Sacramento, CA (September 29, 2020) – RedRover has awarded more than $250,000 in Safe Housing grant funds during the first grant cycle of 2020. RedRover’s Safe Housing grants not only enable domestic violence shelters to create on- and off-site space to house pets, they also allow animal shelters to build dedicated housing for animal victims of abuse. Of the 15 grants awarded, six are RedRover + Purina Purple Leash Project grants, an extension of RedRover’s Safe Housing program. And in the first grant cycle of its kind, five Safe Housing Animal Shelter grants were awarded for a total of $100,000 in four states.
Since the program’s inception in 2012, RedRover has given 125 grants totaling more than $1.2 million.
RedRover President & CEO Nicole Forsyth states, “These grants can give so many domestic violence survivors and their pets a chance for a fresh start in life, free from manipulation and abuse. We are committed to bringing more pet-friendly spaces to as many shelters as we can to ensure no one has to choose between their safety and their pet.”
The following received Safe Housing grants during this application period:
Animal Shelters
- Souris Valley Animal Shelter – Ward County, ND, $20,000
- 4 Paws Rescue, Inc.- Lincoln Parish, LA, $20,000
- Monadnock Humane Society – Cheshire County, NH, $20,000
- Big Sky Ranch/CATNIP Foundation – St. Tammany Parish, LA, $20,000
- Humane Society of Marlboro – Marlboro County, SC, $20,000
Domestic Violence Shelters
- Shelterhouse – Midland Co., MI, $20,000
- Interfaith Hospitality Network of Greater Cincinnati (IHNGC)/ YWCA of Greater Cincinnati – Hamilton County, OH, $20,000
- Family Life Center – Flagler County, FL, $20,000
- Renew, Inc. – Montezuma County, CO, $5,000
- *Avalon Center Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault Agency – Cumberland County, TN, $9,800
Purple Leash Project Domestic Shelter grantees
- YWCA Charleston – Resolve Family Abuse Program – Kanawha County, WV, $20,000
- New Life Center – Maricopa County, AZ, $20,000
- Raphael House of Portland – Multnomah County, OR, $6,000
- Safe Nest – Clark County, NV, $20,000
- Community Beyond Violence – Nevada County, CA, $5,322
- *Avalon Center Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault Agency – Cumberland County, TN, $12,200
According to research conducted by Dr. Frank Ascione, as many as 71 percent of pet-owning women entering domestic violence shelters report their abuser injured, killed or threatened family pets for revenge or psychological control. Additionally, up to 48 percent of domestic violence victims reported delaying leaving their abusers because they feared what would happen to their pets.
RedRover and Purina are working towards the goal of having at least one pet-friendly domestic violence shelter in each state. Currently, Hawaii, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island have NO pet-friendly domestic violence shelters. For a complete list of RedRover programs that help domestic violence victims escape abusive situations with their pets, visit redrover.org/relief.
Deadlines to apply for Safe Housing and Purple Leash Project grants are May 15 and October 15 each year. To learn more, visit: https://redrover.org/SafeHousing.
*Funding for this grant is split between two sources
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About RedRover
Since 1987, RedRover has focused on bringing animals out of crisis and strengthening the human-animal bond through emergency sheltering, disaster relief services, financial assistance and education. For the fifth consecutive year, RedRover has earned a 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