You gave Chris & Bella Safe Escape
October 7th, 2020
Our pets provide us with unconditional love, a sense of purpose, and often hope during the most difficult of times. That’s exactly what Bella,* a 2-year-old rescue dog, provided to Chris* when he escaped domestic violence and sought safety at a domestic violence shelter. While it is well-known that 1 in 3 women will experience domestic violence, rape, or stalking by an intimate partner, it is not as openly discussed that 1 in 4 men will also experience these traumas.
When Chris decided to seek services at a domestic violence shelter, he knew there was no way he would leave Bella behind. So when the domestic violence shelter could not accept pets, he didn’t know what to do. Bella temporarily stayed at a friend’s house, but when that was no longer safe due to the other animals in the home, Chris was out of options.
That’s when his domestic violence advocate contacted RedRover. We quickly approved a Safe Escape grant to board Bella while Chris was receiving shelter services. Within a month, Chris was able to find permanent safe housing for both himself and Bella.
After they were happily reunited, his advocate shared with us:
“As both an advocate and pet owner myself, I believe this program makes a significant impact in the lives of domestic violence survivors. Pets prove time and time again to be the most loyal of companions and can be beneficial in making clients feel safe, loved and protected… We are so appreciative to have a resource like RedRover to continue positively impacting the lives of victims.”
*Names changed to protect privacy
Learn more about how you can support domestic violence survivors and pets at RedRover.org/dvhelp >>
