The Urban Resource Institute announced a co-sheltering program for abuse victims and pets. The initiative named PALS will run for six months on a pilot basis.

It's hard for victims of domestic violence to leave their beloved pets behind when fleeing an abusive environment. In New York City, an organization is aiming to make that transition a little easier.

The Urban Resource Institute recently announced a co-sheltering program which allows abused victims to live in the same place as their beloved domestic animals. The initiative named PALS stands for People and Animals Living Safely and it will run for six months on a pilot basis.

The president of The Urban Resource Institute stated “There has never been a more important time for the domestic violence shelter community to open its doors to pets. As we witnessed during Hurricane Katrina and Superstorm Sandy, pets are members of the family and no one should have to make the impossible decision to leave them behind during times of crisis.”

For now, the project will accept smaller pets like cats and hamsters in one location. However the organization hopes to raise $250,000 for expansion efforts that will include multiple locations and acceptance of dogs.