Technical Training Assistance for Agencies serving people and their pets fleeing domestic violence

The Pet and Women Safety (PAWS) Act of 2017 provided federal level protections and funding for services for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, and dating violence from emotional and psychological trauma caused by acts of violence or threats of violence against their pets. The barriers to services for pet owning victims have been resolved legally but not yet programmatically. The models of pet inclusion for victims escaping dangerous homes range from foster placements in private homes to onsite boarding facilities co-located with the victim shelters.

Outreach to pet owning victims needing services, meeting the health needs of pets, and maintaining the confidentiality of people and their pets are some of the ongoing challenges of agencies seeking to serve victims with pets. To assist federally funded grantees in a successful pet included program, Noah’s Animal House Foundation will provide program specific training and technical support for PAWS grantees. This will be accomplished through several components. These include a self-paced virtual training for staff members of grantee agencies through a learning platform; hosting separate monthly virtual meetings with cohorts in year 1, 2, or 3 of their grant; and hosting quarterly virtual meetings with all cohorts. Annually, grantees will convene for a one-day meeting to share promising practices, receive collaborative peer support for the model they launched, and participate in celebrating successes and challenges.

To meet the needs of current and future grantees, Noah’s Animal House Foundation proposes the project under Purpose Area 1. The fifteen years of delivering stellar pet services in a facility co-located with the largest women and children’s shelter in the state of Nevada prepares NAH staff to assist OVC grantees in meeting their goal to safely welcome and serve victims with pets.