'Pet Safe Keeping' program offers a safe place to land and another option for victims of domestic violence situations

People for Animal Wellbeing, also known as PAW, is offering a safe place to land – not just for pets looking for a forever home, but for those who need temporary accommodations as well.

“The human animal bond is strong and pets are family and it can cause someone who’s in an abusive situation to delay leaving or not to leave at all because they’re concerned for their pets,” said PAW’s executive director, Heather Smith.

The Pet Safe Keeping program offers a temporary safe housing for pets of domestic abuse victims in the Greater Moncton Area.

It’s a collaboration with the group Crossroads for Women, who saw a need in the community and reached out to PAW to help make the service available.

“We have hundreds of women who come through our door and every third woman asks about the PAW program,” said Tammy Daigle, Crossroads for Women’s associate director.

The program is completely free for clients, which eases another burden.

It mostly focuses on dogs and cats and places them into secure and undisclosed foster homes for everyone’s safety.

“We have women, that’s the first thing they say, ‘do you have a place for our pets?’ That’s one of the first questions they ask when they call and now we can say, ‘yes we do,’” said Daigle.

Adding, “we have women who said this has saved them because some women had tried to leave for years, but again, wouldn’t leave because they didn’t want to leave their pets behind.”

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The program launched in the middle of 2022 and in 2023, its first full year, Smith says they were able to help 24 women and 37 pets.

“The program has already grown,” she said.

“We’re also assisting now where we might spay or neuter a pet or vaccinating or treating for flees or maybe a rabies vaccine. All things that help someone be successfully reunited with their pet and have them be accepted into housing.”

Daigle says these additional services are another step forward for victims who are trying to start fresh.

“When they are ready to move on, they know that they’re going to be able to get a place and there pets are going to be able to come because the pets are neutered, they are spayed, they have their vaccinations, so it’s a tremendous help for them,” she said.

“It’s one less barrier that they have to worry about.”

Shelter Movers, an organization that provides free moving and storage services for individuals escaping abuse, also helps place pets at PAW for temporary housing.

“We have moved 120 plus people over the last year,” said Greater Moncton Chapter director, Michelle Tupy.

“We automatically check to see whether or not they have pets, so that is one of the first questions in our intake process.”

Tupy says clients are instantly relieved when they hear about the partnership with PAW and the service that is available to keep their pets safe in the interim.

“People do stay if they’re not able to leave and have someone to care for their pets,” she said.

“It’s one of their barriers and there are many barriers as to why people, particularly women, don’t leave violent homes and one of them is because of children, because of pets and it’s huge. It can take a toll on them, it can weigh on them if they don’t have anywhere to put their pets.”

Overall, all three organizations agree that it takes a village and the Pet Safe Keeping program is another essential part of that.

“I think it has an immediate impact on the life of someone and their pet and I don’t think there’s any more difference we can make than that,” said Smith.

A program that helps ensure a safe home and better future for everyone.

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