Purina and the nonprofit RedRover have awarded four new Purple Leash Project grants to help domestic violence shelters make pet-friendly renovations. The latest grant recipients include Finding Grace Ministries in Jefferson, County, Missouri; Women's Resource Center in Newport County, Rhode Island; Monarch Services - Servicios Monarca in Santa Cruz County, California and Seminole County Victims' Rights Coalition Inc in Seminole County, Florida. Funding will provide pet-friendly upgrades and resources to domestic abuse survivors and their pets at each shelter, including pet-safe housing, veterinary care, outdoor pet play yards and supplies.
Together, through the Purple Leash Project, Purina and RedRover are working to help domestic violence shelters across the country become pet-friendly so that survivors and their pets can escape abuse and heal together. Currently, only about 15% of domestic violence shelters in the United States allow pets.
"Nearly half of all domestic violence survivors will delay leaving their abuser if they can't bring their pet with them, which is a choice that nobody should have to make," said Nina Leigh Krueger, CEO and president of Purina. "Luckily, the number of resources to help survivors and their four-legged family members escape abuse and heal together is growing every day, and Purina is humbled to help lead the charge alongside our partners at RedRover to make more pet-inclusive resources available."
Since the Purple Leash Project was founded in 2019, Purina has provided more than $1 million in funding and is working together with RedRover toward a goal of helping to ensure that at least 25% of domestic violence shelters are pet-friendly by 2025. To date, 34 grants totaling $701,850 have now been gifted to domestic violence shelters across the US by Purina providing thousands of safe nights for survivors with pets.
Each shelter recipient will use the Purple Leash Project grants to fund projects and services unique to the needs of their location:
- Finding Grace Ministries in Jefferson County, Missouri will receive $60,000 to build on-site outdoor play yards. Additional funds will support the installation of pet-friendly flooring and scratch guards for doors as well as pet supplies and veterinary care.
- Women's Resource Center in Newport County, Rhode Island will receive $40,000 to build dog play areas and a 'catio'--an enclosed cat patio. Remaining funds will go toward a fence installation.
- Monarch Services - Servicios Monarca in Santa Cruz County, California will receive $33,400, which will allow the shelter to house cats, dogs, rabbits, birds, fish, reptiles, small mammals and pocket pets. The remaining funds will go toward building pet play yards, providing pet supplies and covering veterinary costs.
- Seminole County Victims' Rights Coalition Inc in Seminole County, Florida will receive $19,450 to build pet-friendly suites where survivors can stay with their pets, in their own private rooms, and have access to a dog park on-site. Remaining funds will be allocated for a security system and pet supplies.
"RedRover and Purina's Purple Leash Project grant will help Finding Grace Ministries become the first pet-friendly human shelter in Jefferson County, Missouri," said Doreen Page, Finding Grace Ministries executive director. "We're so thankful to both organizations for helping us bring our dreams of providing real, impactful solutions to survivors of domestic violence to reality."
To learn more about the Purple Leash Project, donate or sign up for ongoing updates, visit www.PurpleLeashProject.com.
If you know someone who is being abused and ready to leave with their pet, they can find information on pet-friendly shelters in their area at www.SafePlaceForPets.org.
