(BEAVER DAM) For some families trying to leave an abusive home, the hardest question isn’t where they’ll sleep — it’s what happens to the family dog or cat.
That reality is driving a new effort in Beaver Dam called Sheltering Together, an initiative focused on making sure survivors of domestic and sexual violence don’t have to choose between safety and their pets.
PAVE Executive Director Emily Shier said the organization has heard it again and again on its hotline. People are ready to leave a dangerous situation — but they hesitate when they realize they may have to leave a pet behind.
“We know pets are sometimes used as a way to control someone,” Shier said. “Kids don’t want to abandon their animals. That can keep families in unsafe situations longer.”
PAVE moved into a new space in 2023, completing the upstairs portion of the shelter. Now, attention has turned to the unfinished basement. The goal is to transform it into an emergency pet shelter and recreation space where families and their animals can stay together.
That’s where Leadership Beaver Dam comes in.
A group from the current Leadership Beaver Dam class has adopted Sheltering Together as its class project, splitting into teams to handle both project management and fundraising.
Their biggest fundraiser is set for March 7 at the Beaver Dam Conservationists Club on Highway G.
The event, called “Glow for Good,” will feature a blacklight trap shoot, live music, food and raffles. Doors open at 4:30 p.m. The public can attend even if they don’t plan to participate in the shooting portion of the evening.
Trap shooting registration begins at 6 p.m., with squads of five formed that night. The cost to shoot is $30. Organizers say the Lewis class format gives shooters of all skill levels a chance to win.
Raffle prizes include a meat bundle, an air purifier and other donated items.
For Shier, the project is about removing one more barrier that keeps people from reaching out for help.
For more information about PAVE and its services, click HERE.
