Imagine you or a woman you know is in a domestic violence situation and needs to leave. Then imagine telling the children you have to leave your pet behind. If you’ve been looking for a way help keep domestic violence survivors and their pets together, Purina’s Purple Leash Project might be the answer. Over 10 years ago, a Purina employee learned about the difficult decisions domestic violence survivors must make, which prompted Purina to launch the Purple Leash Project.
Facts:
- According to the Purina website, over 70% of women facing domestic violence have received threats toward their pets, such as threatening the pet, injuring the pet, or killing the pet (Purple Leash Project | Purina, n.d.).
- Over 48% of survivors delay leaving because they can’t bring their pet (Purple Leash Project | Purina, n.d.)
- With less than 20% of domestic violence shelters allowing pets (Purple Leash Project | Purina, n.d.)
- Based on statistics from the National Domestic Violence Hotline, 1 in 3 women will suffer domestic violence by an intimate partner (National Domestic Violence Hotline, 2025)
- An average of 24 people per minute are raped, violently injured, or stalked in the United States (National Domestic Violence Hotline, 2025).
Here’s how Purina is Helping Keep Domestic Violence Survivors and Their Pets Together:
- Awarding grants to domestic violence shelters
- Working to increase domestic violence shelters with options for pets by providing safe spaces for pets. This includes donating dog beds and cat perches to shelters, which provide a sense of calm and safety to help families in shelters bond with their pets.
- Employee volunteerism
- Working at the federal level to initiate change
- Red Rover Partner
- Renovations
Why purple? The color purple represents domestic violence, and a purple ribbon in October symbolizes support for domestic violence survivors.
Get involved:
- Donate to the Purple Leash Project (through the end of 2025, your donation to Red Rover, in recognition of the Purple Leash program, will be matched by Purina).
- Share this post now to create awareness.
- Read survivor, shelter, and veterinarian stories here: https://www.purina.com/purple-leash-project/making-a-difference-domestic-abuse-survivors
- Volunteer at a shelter
- Donate to a shelter’s wish list.
Thank you for your help in keeping domestic violence survivors and their pets together!
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