Construction noises echoed throughout a Boulder domestic violence shelter late last week. Soon, those sounds will be replaced by meows, barks and the pitter-patter of pet feet on freshly refurbished floors.
The shelter, run by the Safehouse Progressive Alliance for Nonviolence, is under renovation to become pet friendly. It’s part of a national movement among domestic violence shelters to accommodate animals as research shows many survivors wait longer to leave abusive situations if they can’t take their pets with them.
Every day, people call the shelter only to be told they can’t bring their pets, said Brenda Sarmiento, SPAN’s pet shelter coordinator.
“This is a game-changer,” Sarmiento said. “We’re just beyond happy and excited. It’s a gift from heaven.”
The shelter will be the first in Boulder to accommodate animals, Sarmiento said.
About 25% of Colorado’s domestic violence shelters already have pet accommodations, Sarmiento said. Nationally, only 19% do — a statistic the nonprofits Greater Good Charities and RedRover are looking to improve.
The organizations hope that by 2025, a quarter of domestic violence shelters across the United States will be pet friendly.
Since 2014, Greater Good Charities recruited more than 6,000 volunteers across the country to renovate 200 shelters serving domestic violence survivors, homeless people, veterans and animals. In 2021, Greater Good Charities and RedRover launched Don’t Forget the Pets, a project aimed at helping human and animal welfare organizations support pets of domestic violence survivors and people who are homeless.
SPAN employees attended a training session put on by Greater Good Charities and RedRover about a year ago. They learned about opportunities for pet-friendly renovations and have been working with the organizations ever since.
“It’s something we have needed for years,” Sarmiento said.
Nearly half of domestic violence survivors will delay leaving their abusers if they can’t take their pets with them, according to research from the National Domestic Violence Hotline. That same survey found 97% of respondents said keeping their pets with them was an important factor in deciding whether to seek shelter from domestic violence.
Greater Good Charities, RedRover, Purple Leash Project and PetSmart Charities are funding SPAN’s $190,000 in renovations, which are scheduled for completion this week. On Friday, volunteers were busy, toting paint buckets and boxes of flooring to several bedrooms built to house one family per room.
Not every shelter resident may have a pet to bring along, but now every room will have the ability to accommodate a furry friend. For now, two rooms will be kept pet free for those who may have allergies, said Nate Borger, the manager of pet programs for Greater Good Charities.
Outside the shelter, workers were building four fenced-in play yards and pet relief areas.
Inside, all 10 bedrooms had their carpeting ripped out and replaced with more pet-friendly flooring. The rooms each will have a pet crate available for those who need them, in addition to more storage, fresh paint and even wall shelving that doubles as a cat-enrichment activity — a place for feline residents to jump on and lounge.
The need for the renovation was high, Sarmiento said.
Boulder and Broomfield counties, which SPAN serves, have higher rates of domestic violence than the rest of Colorado and the U.S., according to data provided by the shelter.
Last year, Broomfield police reported a 31% increase in domestic violence-related assaults. Boulder County police departments responded to 1,800 similar assaults, the data show.
According to a 2023 report from the Colorado Attorney General’s Office, Colorado recorded at least 94 people killed in domestic violence fatalities in 2022, an all-time high.
Before its pet-friendly renovation, SPAN had a longstanding partnership with the Boulder Humane Society that allowed survivors to house their pets with the humane society while staying at the shelter. That partnership will continue, since the humane society offers veterinary care and will provide pet training for SPAN’s upcoming animal residents — along with housing for those that aren’t getting along at the shelter.
Karmen Carter, executive director of Aurora’s Gateway Domestic Violence Services, said its shelter has welcomed pets since 2009.
During that time, the shelter has been home to countless dogs, cats and even a beloved painted dragon lizard.
“It’s about people being able to bring their whole family to the shelter,” Carter said. “So very often, animals are also abused or threatened, so having to leave that pet behind — knowing it could end up getting some abuse when they’re gone — is pretty scary for people. It is definitely important to be able to have that option.”
The addition of pets to the shelter can also be a bright spot and comfort to children staying there, Carter said.
“The joy to say to our clients that, yes, we can welcome you and your cat, dog, fish, bunny, is beyond (gratifying),” Sarmiento said.
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Originally Published: July 15, 2024 at 6:00 a.m.
