Women's Services, Inc.

Goal: $50,000.00

Specific Need

Help Us Give Survivors One Less Reason to Stay

Women's Services, Inc. - Crawford Gives Campaign

For many survivors of domestic violence, the hardest decision isn't whether to leave, it's what they'll have to leave behind.

Study after study confirms what we hear from survivors every day: a significant number of people delay leaving an abusive home, or return to one, because they can't bring their pet with them. Unfortunately, abusers know that, too. Threatening or harming a beloved animal is a common tactic of control and just one more way to keep a survivor trapped.

For someone escaping violence, a pet isn't a luxury. It's often the one steady, loving presence left in their life. A dog who waits by the door. A cat who curls up during the worst nights. For kids who have been through trauma, a familiar animal can be the difference between feeling safe and feeling like everything has been taken from them.

Right now, our shelter can’t always accommodate pets. That means survivors are sometimes forced to choose between their safety and their animal's safety, a choice no one should have to make.

Our Project: A Garage Converted Into Hope

Women's Services is raising funds to convert our on-site garage into a small, safe kennel space for shelter guests' pets and support animals. This means:

Survivors can bring their dog, cat, or support animal with them when they come to safety
Families stay together, pets included, during an already frightening transition
No one has to leave a beloved companion behind, or worse, stay in danger because of one

This one-time capital project will have a lasting impact. Once built, this space will serve survivors and their animals for years to come.

How You Can Help

Every gift to Women's Services through Crawford Gives brings us closer to breaking down one more barrier that keeps survivors from safety. Whether it's $25 or $2,500, your gift helps fund the renovation, the kenneling, fencing, flooring, and basic care setup this project needs.

Give during Crawford Gives and help us build a shelter where survivors don't have to choose between their safety and their best friends.

Women's Services, Inc. has served survivors of domestic and sexual violence in Crawford County since 1977. Every dollar raised through Crawford Gives goes directly toward programs and facilities that help survivors find safety, stability, and hope.