The Importance of Keeping Survivors and Pets Together – DVAM Panel Recap
October 2nd, 2025
By Katie Campbell, President and CEO –
We were thrilled to launch our first-ever Domestic Violence Awareness (and Action) Month (DVAM) webinar campaign with a panel discussion focused on the importance of recognizing the link between human and animal violence. Panelists shared their perspectives on how the movement has grown, what it means to them and their organizations, and how we continue to create “communities of safety, help, and healing” (Ashley Rumschlag) that include all members of the family.
Our conversation centered around the idea that a lack of pet-inclusive housing doesn’t just mean a barrier to safety and service for survivors, it also means a barrier to “healing on both ends of the leash” (Lorie Westhoff). As a survivor and advocate, Candice Amundson shared:
“It’s more than a program, it’s a lifeline. Healing happens when you don’t have to leave a loved one behind.”
We recognize that there are many reasons that a survivor may delay or not be able to leave an abuser – from lack of or reduced financial resources, isolation from friends and family, worries over custody of human children, threats of or actual physical harm, and the fact that the most dangerous time for a survivor is when they decide to leave an abuser. There are many reasons to delay leaving abuse, but loving a pet doesn’t need to be one of them.
As Claire Selib shared, the “goal is to holistically support survivors”… and not “separate out domestic violence from animal cruelty.” These challenges are interconnected, and our solutions need to be interconnected.
I left these conversations feeling encouraged and inspired by what we’ve accomplished so far and for what lies ahead. The more we recognize that we must work together as advocates for humans and animals, the more we can create solutions that recognize whole families. And create the opportunity for whole families to heal together.
