Perhaps best known for her role as Haley Dunphy in the hit sitcom “Modern Family,” Sarah Hyland has also taken on a much more vulnerable role in recent years: Domestic violence survivor and advocate.
She was honored for her activism last week when Variety granted her its Power of Women Courage Award. The honor was presented by Purina — and for good reason.
In an acceptance speech, Hyland spoke about her own story, but also advocated for countless survivors who are supported by their pets — pets they may have to leave behind to seek refuge in a shelter or safe home.
“October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month and, while it is not the easiest topic to talk about, it is of the utmost importance that we do,” Hyland began her acceptance speech, fighting back tears.
“There was a time when the only being I could trust with my true feelings and felt the safest with was with my dog, Barkley,” she continued. “He got me through the worst years of my life and I know I wouldn’t be able to make it out without him.”
According to RedRover, a nonprofit that provides support for people in their pets amid crisis, nearly half of all domestic violence victims stay in abusive situations rather than leave their pet behind.
Purina’s Purple Leash Project works in partnership with RedRover to help increase the number of pet-friendly domestic violence shelters nationwide and spread awareness about this issue.
Their goal is to make 25% of all domestic violence shelters pet-friendly by 2025, and ultimately, “change the landscape of domestic violence services for survivors with pets.”
In her speech, Hyland said she was “so grateful” for these efforts, adding that pet-friendly shelters make it so that “domestic abuse survivors don’t have to make an impossible choice between their safety and the safety of their pets.”
Not only do shelter limitations make it difficult for survivors to access safety; pets are also often used as leverage in abusive situations.
According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, 71% of women in domestic violence shelters reported that their abuser threatened, injured, or killed a pet as a means of control.
Gaining back a level of control over one’s situation can be fundamental in finding freedom from violence.
“I know the bond between a survivor and their pet is crucial, especially during the darkest days,” Hyland said.
Since 2019, Purina and RedRover have provided more than 55 Purple Leash Project grants to help domestic violence shelters across the country become pet-friendly.
Two of those recent recipients include Women’s Advocates in St. Paul, Minnesota, and LiveSafe Resources in Marietta, Georgia.
These funds will help create spaces for pets to stay with their owners in their own apartments, so that “they may heal together,” Women’s Advocates development coordinator Tiana Daun, said in a statement.
“This support will help us finalize the building of our pet sanctuary to become the first domestic violence shelter in Northwest Georgia to provide this life-saving program to survivors and their animal family members,” LiveSafe Resources CEO Lisa Mello, added.
As a devoted dog mom — who is now happily married (and often shares snaps on Instagram with her husband and pups) — Hyland made it clear: She wouldn’t be here without the support of both the human and animal companions that saw her through the worst of her abuse.
And those who love and support her know it, too.
“Sarah’s personal experience has made her a strong advocate for the role dogs play in our emotional well-being, and her love for her dogs over the years – Barkley, Carl and Boo – mirrors what so many of us feel—especially women who've been abused,” Julie Bowen, Hyland’s “TV mom,” said in her remarks at the event.
“Sarah’s courage to stand up for herself has inspired countless others to do the same.”
Header image courtesy of Purina
