Emergency Housing

Primary Goal

Allows SVAS to provide care and shelter for animals whose owner is fleeing a domestic violence situation, is seeking emergency medical treatment, chemical dependency treatment, or is in a situation in which homelessness is the result of unforeseen circumstances. The Emergency Housing program has helped hundreds of families in the community and works directly with the Domestic Violence Crisis Center, Minot Area Homeless Coalition, and Ward County Sheriff’s Department.

Did you know that domestic violence and animal welfare are often related?

• 52 percent of victims in shelters leave their pets with their batterers
  (National Coalition Against Domestic Violence)
• Up to 48 percent of domestic violence victims are unable to escape their abusers because they are concerned about what will happen to their pets when they leave
  (Ascione, F.R., 2007)
• 71 percent of pet-owning women entering women’s shelters reported that their batterer had injured, maimed, killed or threatened family pets for revenge or to psychologically control victims; 32 percent reported their children had hurt or killed animals
  (National Coalition Against Domestic Violence)