pets

Companion Animals Provide Hope to Vulnerable Population

Sacramento, California (January 8, 2024) – RedRover® is thrilled to announce their 2024 Safe Housing Homeless Shelter Pilot Program, thanks to the generous support of an anonymous donor! Expanding their Safe Housing pilot program beyond supporting domestic violence shelters and animal shelters is another way to ensure the unhoused population can keep their beloved pets safe by their side.

A study by Randall Singer, Lynette Hart, and Lee Zasloff found that 93% of men and 96% of women said that they would not stay at a homeless shelter if pets were not allowed (Singer et al.,1995, Dilemmas Associated with Rehousing Homeless People Who Have Companion Animals).

This pilot program will offer Safe Housing grants of up to $100,000 for U.S. homeless shelters to start a pet friendly program at their shelter. The funds can be used for building, renovations, and pet care supplies, with limited funds available for veterinary care, transportation, and more. This pilot program is being offered for the March 1, 2024, deadline only.

RedRover Director of Outreach and Collaboration, Katie Campbell, said, “RedRover is so grateful that we are finally able to offer grants to another at-risk population. Unhoused individuals often look to their pets as their lifeline and they may be the only family they have. Knowing that their pet is safe beside them while in shelter or being cared for lovingly through a shelter’s custom program, can only bring a sense of immense relief and hope, which on their best days may be rarely felt.”

The Safe Housing homeless shelter grant application deadline is March 1, 2024. The Safe Housing domestic violence shelter grant deadlines are March 1, June 1, and September 1. To learn more, visit: RedRover.org/SafeHousing.

Pets and Homelessness:

• It has been estimated that as many as 3.5 million people experience homelessness per year and as many as 25% of them have pets.
• Non-pet-friendly shelters force people to choose between their pets and supportive services.

In 2019, RedRover created the collaborative Don’t Forget The Pets (DFTP) training program with Greater Good Charities (GGC) to support organizations facing barriers that prevent them from creating pet housing programs. While the primary audience has been domestic violence shelters and animal welfare organizations, 6.6% of attendees are from homeless shelters. In 2021, the DFTP training expanded into a comprehensive website and coaching program, and even more homeless shelter advocates are taking the training and enrolled into the coaching program.

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About RedRover

Founded in 1987, RedRover focuses on bringing animals out of crisis and strengthening the human-animal bond through emergency sheltering, disaster relief services, financial assistance, and education. Since 2012, RedRover has awarded 210 grants to shelters in 46 states, totaling more than $4 million. Additionally, Safe Housing grants have created the first pet-friendly domestic violence shelter in 10 states! RedRover has earned a coveted 4-star rating from Charity Navigator, America’s largest independent charity evaluator. To learn how RedRover is creating a more compassionate world, visit RedRover.org.

Contact: Sheri Madsen

916.600.8157 cell

smadsen@redrover.org