Creating safe spaces for animal survivors in Oklahoma
February 11th, 2022
By Katie Campbell, Director of Collaboration and Outreach
Our time in Oklahoma was a breeze! Quite literally. Last month, our hardworking team of RedRover Responders volunteers braved a breezy and chilly (what was that “feels like” temp again?!) week in Oklahoma to transform a garage into a welcoming space for the pets of domestic violence survivors. The renovation of this space was nothing short of amazing and will help survivors and their pets find safety and healing together for many years to come. Check out some of our before and after footage!
Temperatures may have been low, but spirits were high as our team tackled one project after another. Alongside the Rescue Rebuild crew our team helped install chain link fencing for a large dog play yard and individual dog runs (gotta have those doggy relief areas!). They painted walls and put together cat enrichment boxes, assembled furniture, and even did some landscaping.
For me, this project was even more special as the host domestic violence organization was one of the first participants to join our Don’t Forget the Pets’ (DFTP) “Coaching” program. Their “pet-friendly champion” representative (my nickname for them) joined us for a DFTP training workshop in early 2021 and then applied for our Coaching program. Through the program, they received one-on-one and guidance on their pet housing program structure, as well as some insurance concerns. So it was extra rewarding to come full-circle from conception to execution and support this organization with some hammers and nails (and paint brushes, too!).
I’m encouraged and inspired by each organization that says “yes” to the pets of people in crisis. And I’m blown away by the support of our volunteers who say “yes” to that deployment request that takes them to places far and wide – and sometimes asks them to do things like hang chain link fencing or move many, many pounds of gravel! As always, we couldn’t have done it without our volunteers’ help. Their combined efforts will help keep people and their pets together – and there is no greater reward for me than that.
