WORLD WORLDWIDE US USA TEXAS HOUSTON - ANIMALS - care2PETITIONS - Pet-friendly domestic violence shelters save both humans' and animals' lives

 

Urge more access to pet-friendly domestic violence shelters.

Welcoming Pets at Domestic Violence Shelters Would Keep Both Animals and Humans Safe

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Dear friends,    You're considering fleeing a household filled with domestic violence, but local shelters are saying you can't bring your beloved companion animal. Can you imagine leaving your defenseless pet — who depends on you for safety and protection — behind? Countless survivors face this heartbreaking decision every day in Texas and across the U.S.   A study from the National Link Coalition found that 71% of survivors reported their abuser had harmed, threatened, or killed a pet to maintain control.   And these violent threats work. Many survivors remain in dangerous homes solely to protect their pets from harm. Without more pet-friendly shelters, survivors have two impossible choices: risk their own lives to protect their pets or leave their pets behind, defenseless.   Luckily, a new, life-saving initiative in Houston, Texas, is showing us a better way. Opening next year, the Houston Area Women's Center will create a safe haven where survivors and pets can live together, free from harm. This facility will join only 250 pet-friendly domestic violence shelters in the country — a staggering gap that leaves too many survivors trapped. It's time to expand Texas's pet-friendly domestic violence shelters statewide. Survivors and their pets deserve safety, dignity, and the chance to escape abuse — together. Sign the petition today to urge Texas lawmakers to follow Houston's example.

Thank you, Miranda Care2 Petitions Team

P.S. A new shelter for abuse survivors in Houston, Texas will allow survivors to bring their pets to safety as well. Only 250 shelters allow this in the U.S. Sign the petition.      Sign Now