Aiming to Make 25% of Domestic Violence Shelters Pet-Friendly by the End of 2025: How RedRover Supports Animals and Their People

“Bringing animals from crisis to care” is RedRover‘s tagline. While accurate, it doesn’t fully capture the immense effort required or the dedication of the staff working behind the scenes to organize and coordinate these efforts. Beyond helping animals in unsuitable circumstances, RedRover, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, provides emergency sheltering, disaster relief, financial assistance, and education. RedRover is a true animal welfare agency, supporting animals and their people when they need it most. Continue reading to learn more about this incredible organization and how you can help.

History

Founded in 1987 by animal activist Belton P. Mouras, the United Animal Nations’ mission was to protect animals globally while unifying people with a common goal of caring for the Earth’s animals. After establishing itself as a leader in the animal welfare movement over the previous 25 years, United Animal Nations rebranded as RedRover in 2011. Based in Sacramento, California, the nonprofit continues to honor the original mission of United Animal Nations, as it implements new initiatives to tackle evolving issues.

“I’m inspired every day by RedRover’s work to keep people and their pets together through crises, including natural disasters, domestic violence, homelessness, and veterinary emergencies,” says Katie Campbell, RedRover’s president and CEO.

“Together with our supporters and partners, we are working to create a more compassionate world for animals and the people who love them,” Campbell continues. “Working with such an incredible team, who continues to move our mission forward, is both a professional and personal dream. I pinch myself on a daily basis!” she says.

Moving the mission forward requires a dedicated staff, sponsors, and volunteers to organize the multiple schedules and myriad responsibilities that RedRover’s all-encompassing mission necessitates. The organization consists of three programs: RedRover Responders, RedRover Relief, and RedRover Readers.

RedRover Responders

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Initiated in 1990 as Emergency Animal Rescue Services (EARS), this legion of volunteers has supported animals in crisis through nearly 300 catastrophic events. RedRover has over 4,800 trained responders throughout the United States and Canada. Training consists of a 4-hour in-person group workshop or a self-paced online training option for individuals. Responders are also required to complete an online FEMA IS-100c Incident Command System course. They are encouraged to connect with local shelters and rescues to gain experience handling animals.

Because they hit the ground running when disaster strikes, volunteers must be able to lift at least 40 pounds and stand, kneel, or bend for extended periods in a variety of conditions, while supplying support and dispensing love. Besides natural disasters, RedRover Responders also assist with puppy mill rescues and volunteer at spay and neuter clinics. You must be at least 18 years old to become a RedRover Responder volunteer.

RedRover Relief

The RedRover Relief program provides resources, emotional support, and financial assistance to individuals and organizations that care for animals in dangerous or life-threatening situations. From Urgent Care grants to Safe Escape and Safe Housing grants, the RedRover Relief program fills the gaps that can prevent animals and their guardians from receiving the care and support they need. This financial assistance allows humans and their pets to stay together as they navigate health concerns or escape unsafe living conditions.

RedRover Relief has helped create pet-friendly domestic violence shelters in dozens of states as part of its goal to make 25% of such shelters pet-friendly by the end of 2025. The organization has also provided over $5 million to shelters across the U.S. to ensure that survivors and their pets can escape abuse together.

RedRover Readers

The RedRover Readers program was launched in 2007 and works with school-aged children to establish empathy and encourage respect for animals. The program engages the students with animal-themed stories that demonstrate the deep connection between people and animals. RedRover provides online, in-person, and full-site training for educators and volunteers. RedRover also publishes Kind News™ magazine from September to May, which covers a range of animal-centric topics, and received the Association of Professional Humane Educators’ Educator’s Choice Award in 2024. RedRover hopes that its education initiatives not only instill a reverence for animals but also encourage a lifelong love of reading.

Giving

Accomplishing all the tasks required to keep RedRover operating, from responding to natural disasters to caring for animals rescued from puppy mills and other cruel circumstances, requires significant funding. As a non-profit, this amazing animal welfare organization survives on a combination of corporate sponsorships and individual donations. RedRover, which has a 96% four-star rating from Charity Navigator, received a flawless 100% score for accountability and finance. RedRover also meets the 20 Standards for Charity Accountability, designed to help donors make informed decisions. In sum, you can feel good about donating to RedRover.

Keeping up with the times, RedRover offers several different ways to donate to the cause. Whether you choose to adopt a classroom, gift a membership, or contribute monthly, your gift helps keep RedRover doing what it does best: Keeping pets and their people safe.

“As we look to the future, we will continue to listen to and learn from the communities we serve,” Katie Campbell says. “We will focus on adapting and innovating our programming, so that we can continue growing to ensure that our impact is both transformational and long-lived.”