Helping more pets and survivors find safety in Rhode Island
October 12th, 2022
By Katie Campbell, Director of Collaboration and Outreach
It’s Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM), and what better time to pick up our power tools and help another domestic violence shelter become pet-friendly?
RedRover and Greater Good Charities’ Rescue Rebuild joined forces yet again to help another domestic violence (DV) shelter in Rhode Island become pet-friendly. That’s one more shelter that will help survivors and their pets find safety and healing together. And we couldn’t be prouder to support the Women’s Resource Center on their journey!
Our RedRover Responders volunteers worked alongside Rescue Rebuild to create two pet-friendly rooms and build a perimeter fence so that pet parents can enjoy some safe, quality time outside with their pets. We also left them with lots of supplies including leashes, collars, pets beds, and toys (for both dogs and cats, of course!).
I continue to be amazed by the generosity of our RedRover Responders volunteers who answer our call each and every time there’s a need. For some of our volunteers, this was their first time joining us on a deployment!
A first-time volunteer, Emily from Maine, joined us after completing a Don’t Forget the Pets project in August. Emily shared:
“I work in homeless services, and so many shelters don’t accept pets. The reality is, it’s incredibly hard to get people in from the cold when they can’t take their pets with them. So, it’s amazing to contribute to a project that will help people find safety without having to give up their pet.”
Also joining us for the first time was RedRover’s Community Outreach Coordinator, Ketia Johnson! Ketia is a vital part of our outreach team and supports our Don’t Forget the Pets collaborative project. Here’s what Ketia had to say about her first shelter build project.
“It has been an incredibly rewarding experience working together with RedRover Responders volunteers and the Rescue Rebuild team to create pet-friendly spaces for folks in the community seeking shelter. Knowing that the work I’m doing is ensuring that people and their pet companions can have the space they need to heal is truly special. I encourage everyone to consider joining us on our next domestic violence shelter build – you won’t regret it!”
This October – and always – we encourage you to spread the word about our pet housing programs and hope you’ll join us on a future domestic violence shelter build!
