Sacramento, CA – (November 9, 2020) – In honor of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, RedRover, a national animal welfare nonprofit, is pleased to announce their partnership with SafePet Ottawa. This partnership will enable more domestic violence shelters to become pet-friendly in Ontario, Canada. SafePet Ottawa will expand their current services to offer grants of up to $26,342 CAD to domestic violence shelters to create on-site housing for the pets of domestic violence survivors. This partnership is funded through the Donner Canadian Foundation.
Research clearly shows the link between domestic violence and animal abuse, which often leads to domestic violence survivors delaying leaving their abuser out of concern for their pets’ safety. According to recent research conducted by Amy Fitzgerald et al., 56% of women delayed leaving their abuser and 33% report that they returned to their abuser out of concern for their pet. Only 6% of domestic violence shelters in Canada offer on-site housing for pets, this creates a real barrier to service for survivors and their pets.
RedRover President and CEO Nicole Forsyth said, “Pets are such important members of the family. We are thrilled to partner with SafePet Ottawa to help Ontario shelters welcome both survivors and their beloved pets onsite together. We know that abusers often use pets as tools for manipulation and control, so we will continue to help shelters expand their pet-friendly programs to allow more survivors and their pets to escape, so that more lives will be saved.”
Ontario domestic violence shelters are encouraged to email relief@redrover.org ASAP to learn more details. The deadline to apply for a Safe Housing grant is November 30, 2020.
SafePet Ottawa President & Executive Director Dayna Desmarais said, “We are thrilled to partner with RedRover to expand pet-friendly services within Ontario! Thanks to our partnership we are already looking to expand into additional women’s shelters to provide our fostering program, and soon help them add in on-site pet housing. This partnership is going to save countless lives, and we are honored to partner with such a wonderful organization to do that.”
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 humane education. Through their RedRover Relief program, they have helped thousands of animals and provided thousands of safe nights across the United States. To learn how RedRover is building a more compassionate future, visit RedRover.org.
About SafePet Ottawa
Since 2013 SafePet Ottawa has been a growing organization committed to ensuring no person has to choose between their safety and that of their pets. Through a foster-based network we have created safe homes for any species of pet who needs to flee with their family from a violent home. To learn more about SafePet Ottawa’s ever expanding program, please visit: www.safepetottawa.com.
Contact:
Sheri Madsen
916.600.8157 cell
smadsen@redrover.org