I know, it’s hard to believe that we’re just about to close out 2023 – but what an exciting year it’s been for us here at RedRover, especially when it comes to our 25 by 2025 campaign! Earlier this year, we launched the campaign to encourage and support more domestic violence (DV) shelters to become pet friendly: 25% by the year 2025.
Where are we now? Just under 19% of DV shelters in the U.S. are pet friendly, so we are 6% away from reaching our goal. What does 6% mean in terms of how many shelters? Well, that translates to roughly 116 shelters. And we know we can reach that goal, together.
We created the campaign to amplify the momentum we’ve been witnessing over the last several years. Everything starts somewhere and that 18.65% used to be much smaller – in fact, it was roughly 6% when I joined RedRover in 2016.
Where there were once barriers to creating pet programming, organizations now see them as opportunities to support the healing process of both people and their pets. They see opportunities to build trust and connection with survivors, improve staff morale, and even a fundraising opportunity.
We know there are still challenges to work through – everything from board and staff buy-in, to concerns around fear and safety, to insurance and liability concerns – but we’ve got resources and support for those too. The 25 by 2025 campaign captures all of that and more!
There are resources for individuals and organizations alike on our website at 25by2025.org: from downloadable “badges” to show your support, a toolkit that provides sample language to share on social media, in email, and even Letters to the Editor and information on resources including upcoming trainings and presentations. There’s something for everyone!
The first few months of the campaign have been exciting! We have:
- Launched the 25by2025.org website
- Held a soft launch at the Humane Society of the United States’ Expo event
- Conducted our official launch at the National Organization for Victim Assistance’s annual conference
- Hosted a virtual “kickoff” meeting via Zoom; and
- Launched a “pets are family” t-shirt campaign.
We also completed a DV shelter build during Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October, and were honored to celebrate Purple Thursday and show our support for survivors on-site with the receiving shelter staff in Georgia. We’ve been shouting “25 by 2025” from the rooftops through local and national news, radio, and podcasts!
We’re celebrating our successes and preparing for the work to come, alongside Greater Good Charities’ Rescue Rebuild, Purina, PetSmart Charities, and you. We hope you’ll continue to join us in the movement to create more safe spaces for survivors and their pets to heal together.
