One of Kansas City’s main domestic violence agencies is opening a new shelter today. But it's not for women. At least not the human kind.

Rose Brooks has started a pet shelter.

“Women shouldn’t have to choose between getting safe and abandoning their pets,” says Sarah North, a spokesperson for the agency. “They’ve had to for too long.”

North says many pet-owning women who enter shelters report their abuser has harmed, threatened or even killed a family pet for revenge or psychological control.

And while some domestic violence shelters may try to accommodate pets, stand-alone animal shelters like the one now at Rose Brooks are rare. North believes it’s the second in the country.

The new shelter has eight kennels and sits near Rose Brooks' recently expanded women’s shelter. The project cost about $160,000, with funding from Bayer HealthCare and other private donations.

Learn more about the project this week on KC Currents.

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