practice. She played a key role in developing the Level 4 Diploma in Advocacy and Support Skills for Working with Survivors of Domestic and Sexual Abuse, currently delivers the Level 4 Domestic and Sexual Abuse Support Worker Apprenticeships for England, and led the creation of the first Ofqual-regulated qualification in Safeguarding for Pet Professionals.
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Maya has held advisory roles including on the College of Policing’s Domestic Abuse Matters editorial board, the National Working Group Against Spiritual and Ritual Abuse, Avon & Somerset Police’s Women’s Independent Advisory Group, and as former Safeguarding Lead for the Animal Behaviour & Training Council.
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Through Loop Safeguarding, Maya has worked with professionals across sectors, including the Houses of Parliament’s All-Party Parliamentary Dog Advisory Welfare Group, the Ministry of Defence’s National and Global Safeguarding Leads, Lincolnshire Police, Cardiff Council, and Victim Support. She has also lectured on the Master’s in Safeguarding at Birmingham City University and the MSc in Applied Animal Behaviour & Welfare at Bishop Burton University.
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Maya is also a Family Dog Mediator and certified Canine Trauma Expert. Her published work includes The Compliance to Partnership Planet for Living with Dogs (2022), The Dog Abuse Matrix (2024), and Including Animal Abuse in the Eight Stages to Domestic Homicide Timeline (2024).
Our Values
We are Survivor Centred
We unapologetically centre the voices and experiences of all survivors—human and animal alike.
We advocate for responses to abuse that are grounded in survivor-centred, intersectional, and anti-oppressive principles, while challenging the systems that enable harm.
We are Curious
Curiosity is vital for transformative growth and change. We believe in the power of asking questions, thinking critically, challenging assumptions and embracing new perspectives to advance our cause.
We acknowledge that learning is an ongoing journey and we prioritise continuous education and development.
We are Collaborative
Collaboration is essential to ensuring effective, holistic responses are embedded in abuse prevention and response.
We all have a role to play.
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This is an inherently interdisciplinary issue, requiring the insight of survivors, professionals across sectors, and diverse organisations.
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We actively and enthusiastically welcome opportunities for collaboration and collective action.
We are Courageous
Standing up for what is right can be challenging, but it's a responsibility we all share.
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We encourage everyone we work with to find the courage to act when they suspect abuse of a human or animal - and at Loop Safeguarding, we are committed to walking that path alongside them, leading with care and integrity.
Networks & Working Group Memberships
