For many of us, our pets are family. They're part of our daily routines, our emotional support, and sometimes our greatest comfort during difficult times.
For someone experiencing domestic violence, leaving an unsafe home can mean facing another incredibly difficult decision: what happens to their pet?
Many domestic violence shelters cannot accommodate animals. Friends or family may not be able to help, and in some cases, an abusive partner may threaten an animal as a way to maintain control.
These are real barriers to safety, and they're an important part of the conversation about animal welfare.
At Beezy's Rescue, we spend a lot of time talking about animals who need help. But we also believe it's important to understand the circumstances that bring animals into rescue in the first place.
Domestic violence is one of many situations where a lack of resources can separate people from animals they love.
The connection between domestic violence and animal abuse
Domestic violence doesn't always affect only the people in a household. Animals can also be threatened, harmed, or used to control people.
For someone experiencing abuse, a pet may provide stability, companionship, and emotional safety. Threats against that animal can make an already dangerous situation even more complicated.
According to the Purina Purple Leash Project, approximately 20% of domestic violence shelters in the United States can accommodate pets. The project also reports that 48% of survivors delay leaving an abusive situation because they cannot bring their pets with them.
Someone may be ready to leave, but available resources don't provide a safe place for their animal.
The question shouldn't be why that person hasn't left yet. It should be why our communities haven't made it easier for people and their pets to find safety together.
Animal welfare is also about supporting people
In rescue, we regularly hear stories about animals surrendered, abandoned, or separated from their families.
It's easy to focus on what happened to the animal without knowing the circumstances that led to that moment.
But housing instability, financial hardship, medical emergencies, domestic violence, and limited access to services can all affect someone's ability to care for a pet.
Not every separation results from someone not caring enough.
Sometimes a person is navigating circumstances that leave them with very few safe or realistic options.
This is why we believe animal rescue needs to be part of a larger conversation about community support.
Veterinary assistance, temporary fostering, pet-friendly emergency housing, accessible behavioral support, and partnerships with human service organizations can all help prevent unnecessary separation.
Helping an animal doesn't always mean finding them a new home. Sometimes it means helping them stay safely with the family they already have.
Creating safer options for people and pets
Fortunately, organizations nationwide are working to address these gaps.
RedRover
RedRover provides resources and financial assistance designed to help people and animals in crisis.
Its Safe Escape program can help cover temporary boarding costs for pets while survivors access domestic violence shelter services. Domestic violence advocates coordinate applications.
RedRover also offers Safe Housing grants to help organizations develop programs that let survivors and their pets find safety together.
These programs recognize that animal care needs to be part of safety planning, not an afterthought.
Learn more: https://redrover.org/relief-dv/
The Purple Leash Project
The Purple Leash Project, a partnership between Purina and RedRover, expands access to pet-friendly domestic violence shelters.
By supporting shelter programs and raising awareness, the project addresses a barrier that can keep people and animals in dangerous environments.
Their work shows what can happen when organizations look beyond their individual missions and recognize how human and animal welfare overlap.
Learn more: https://www.purina.com/purple-leash-project
San Diego Humane Society
San Diego Humane Society is another organization advancing the conversation around the needs of animals and the people who care for them.
Its broader approach to animal welfare recognizes the importance of community support and resources that help families facing difficult circumstances.
This kind of work encourages us to think about animal welfare beyond shelter walls and consider the systems that affect whether people can keep their animals safe and cared for.
Learn more: https://www.sdhumane.org/
These efforts show what becomes possible when animal welfare organizations, domestic violence advocates, shelters, and communities work together.
What can animal rescues do?
Most small rescue organizations aren't equipped to provide emergency housing or specialized services for domestic violence survivors. But that doesn't mean we can't contribute.
We can educate ourselves about the connection between human and animal safety.
We can learn which organizations provide assistance and share that information with our communities.
We can build relationships with human service providers, veterinary professionals, foster networks, and organizations already doing this work.
We can advocate for programs that let people and their animals stay together whenever it is safe and possible.
And perhaps most importantly, we can change how we talk about people who are struggling.
When someone has to surrender an animal, we don't always know the full story. Approaching those situations with curiosity and compassion rather than judgment creates more opportunities to help.
We also need to recognize that good intentions aren't enough. Supporting survivors requires confidentiality, thoughtful safety planning, and coordination with trained professionals.
Animal rescue groups can be valuable partners, but we should not expect survivors to navigate these complicated systems alone.
A broader understanding of rescue
Beezy's Rescue is a small, foster-based nonprofit working in Los Angeles and Connecticut. Much of our work focuses on dogs with complex medical and behavioral needs, particularly those overlooked or with limited options in traditional shelter systems.
Our work has taught us that animal welfare cannot be separated from the environments and circumstances in which animals live.
When we look only at the animal in front of us, we risk overlooking the systems and barriers that contributed to their situation.
We want to see more communities invest in resources that help families before a crisis results in separation.
That means supporting people without judgment, recognizing that safety looks different for every family, and understanding that animal protection and human well-being are connected.
Some animals will always need rescue and new homes. But some animals already have people who love them and need access to the right support.
Both deserve our attention.
Resources for people and pets experiencing domestic violence
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence and is concerned about the safety of a pet, there are organizations that may be able to help.
National Domestic Violence Hotline
Confidential support, safety planning, and referrals to local resources.
- Call: 1-800-799-7233
- Text: START to 88788
- Website: https://www.thehotline.org/
RedRover Safe Escape
Financial assistance for eligible temporary pet boarding arrangements coordinated through a domestic violence shelter advocate.
https://redrover.org/relief-dv/dv-safe-escape-grants/
Purple Leash Project
Information about efforts to expand pet-friendly domestic violence shelter programs and resources for survivors with pets.
https://www.purina.com/purple-leash-project
Safe Havens for Pets
A searchable directory of programs that may provide temporary housing or other assistance for pets of people experiencing domestic violence.
https://safehavensforpets.org/
Don't Forget the Pets
Resources, education, and guidance for animal welfare and human service organizations interested in creating pet-inclusive housing and support programs.
https://dontforgetthepets.org/
If you are concerned that someone may be monitoring your phone or internet activity, consider contacting a domestic violence advocate using a safer device. An advocate can help you explore options and develop a safety plan that includes your animals.
If you are in immediate danger, call 911 when it is safe to do so.
Changing the conversation
At Beezy's Rescue, we believe animal welfare should be rooted in compassion, practical support, and an understanding of the bigger picture.
We hope that sharing these resources encourages more people within the rescue community to consider what it really means to protect animals.
Sometimes the most important thing we can do for a pet is help the person who loves them find safety, too.
Beezy's Rescue is an independent animal welfare nonprofit sharing educational resources. We are not affiliated with the organizations mentioned above and do not provide domestic violence crisis intervention services.
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