ORLANDO, Fla. – Sadly, animals are often weaponized in a domestic violence situation. Survivors may stay longer because they fear what could happen if they leave their pet behind.
According to Harbor House of Central Florida, 65% of survivors delay leaving an abusive situation for fear their pets will be maimed or killed, and 88% of pets living in domestic violence homes are either abused or killed.
A safe place that welcomes both the survivor and their pet can be the difference between leaving and staying, which is why having a safe place for survivors and their pets is so crucial.
Nationwide, it’s estimated that just 17% of domestic violence shelters allow pets on property. Harbor House of Central Florida is one of them with its Paws for Peace kennel.
However, it takes a village to support all the animals. News 6 anchor Lisa Bell spoke with Andria Gibbon, the founder of Protecting Paws for Life, a non-profit in Pinellas County that supports the kennel. Gibbon says the organization was created to help shelters become and remain pet-friendly, providing supplies and services to programs that already accept pets or want to start.
“On a monthly basis, we provide all the pet supplies that they could need on property and for any of the pets in their care. We also supply basic wellness care for vet costs because one of the things that you want to make sure of when you’re housing animals, is that everybody’s up to date on their vaccines,” said Gibbon.
Gibbon says all of their funding and donations come from private donors.
“For me, coming from the rescue world, one of the hardest things has always been when an owner feels like they don’t have a choice but to surrender their animal,” said Gibbon. “You can feel the pain in the owner. You see the pain and the pet after the owner leaves, and it’s not just someone dropping off their dog at the shelter because they don’t want it anymore. It’s just truly painful. And so, for me, my mission has always been to help that part of the rescue world, like keeping families together.”