October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM), an opportunity to stand with survivors of domestic violence, recognize the advocates working to create safer communities, and raise awareness about the barriers that can make it difficult for survivors to navigate a path to safety. At RedRover, we know that for many survivors, true safety means safety for their pets, too.
Pets are family, and the bond between people and their animals can be especially meaningful during times of crisis. For survivors of domestic violence, that bond can also affect decisions about seeking shelter and leaving an unsafe situation. As many as 71% of pet-owning women entering shelter have reported that their abuser injured, killed, or threatened their pet. Half of pet-owning domestic violence survivors report that they would not consider shelter for themselves if they could not take their pet with them, while 91% say their pets’ emotional support and physical protection played a significant role in their ability to survive and heal.
These realities underscore why supporting survivors must include consideration for their pets. When people and pets can access safety together, we can remove an important barrier to seeking help and create more supportive pathways toward healing.
This October, RedRover is bringing together leaders from domestic violence advocacy, animal welfare, legal services, and other fields to explore how communities can better support survivors and their pets. Through two virtual panel discussions, a podcast, and a guest blog, our DVAM campaign highlights the people, partnerships, and ideas helping to make pet-inclusive support more accessible.
Pictured: RedRover President and CEO, Katie Campbell
We’ll begin the month on October 7 at 11:00 a.m. PT with our virtual panel, “Domestic Violence and Pets: Advancing Safety and Healing.” The conversation will explore the human-animal bond, the growing movement toward pet-inclusive services and housing, and why collaboration across sectors is essential to creating safer pathways for survivors and their pets. Panelists include Katie Ray-Jones from the National Domestic Violence Hotline, Ashley Rumschlag from Alliance for HOPE International, Liz Graham from 180 Turning Lives Around, and Shoshana Mostoller from My Dog Is My Home. Together, these industry leaders will share their perspectives, resources, and insights into advancing this work in communities nationwide.
On October 12, we’ll continue the conversation with a special podcast episode, “Safe Futures and the Protect Our Pets Initiative.” RedRover President and CEO Katie Campbell will sit down with staff from Safe Futures in Connecticut to learn how community collaboration is helping build a sustainable safety net for pet families in crisis. Their story offers a powerful look at what can happen when organizations come together around a shared commitment to keeping people and pets safe.
Then, on October 20, we’ll publish a guest blog, “What Would You Do to Make Sure Your Pet Was Safe?” The story follows the dedicated advocates at Peace at Home Family Shelter in Northwest Arkansas as they rallied their community around a goal: funding and building a pet sanctuary on shelter grounds. The Candy Clark Pet Sanctuary represents what is possible when a community recognizes that caring for survivors also means caring for the animals they love.
We’ll close out the month on October 29 at 11:00 a.m. PT with our second virtual panel, “Impactful Partnerships: Supporting Both Ends of the Leash.” This conversation will focus on the power of partnerships to support both people and pets experiencing domestic violence. Noa Hefer from Purina and Alexandra Sheedy-Rodriguez from Reed Smith, will explore how businesses and nonprofits can leverage their expertise, resources, and networks — from legal support and grant funding to public awareness campaigns — to strengthen vital services and advance safety for survivors and their pets.
Together, these stories and conversations demonstrate that there is no single solution to the challenges faced by survivors and their pets. Creating safer communities requires collaboration among domestic violence organizations, animal welfare groups, shelters, housing providers, businesses, funders, advocates, and community members. It can mean expanding pet-friendly shelter and housing, providing emergency veterinary care or temporary pet housing, developing partnerships, increasing resources, or simply recognizing the importance of pets when we talk about survivor safety.
Domestic Violence Awareness Month gives all of us an opportunity to learn more, listen to survivors and advocates, share resources, and consider how we can contribute to a future where people and pets have pathways to safety together. Explore RedRover’s full DVAM 2026 campaign, including upcoming events, stories, and resources at redrover.org/dvam-2026
This October, join us in raising awareness, strengthening connections, and supporting solutions that recognize the whole family. Because when we make room for pets in conversations about domestic violence, we make room for the whole family — and we move closer to a future where no survivor has to choose between their own safety and the safety of a beloved pet.
Danielle Works is the Community Engagement Manager for RedRover. With more than 10 years of experience in animal welfare, Danielle consults with shelters throughout the country to identify collaborative solutions for pets and owners in crisis. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Biology from Willamette University in Salem, Oregon.
