An Examination of Safe Haven Deserts

Identifying Areas That Lack Sheltering Services for Pets of Domestic Violence Survivors
 

Introduction

Thousands of companion animals are injured, traumatized, or killed every year due to domestic violence. Like their human companions, these animals suffer. The National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) takes a census every year of domestic violence programs. In 2021, they reached 1,536 such programs—80 percent of the nation’s total. The services provided by the surveyed agencies in a 24-hour period included the following:

• 70,032 adult and child survivors of domestic violence found refuge in emergency shelters, transitional housing, hotels, motels, or other housing provided by local domestic violence programs.
• 31,424 nonresidential adult and child survivors received supportive services, including counseling, legal advocacy, participation in support groups, and transportation.

We have no way of knowing the precise number of companion animals served, since that question is not asked in the NNEDV census. We do know, however, that 70 percent of US households have pets. And we know that, in surveys, up to 72 percent of pet-owning women in domestic violence shelters report their pets were also threatened or harmed, and many tell of pets being killed by their abuser. Certainly, then, the violence visited upon the tens of thousands of adults and children illuminated by the NNEDV’s one-day snapshot affected many tens of thousands of companion animals as well.

To address the need to offer protection to the companion animals of domestic violence survivors, as well as their human companions, the Animal Welfare Institute initiated the Safe Havens Mapping Project for Pets of Domestic Violence Survivors. “Safe havens” are sheltering services that help individuals experiencing domestic violence place their beloved companion animals out of harm's way, so they can more confidently seek safety for themselves. The Safe Havens Mapping Project directory currently contains approximately 1,200 entries, searchable by zip code. Each entry is updated and verified on a regular basis through direct contact with personnel at the safe haven. The date on which a particular safe haven was reverified is noted in the directory. All entries have been verified since 2020.

Identifying the location and relevant information for every safe haven provides a valuable and practical resource for domestic violence survivors and their pets and those who advocate for them. We also think it is important to identify safe haven “deserts”—areas in the country that lack any safe haven within a reasonable distance. This report offers the result of our investigation to identify which counties in each state are safe haven deserts.

Methodology

The county of each entry in the AWI Safe Havens Mapping Project directory was identified. The population for that county was then determined from the US Census Bureau’s From that, each county’s number of safe havens per capita was calculated.

Limitations

In order to maintain the confidentiality of emergency shelter locations, addresses were derived from either the PO Box or the administrative office of each organization. Some organizations near county borders may have a PO Box in one county and administrative office in another, and identifying which one matches the county where the actual shelter is located was not always feasible. And many shelters extend their services to residents of nearby counties in addition to their own. Notwithstanding these limitations, the approximations are still helpful in identifying regions of greatest need for domestic violence survivors seeking pet support.

We also cannot definitively report that the database contains a complete listing of every safe haven throughout the country. These are the resources we know to be available, however, based on our ongoing research and reverification process. Certainly, government agencies with domestic violence or pet support programs, nonprofits in the domestic violence sector, and animal rescue organizations that do not advertise their safe haven services should update their website to make pet support clear to survivors seeking this service.