Using Implementation Science to Establish a Safe Housing Pet Program at a Domestic Violence Shelter

• In Event: Strategically Developing Community-Academic Collaborations for Trauma-Informed Victim Services and Evaluation Research

Abstract

Most pets/companion animals in homes with domestic violence (DV) are also abused, and many survivors delay leaving due to concern for their pet(s). Yet, less than 20% of DV emergency shelters have safe housing programs (SHPs), and even fewer allow victims to bring their pet(s) to the shelter. While all SHPs aim to reduce harm to survivors and pets, each program is tailored to the unique needs of the community and capacity of the stakeholders. To date, however, no studies have described the process of launching a DV shelter-based SHP. Using the Exploration, Preparation, Implementation, and Sustainment (EPIS) framework (Aarons et al., 2011), the authors detail the development and implementation of the first SHP in East Alabama. During the Exploration phase, a newly established community-academic partnership identified the need for a SHP. In Preparation, the interdisciplinary team of stakeholders was expanded to include university-affiliated veterinarians to ensure adherence to standard-of-care guidelines in shelter and program design and to develop strong connections with animal organizations in the community. Various programmatic decision points (i.e., organizational structure, pet location, and pet carer) and lessons learned will be discussed to provide a model for other DV shelters considering Implementation of an on-site SHP.

Authors

• Emma Lathan, Auburn University

• Emily J. Lubin, Auburn University

• Hailie R. Suarez-Rivas, Auburn University

• Emma Carpenter, Auburn University

• Phillip Moon, Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine

• Brendan Bergquist, Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine