NORTHWEST GEORGIA — Northwest Georgia will soon have the first-ever pet-friendly shelter for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault.
Channel 2 Cobb County Bureau Chief Michele Newell spoke with the Chief Executive Officer of LiveSafe Resources about why there is such a huge need for this.
Domestic violence survivors who have pets face a common barrier when they seek safety, and that is finding a safe haven for their pets. In many of these cases, their animals are in danger too.
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“Roughly 47% of domestic violence survivors say they will not leave their situation if they can’t find a place for their pets,” LiveSafe CEO Lisa Mello said. “Almost 78% of them said because their pet has already been threatened, they’ve had a pet harmed or that they’ve been killed.”
That’s why LiveSafe Resources is in the process of completing a pet sanctuary.
“For those individuals, the reality is that is like their child, so they are trying to provide that protection for their pet just like they would their own human child,” Mello said.
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This will be the first pet-friendly shelter for domestic violence and sexual assault survivors in northwest Georgia.
“It’s an opportunity for us to remove the barrier to those who are seeking safety away from their abuser,” Mello told Channel 2 Action News.
Each unit at the sanctuary looks like a tiny home, small enough for a pet but big enough for quality time with their best friend.
“Each unit here has a TV, a heater and air conditioner,” Mello said. “It has a small sofa that I’m sitting on right now so our clients can actually spend time with their pets when they are here.”
A doggy door in each unit also leads to outdoor space for each pet.
“We are opening four units, we will be able to take four families of pets at a time,” Mello said.
LiveSafe told Channel 2 Action News that 91% of survivors say their pets are also a form of emotional support and physical protection in their ability to survive and heal. LiveSafe Resources partnered with Greater Good Charities and Redrover to make this possible and they hope to open the units sometime in February.
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