The Purple Leash

What does a woman do when she’s suffering domestic abuse but has a beloved pet she doesn’t want to leave? She may stay and endure the abuse because there is no shelter that will accept her pet as well. Her choice is to abandon her pet and go to a shelter alone or to remain in an abusive household. For many women, it’s an impossible choice, with no good answer.

Purina is working on the problem. They, along with Greater Good Charities and RedRover, have instituted what they call the Purple Leash Project. It’s a call to action for domestic violence shelters to have facilities where women can bring their pets with them when they have to go there. (Purple is the ribbon color for Domestic Violence Awareness Month.)

In most places, there are very few shelters for women that are also shelters for their pets. And, sad as it is, lack of shelter for dogs and cats can lead abused women to stay in dangerous situations rather than seeking help. They may treasure their pets as they would children. Or they may worry that their abuser would abuse the animal too for revenge because they left. Some even know that their abuser is prone to violence against animals, having witnessed it.

As one woman put it, “I endured domestic violence for many, many years and due to the fact that I could not leave my dog behind and our local shelter does not accept pets, I stayed. I stayed for over a year and a half.”

Another anonymous woman said, “I cannot thank you enough for taking this issue seriously. I actually cried when I watched your video as no one to date has taken this subject seriously. We have no shelters that allow pets in my area. Please continue to fight for what is right. For some of us, our dogs are everything.”

A woman named Angie added, “I wasn’t expecting I wouldn’t be able to bring Princess. And that was heartbreaking, especially for the kids. I feel proud just knowing other families will be able to keep their pets…that’s just awesome. Because, for us, Princess was everything.”

This October, in support of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Purina is offering a Purple Leash Project digital coupon and will donate 50¢ to RedRover for each coupon redeemed through October 31, up to $300,000. I know it’s late in October, but there’s still time to take advantage.

Purina has also joined forces with renowned artist Kristen Visbal to create statues of a woman and a dog, titled Courageous Together. They’ll be making their way around the country in 2024 to raise awareness of why pets are a crucial part of the conversation around domestic violence.