Why Welcoming Pets Makes Transitional Housing More Accessible

Imagine needing desperately to escape, but being held back because someone you love couldn’t come with you.

That was the case for a woman in Wichita, Kansas. She had tried to leave her physically abusive husband multiple times—but she always found herself at a loss for a place to go because of her two dogs.

When it opened its doors to dogs earlier this year, the Inter-Faith Ministries shelter in Wichita became the first in the state to allow pets. And it helped this woman finally leave her dangerous home situation, dogs in tow, Inter-Faith Ministries Executive Director LaTasha St. Arnault said.

In Kansas, homeless pet owners weren’t just underserved; they weren’t being served at all, she said.

For the full story: https://www.rewire.org/our-future/welcoming-pets-transitional-housing/