One young woman came into shelter with her cat. It was very important for her to be able to bring her pet with her, because the cat supports her when she experiences both panic attacks and seizures. The cat seems to sense when we she is about to have an episode and sits on her which helps her prepare and then calm down and recover.

RedRover and Rescue Rebuild provided the step-by-step and hands on guidance that we needed to become the first pet-friendly domestic violence shelter in the state of Maine! With their guidance and expertise, we were able to provide emergency shelter and safety to so many survivors and their beloved pets. If we did not allow survivors to bring their pets, they might not have been able to flee, and our job is to remove every barrier we can for those seeking safety.

"Mary" was hesitant to leave her abusive partner because she had a cat and thought there would be nowhere for her and her cat to go. She was thrilled to learn she did not have to make the impossible choice to leave her beloved companion with an abusive person. Mary stayed with us for several weeks and we ultimately helped her find permanent housing for her and her furry family member.

Pets provide a great deal of support to many of our residents. Most of the pets that come to the shelter are dogs, however, we have also had cats, bunnies, and even a lizard. We have had service animals, therapy pets, and house pets. In many situations, a pet can provide calm and ease anxiety in traumatic and stressful times. The love of a pet can be supportive and stabilizing for individuals leaving their home and coming into shelter for the first time. Staff have seen service animals be lifelines to life outside of their abuse. Therapy pets help to ease anxiety and at times can help with self-care and exercise.

One of the dogs that came with its owner, entered the shelter right as she was fleeing her abuser. The dog ended up having a horrible laceration in its neck and upper body and our local veterinarian office donated hundreds and hundreds of dollars to save the dog's life and perform emergency surgery on him. Because of the coordinated efforts, this client and her furry friend were able to escape, get help, heal, and move to a safe location together.

A family with three children checked into the shelter a week before Christmas. The children were sad that they were not able to bring their 2 beloved dogs with them when they left home to seek safety from their abusive father. The friend that helped get them to the shelter did not have a vehicle large enough to fit the large dogs along with the rest of the family. Our advocates arranged for a Sheriff's deputy to escort the mother to the home to pick up the dogs while the abuser was away. The children returned to the shelter from school that day to the great surprise of their sweet dogs here to greet them! They all lived at the shelter for about 6 weeks before finding a new, safe home where they could all live in peace free from the abuse of their past.

A mom and child who had been separated from their pet due to violence were really struggling with depression, a sense of loss, and hopelessness. We were able to reunite this family with their pet and just the fact of having their dog back left the mom and child more hopeful and happy. Because they were more at peace having their pet with them, the family was able to focus on building a positive and safe future for themselves. Currently, the mom and 8-year-old are now living in a safe, pet friendly apartment!