ST. LOUIS – Purina joined forces with the Women’s Safe House Tuesday, hosting the grand opening of The Pet Safe House.
This new addition allows domestic violence victims to keep their pets with them during their stay at the Women’s Safe House.
“The Pet Safe House here is the first pet kennel at an emergency kennel in St. Louis,” Noa Hefer, brand manager at Purina, said.
The new facility will host eight dogs. This is innovative for shelters, as only 15% of domestic violence shelters allow pets.
Purina donated $60,000 from their Purple Leash Project to the new shelter. Purina will assist in providing programming and therapy for dogs who have suffered domestic violence abuse.
“This will mean a whole lot to women that are continuing to live in an unsafe environment because of their animals,” Mary Ann Owens, CEO of the Women’s Safe House, said. “So, I’m very happy about that.”
Alderwoman Daniela Velazquez (Ward 6) stated that this home will be a beacon of compassion and understanding. This is one of 47 grants Purina has provided to domestic shelters across the country.
“When we learned the statistics that one in three women and one in four men will suffer domestic abuse in their lifetime, we wanted to make sure that they are able to bring their pets with them,” Hefer said.
Owens said the shelter not only accepts cats and dogs but will also take in other animals, from gerbils to birds and more.
Over 70% of domestic violence victims say that their pets were also abused. For more information on the Women’s Safe House or the Pet Safe House, call their Crisis Line at (314) 772-4535 or visit www.twsh.org.
