Home - SAF-T Program

Sheltering Animals & Families Together (SAF-T)® launched the global movement to create pet-friendly domestic violence shelters. Our goal is to reduce barriers to safety for victims with pets while celebrating the human-animal bond.

Just in the United States, 73% of American homes having a pet (which can include livestock and outdoor animals) and there are 10 million victims annually of interpersonal violence. That is millions of victims annually who seek safety at pet-friendly domestic violence shelters.

For decades, research studies have documented the link between domestic violence and animal abuse. Up to 87% of domestic violence victims delay going into shelter out of concern for their pets. That’s where the SAF-T Program is saving lives.

You can make a difference in the life of animals and people … this is where it begins.

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“The shelter has made a world of difference for our participants. I have heard from so many women that they were finally able to leave because they didn’t have to leave their “baby” behind. The interaction we see with our participants and their pets is amazing and it seems to be so healing for them to have their furry family members with them. I have heard from them also that they see a difference in their pet being here in comparison to the way they were at home with the abuser. Many have attributed it to the pet being under stress. I can’t possibly express how thankful Mt. Graham Safe House is to this program and what having this shelter has meant to us and our participants.”

“I will be moving to my new apartment Friday. There are no words to explain the freedom I am feeling. Before I came here the only joy I had in life was my previous little dog. She just turned ten a few months ago. If [the shelter] wouldn’t have let me keep her inside the shelter, I would either be on the streets or worse, I might have gone back to my abuser. [T]he last thing he did to me as I was sitting on the curb waiting for the cab, was spit on me, repeatedly, like I was a piece of garbage. Well I’m not! I haven’t felt this wonderful in fifteen years.

“We heard you in Culpeper, VA and want you to know that you encouraged us to do what we always wanted to do. We wanted to provide a home, not an institution, but were advised that including pets was untenable. When we open, we will be pet-friendly thanks to you.God has blessed you with vision and leadership. Thanks for changing the face of DV shelters.” —

Within the first few days of our SAF-T program being open to participants, the program proved to play a key part in keeping families together and safe. One of our first participants arrived in our shelter with her son from an abusive home where her boyfriend was very controlling and wouldn’t let them leave. During the (animal) checkups, it was discovered that the abuser did not feed the animals for five days.

I just wanted to follow up and thank you so much for your guidance and support in getting our program set up. Using the guidance to set up partnerships with the local animal welfare organizations proved to be really advantageous to us when we had a client require intensive inpatient care and the pet was able to first stay with animal services and then transitioned into a temporary foster home when they were at capacity. In addition, we were able to partner with a local vet to provide discounted vaccinations so that a kitten could join a family at the shelter. It was truly a magical moment for the kids to be reunited with their beloved pet. Again, I cannot thank you for your support enough.

As we started our pet housing program the SAF-T Start-Up Manual has so many good ideas! Thank you for the Manual and help as it gives us a good foundation for our family pet program.

Thank you for the SAF-T Start Up Manual. We had a lot to learn. With your help we were able to start our onsite pet housing program. It has been a great comfort to domestic violence survivors to bring their pets to shelter with them and also has provided protection to the pets.