Pets of San DIego's Domestic Violence Victims to be Helped by Charity Auction

The pets of San Diego’s domestic violence victims will be the beneficiaries when Pet Sitters International (PSI) holds its annual conference and Charity Auction in San Diego on Tuesday, September 13. The conference will be held at the Bahia Resort Hotel at 998 W. Mission Bay Drive in San Diego. The Charity Auction is scheduled to begin at 3:30 PM with Rancho Coastal Humane Society’s “Animal Safehouse Program” as the beneficiary.

Amy Silveira, Director of the Animal Safehouse Program, says, “As part of the 2016 Pet Sitter World Educational Conference & Expo in San Diego, PSI members will be raising funds to support Rancho Coastal Humane Society’s Animal Safehouse Program. ASP serves as a safety net for the pets of domestic violence victims.”

In a letter to its members worldwide, PSI stated;

The Rancho Coastal Humane Society (RCHS) operates the only local Animal Safehouse Program (ASP) for the pets of domestic violence (DV) victims in the San Diego area. Many victims, lacking a support system, turn to DV shelters to house their loved ones. These shelters are unable to accept pets, many of who are considered family members. Victims will often stay with a batterer because they fear their pets will be neglected, injured or killed if left behind. Numerous studies have shown that an abuser's victimization often includes the family pet. The goal of the Safehouse Program is to remove one of the many barriers keeping victims, their children and pet(s) in abusive, potentially deadly environments.

The pets sheltered in the ASP receive a health assessment, vaccinations, emergency medical attention, spay or neuter surgery (if applicable), microchip, food, shelter, exercise and playtime. Animals are provided with safe housing at the shelter or in some cases, a foster home. These services are offered at no cost to the client; funding for the Safehouse Program is provided through private donations, such as this crowdfunding effort by the members of Pet Sitters International.

Because of the program at RCHS, no one is forced to choose between abandoning a beloved pet or staying in an abusive relationship.

Pet Sitters International has a Crowd Funding Campaign to support the work of Rancho Coastal Humane Society’s Animal Safehouse Program. http://www.loveanimals.org/campaigns/animal-safehouse/57524dd97f7788c86f136ec8

For information about the Animal Safehouse Program or the other services that RCHS offers for people and animals visit the shelter at 389 Requeza Street in Encinitas, call 760-753-6413, or log on to www.sdpets.org.