COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – Survivors of domestic violence seeking to escape an abusive environment are often faced with a difficult decision: what to do with their pets.
Of the estimated 10 million Americans affected by family and partner violence each year, nearly half delay their decision to seek refuge at a shelter out of concern for their animals’ safety, according to Brittany Thomas, the marketing director at Columbus Humane.
That’s why, in 2019, the animal welfare nonprofit teamed up with Lutheran Social Services’ central Ohio-area domestic violence shelter to house and care for victims’ pets – making it one of only 3% of shelters nationwide that accommodate animals.
