Hope House's Companion Animal Project

Hope House, a nonprofit, nongovernmental domestic violence organization with 40 years of experience, operates an array of comprehensive and supportive services, including the agency’s Companion Animal Project which ensures the safety and wellbeing of survivors’ pets, emotional support animals, and/or service animals.

Hope House will provide safe shelter for survivors and their animals; animal-related supplies; as well as financial assistance for routine and/or emergency veterinary care, spaying/neutering, boarding/daycare fees, and pet fees/deposits for permanent housing. Hope House will also assist with the safe emergency placement of animals for survivors when they are unable to care for the animals (for reasons such as obtaining in-patient care), or if they are living with a safe family member/friend who is unable to accommodate their animal. Lastly, Hope House will provide training and technical assistance for its MOU partners and other collaborating agencies on the issues of and relationship between domestic violence and animal abuse/neglect.

Hope House has created a Memorandum of Understanding with Midwest Animal ResQ and Mattie Rhodes Center. The project also benefits from collaborative support of various other community partners. The goal of the Companion Animal Project is to keep survivors and their animals safe and provide the resources and referrals necessary for survivors to create self-sufficient lives free from abuse. Project objectives include: (1) create a more animal-friendly shelter environment; (2) provide safe shelter to survivors and their companion animals; (3) provide supportive services including financial assistance for animal-related needs/care to help survivors locate safe housing with their animal; (4) coordinate emergency placement of animals when needed; and (5) facilitate trainings on the link between domestic violence and abuse/neglect of animals for various stakeholders. 

The intended beneficiary of the project is survivors of domestic violence and their companion animals. Hope House does not discriminate and will provide project services to survivors regardless of age, race, sexual orientation, religion, disability, sex, gender identity, national origin, immigration status, or any other aspect of diversity. Services are provided free of charge and on a voluntary basis.

Project services will be provided in Eastern Jackson County, MO which includes 17 suburban communities with a total estimated population of 210,000. Hope House is the only domestic violence agency located in Eastern Jackson County. Hope House does not utilize geographic residency as a criteria for receiving services.