Thursday, October 24, 2013

Nestlé Purina to donate cat food, pet supplies to domestic abuse victims in New York, USA

    In recognition of Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October, Urban Resource Institute (URI) and Nestlé Purina are teaming up in support of URIPALS, an initiative in New York, New York, USA, to allow victims of domestic violence to enter shelters with their pets. Purina will donate welcome kits and educational materials for families entering URI's domestic violence shelter.
    By working together, URI and Purina hope to raise awareness about the impact of abuse on the whole family, including pets, and reduce barriers to escape and recovery.
    "When victims of domestic violence flee abusive situations, they are often forced to uproot their entire lives, leaving behind key belongings and supplies," said Nathaniel Fields, president of URI. "Our goal at the Urban Resource Institute is to provide survivors-including pets-with the resources and services they need to rebuild stable, secure lives. We are grateful for Purina's support of URIPALS, which will provide critical supplies to ensure that families entering shelter with their pets have the resources they need to recover together after escaping abuse."
    Currently in its six-month pilot phase, URIPALS is accepting families with cats and smaller animals into its shelter, and hopes to expand the program to include dogs in December. As such, Purina's welcome kits during this phase of the program will be tailored to cats, including items such as food, toys, crates and other accessories. Purina is also donating a year's supply of food and litter to families upon leaving the shelter. In addition to these welcome kits, families will receive educational materials designed to guide them in best practices for caring for their pets.
    "We are proud to support the Urban Resource Institute in its mission to provide comfort to victims of domestic abuse and their pets," said Michael Kotick, senior brand manager, Purina. "At Purina, we believe people and pets are better together, and the strong bond between pet owners and their pets can prove to be beneficial no matter what the circumstances."

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