Courageous Together for DV Survivors at Westminster
February 11th, 2025
By Katie Campbell, President and CEO –
New York City went to the dogs! Well, at least the Javits Convention Center (and later Madison Square Garden) went to the dogs earlier this month for the 149th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.
For the second year in a row, I had the opportunity to attend the “Canine Celebration” on day one of this three-day event. And what a celebration it was! Day one included activities like agility, flyball, obedience, and even a demo ring. And the dogs LOVED it! Not only could you see – and hear! – their enjoyment, so many of these pups just soaked in the appreciation of their adoring fans (happy ears and wagging tails anyone?!).
But I wasn’t there just to be an adoring fan – although I checked that box off quickly. I joined our teammates from Purina to share about the Purple Leash Project and the barrier that the lack of pet-friendly shelters creates for domestic violence (DV) survivors to leave an abuser out of concern for the safety of their pets.
We talked with attendees from all walks of life – dog handlers, pet parents and pet lovers of all varieties, and even local community members and families who had come in for something fun and warm to do on a Saturday. And so many of these folks shared the sentiment: “wow, I hadn’t thought about that.” The realization that a survivor may delay leaving an abuser is a powerful one – and one that can be a game-changer.
Why a game-changer? Because this fact might be the very thing that helps someone empathize with a survivor. Knowing the feeling of loving your pet, and that you would do anything to keep that pet safe may break down that barrier to understanding. It can move someone from asking, “Why don’t survivors just leave?” to “I understand you, I believe you, I’m here for you.”
And that’s the power of the Purple Leash Project.
Not only has the Purple Leash Project provided vital funds needed to create pet-friendly DV shelters (in fact, more than $5,200 was raised because of the three-day event!), but it creates opportunities to share conversation and create awareness of how we as communities can better support those who need us most – survivors and their pets. From specially marked pet food packaging during the month of October, to commercials and radio ads, to the creation of the traveling “Courageous Together” statue, the Purple Leash Project is driving change and supporting both ends of the leash.
