Survivors Shouldn't Have to Choose Between Their Safety and Their Pets

I can still see it. I looked down and my white robe was covered in blood. I was sitting on the floor, and when I looked under the desk, my dog was there, shaking and whimpering. I tried to pet her and calm her down.

When the officer asked if I wanted to leave and get medical treatment, I only had one thought: I'm not leaving her.

She's my family. She's my comfort. If you love a dog, you know that protecting them isn't optional.

People don't think about this part of domestic violence. Leaving isn't as simple as walking out the door. Many survivors are terrified of what will happen to their pets if they go. Some have no one to take them in. Some don't have the money to find a safe place for both of them.

No one should have to choose between their own safety and the safety of an animal they love.

I'm asking our leaders to fund domestic violence shelters and survivor services that accept pets. And where shelters can't, there need to be safe, funded alternatives, so survivors can leave knowing their pets will be cared for.

Pets feel the fear and trauma of abuse right alongside us. They're family, and their safety matters too.

I'm speaking up because this part of the story gets overlooked. I know what it was like to be in that moment, worried about my dog while I was trying to make sense of what had happened to me. I loved her then, and I love her even more now.

Please sign this petition and help call for shelter funding that protects the whole family, pets included.

No survivor should have to stay in harm's way because they're afraid of what will happen to the animal they love.