
Domestic violence affects pets too.
Spread the word.
Sheltering Animals of Abuse Victims is dedicated to ending the cycle of abuse.
Since 2001, we’ve played a unique role in this fight — by recognizing animals as vital family members and arranging for their safe harbor at a time of critical need — when a domestic abuse victim seeks refuge from an abuser. We also raise awareness about the link between animal cruelty and human violence.
Victims seeking shelter for pets in Dane County, Wisconsin
Empowering victims of domestic abuse, by helping their animals
Our Programs
Shelter
More than 48% of victims delay leaving an abuser because they have no safe place for their animals. We remove this barrier to safety for victims by providing temporary, confidential shelter for a victim’s animals for up to 90 days.
Grants
The comfort that animals provide is immeasurable. To help keep victims and their animals together, we provide animal care grants for victims to help relieve the financial burden of caring for animals in the victim’s family.
Veterinarians
Veterinarians are critical players in the fight to stop the cycle of abuse. We provide outreach and resources to veterinarians to raise awareness about the link between animal cruelty and other forms of violence, to share the availability of our services for victims with pets, and to report animal cruelty to law enforcement when appropriate to do so.
SAAV TEEN
SAAV Teen is an awareness campaign that provides tools to help teens develop compassion for animals and nurture a more inclusive and kind world. SAAV helps teens understand the link between animal cruelty and violence to humans, and encourages them to speak up to a trusted adult if they see or hear of animal cruelty.
“I can’t tell you how comforting it was knowing my pets were safe. Just looking at them you can tell how well they were treated in your care. You are a guardian angel for my family. Thank you so much!”
— Domestic Abuse Survivor who used SAAV Shelter