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Help Families And Pets Escape Crisis Together

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Sponsor: The Animal Rescue Site

Survivors and families in crisis should never have to choose between safety and the pets they love.

Person holding a small puppy over their shoulder inside a kennel or shelter environment.

For many people fleeing domestic violence, eviction, disaster, or sudden emergency relocation, a pet is not optional. A dog, cat, service animal, emotional support animal, or other companion may be family, comfort, protection, and stability during the most dangerous days of a person’s life.

But emergency systems often fail to protect that bond. Survivors may be told that a shelter cannot accept pets. Families may be forced to pay sudden pet deposits, boarding bills, transport costs, veterinary expenses, or food and supply costs at the exact moment they have the least money and the least time.

The ASPCA reports that between 18% and 48% of domestic violence victims delayed leaving or returned to an abuser out of fear for their pets’ welfare, and that up to 89% of pet-owning women entering shelters reported an abuser had injured, killed, or threatened family pets.2

No One Should Have To Leave A Pet Behind

The National Domestic Violence Hotline reported that 97% of domestic violence survivors said keeping pets with them was an important factor in deciding whether to seek shelter, and half said they would not consider shelter for themselves if they could not bring their pet.5

Federal policy already recognizes this problem. The Pet and Women Safety Act was signed into law in 2018 and created a grant program to help domestic violence shelters and housing providers meet the needs of survivors with pets.3 The U.S. Department of Justice Office for Victims of Crime has also offered Emergency and Transitional Pet Shelter and Housing Assistance grants for victims of domestic violence and their companion animals.4

But access remains far too limited. Greater Good Charities notes that fewer than 1 in 5 domestic violence shelters provide pet-friendly services, leaving many survivors to face the choice of leaving pets behind or remaining in danger.6

Emergency Housing Must Include Pet Safety

States can do more now. Michigan HB 5409 offers one model by proposing crime victim compensation for certain pet expenses, including up to $2,500 for temporary pet boarding when boarding is necessary to facilitate immediate relocation.1

That idea should become standard. Emergency pet safety funds should cover temporary boarding, pet deposits, transport, vaccinations, microchipping, food, crates, carriers, veterinary care, and other costs that help people and pets escape safely together.

Lawmakers should also make sure courts can include pets in protection orders. The Animal Welfare Institute says 42 states now have pet protection order laws, but survivors and advocates still need awareness and support to use them effectively.7

Pets should not be used as leverage by abusers. They should not be surrendered to crowded shelters because a family could not afford a deposit or boarding fee. They should not be left behind because emergency housing was built without them in mind.

Sign now to urge state and federal leaders to protect pets in domestic violence and emergency housing moves.

More on this issue:

  1. Michigan Legislature, Michigan House Bill 5409 of 2025, “House Bill No. 5409.”
  2. ASPCA, ASPCA, “Pet-Friendly Housing and Survivors of Domestic Violence.”
  3. Animal Welfare Institute, AWI, “Pet and Women Safety (PAWS) Act.”
  4. U.S. Department of Justice Office for Victims of Crime, OVC (22 July 2025), “OVC FY25 Emergency and Transitional Pet Shelter and Housing Assistance for Victims of Domestic Violence Program.”
  5. The National Domestic Violence Hotline, The Hotline (26 May 2021), “Pets are Critical Priority for Survivors Seeking Safety.”
  6. Greater Good Charities, Greater Good Charities, “Help Build a Safe Space for Victims and their Pets.”
  7. Animal Welfare Institute, AWI, “Pets in Protection Orders.”

The Petition

To the U.S. Department of Justice Office for Victims of Crime, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, state and federal leaders, and domestic violence housing agencies,

I urge you to protect pets in domestic violence and emergency housing moves by creating emergency pet safety funds, expanding pet-friendly shelter capacity, and making pet protection part of every crisis housing response.

No survivor or family in crisis should have to choose between personal safety and a beloved pet. Yet too many people fleeing domestic violence, eviction, disaster, stalking, or other emergencies are forced into that exact choice. They may find that emergency shelters cannot accept animals. They may be unable to afford boarding, pet deposits, transport, veterinary care, crates, food, or supplies. They may fear that an abuser will harm a pet left behind.

These barriers can delay escape and put both people and animals in danger.

Federal policy already recognizes this problem through PAWS Act grants that help domestic violence programs provide shelter and housing assistance for survivors and companion animals. But access remains uneven, and too many communities still lack pet-inclusive options.

States should also act. Michigan HB 5409 offers one model by proposing crime victim compensation for certain pet expenses, including temporary boarding when a victim must relocate immediately for safety. Similar protections should be available nationwide.

Please create emergency pet safety funds that cover temporary boarding, pet deposits, transportation, veterinary care, vaccinations, microchipping, crates, carriers, food, and other essential costs. Please also expand funding for pet-friendly domestic violence shelters, transitional housing, and partnerships between human service agencies and animal welfare organizations.

Courts and crisis responders should also be required to account for pets. Protection orders should include companion animals, service animals, emotional support animals, and other animals in the household. Advocates, law enforcement, shelters, and victim-service providers should be trained to ask about pets, document safety plans, and connect families with immediate help.

Pets are family. They can also be used as leverage by abusers. Emergency systems must stop treating pet safety as an afterthought.

Please make sure people and pets can escape danger together.

Sincerely,

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