First and foremost, Rose Brooks Center provides emergency shelter to women and children escaping life-threatening abuse. Once they are safe, these families receive the tools and resources they need to begin rebuilding their life – a life built on respect, love and compassion.
Last year, a woman called the crisis center hotline after her boyfriend had beaten her – almost to death – with a hammer. Immediately the center found space for this young woman and arranged for the police to bring her to shelter. There was one problem. She had a 110-pound Great Dane whom she refused to leave behind. You see, the dog had saved her life by lying on top of her during the attack and taking the majority of the blows. As a result, he sustained many broken bones, including a hip and two ribs. She refused to abandon her angel, as she called him. Knowing her life was in danger, the center agreed.
The giant Dane was the first animal to live at Rose Brooks Center, but he has not been the last. It became abundantly clear early on that the incredible therapeutic benefit pets can have on a family greatly outweighed the cost and inconvenience of housing them.
In the past, the Rose Brooks Center didn’t accept animals, but after the woman refused to abandon her dog the center reconsidered. A year later, the Rose Brooks Center is building a pet-friendly wing for women who wouldn’t leave their abusive homes without their pets
Being in that situation is difficult enough without having to leave behind a beloved pet, who might be subjected to the abuser’s anger and abuse too. Good for that center for making changes to accommodate.
Enjoy the posting tonight
That is incredible.
That’s wonderful! I hope more shelters follow suit, and I hope eventually we can convince assisted living programs to do the same. Our more vulnerable citizens need us the most, and yet they are most often denied our assistance.
I love to hear stories like this! It is a great need! Thanks for the post!
Wow – this brought tears to my eyes. What an incredible story.
So glad to hear this. But it is a shame that there is even a need for such a shelter.
awesome
That is great news!
It’s amazing how much an animal can give you in return for so little we sometimes to for them. If you own a pet, take great care as their love is unconditional.
It’s great to hear about domestic violence shelters accepting pets. I’ll have to see if the domestic violence shelter that my agency works with accepts pets.
Such great news and a reminder for those who work with these agencies, as Aldon Hynes commented, to see if their contacts accept pets. Thanks!
What an amazing story. I see why a shelter may not be able to take a dog but I also see how valuable it is for the owners to have the dog.