OkcPets Magazine May 2022

34 OKC Pets • May/June 2022 Guarding Against Abuse Palomar’s Animal Advocacy ProgramHelps People and Pets by Heide Brandes T o address the worries and dangers that survivors of domestic violence have about leaving their beloved pets behind, Palomar Family Justice Center in Oklahoma City received a special grant from Purina and the nonprofit group RedRover for new kennel space to house animals that might be at risk. Purina and RedRover granted the funding as a continued commitment to survivors of domestic abuse. Purple Leash Project grants are given to domestic-vio- lence shelters across the country to ensure that services provided to human survivors of domestic abuse are extended to family pets. Animals typically have not been al- lowed into most shelters but play a key role in whether a victim will leave the abuser. For Palomar Family Justice Center, which provides all the services a domes- tic-violence survivor needs, the grant and new kennels build on the mission and resources provided to families. “When Palomar first opened five years ago, we quickly saw that survivors were bringing in their pets — anything from a dog or cat to turtles and goats. When you think about a family system, animals are a really crucial part for many people,” said Kim Garrett, CEO and founder of Palo- mar. “At that time, there was no special- ized advocacy for animals. There was no specialized training in domestic violence and animal abuse, even though there was a very strong correlation. Some of the re- search points to an 80 percent correlation. If there is domestic violence, there is also animal abuse.” To address that need, Palomar partnered with the Oklahoma Humane Society to create the Animal Advocacy Program. When domestic-violence survivors turn to Palomar for help, an animal advocate can help care for companion animals while survivors focus on escaping violence and finding a safe place. Palomar Family Justice Center in Okla- homa County received $30,000 to build an outdoor kennel structure at a separate location in collaboration with Oklahoma Humane Society to provide immediate emergency shelter for animals affected by abuse. Helping Human Victims and Animals Palomar opened in 2017 as a resource of 15 partners designed to help people who suffer from violence. Instead of going to numer- ous agencies in different places in the city, a client now has a central location in which to access all the services needed. When survivors turn to Palomar, they are presented with resources to develop a customized safety plan to best meet their needs. The partner agencies and resources help in a variety of ways such as developing a personal safety plan, filing victim pro- tective orders, filing police reports, finding emergency housing, receiving assistance from Legal Aid, and receiving counseling and medical services. However, what was missing was a way to make sure a person’s pet didn’t fall prey to the violence of an abuser who might harm the animal as a way to punish the victim. “The tremendous need for the Animal Advocacy Program has greatly exceed- ed our expectations. Before starting the program, we anticipated that the need was there, but we didn’t have any solid data of what the need would look like,” said Anden Bull, chief operating officer for Palomar. “The sheer number of animals and clients that this program has been able to bring to safety has vastly exceeded any number I anticipated in 2018.” Purina and RedRover have funded a kennel for Palomar Family Justice Center’s Animal Advocacy Program to help protect animals belonging to victims of domestic abuse. Photo courtesy of Palomar.