Mabel’s DV Survivor Story
May 6th, 2026
By Savannah Verdon, Development Manager –
Mabel* had raised her dog, Colby*, from birth – two years of loving and protecting the little rat terrier mix and showing her children the special love of a pet. Their bond was so close that Mabel’s husband wanted her to get rid of Colby, a preview of the control and abuse that was to come. Once she realized she was living in a cycle of abuse and was ready to leave, Colby had to come with them. After all, her daughter adored Colby, and her son, who was afraid of dogs, had grown to love playing with her. He was most excited when he could pick out a new toy for Colby.
She had tried to leave twice, and both times Colby stayed with them at friends’ homes. On their third and final attempt, they came to a domestic violence shelter instead. Mabel resolved to never return to the abuse again. Even when she found out that Colby couldn’t stay with them unless she was a registered service or emotional support animal, Mabel was focused on finding solutions rather than accepting defeat. Turning to her shelter advocate for help, she learned about the RedRover Relief Safe Escape grant program and applied right away.
While Mabel and the kids would miss Colby while she was boarded nearby, she knew Colby would do just fine. Her sweet girl had always been resilient and adapted well to new situations. It made Mabel that much more confident that she had made the right decision to leave. They would be apart for a few weeks to a month, and then they would have the rest of their lives to live together in peace. Her children would grow up in a safe home with their best friend, just like she’d always wanted. There would be another benefit from their time apart: Mabel could work with her advocate to get documentation from a mental health professional that Colby was an emotional support animal, potentially making it easier to find pet-friendly, affordable housing.
After a month in the domestic violence shelter, Mabel was ready to move on with her children and pick Colby up from the boarding facility. Their first stop? The pet store, to pick a new toy for Colby.
Every RedRover Relief Safe Escape grant that your generous support makes possible keeps a family whole in times of crisis. On behalf of Mabel, Colby, and all of us at RedRover, thank you for protecting domestic violence survivors and their pets!
*Names have been changed to protect privacy
P.S. Please consider making a Safe Escape possible for every survivor with a generous gift today.
