Purple Leash Project Helps Nine More Domestic Violence Shelters in Canada Become Pet-Friendly in 2026

Nestlé Purina PetCare Canada invests $262,500 to expand and sustain pet-friendly sheltering for survivors and their pets across Canada

TORONTO, Oct. 20, 2026 /CNW/ -- A safe place to go should include every member of the family, pets included. Yet 50 per cent of domestic abuse survivors delay leaving an abusive situation because they cannot take their pets with them. Now entering its third year in Canada, the Purple Leash^® Project is taking another step towards removing that barrier, with Nestlé Purina PetCare Canada investing $262,500 in 2026 to support 15 shelters across seven provinces, including nine that will become newly pet-friendly and six that will receive funding to maintain existing pet-friendly programs.

Across the country, shelters supported through the Purple Leash Project are seeing firsthand the impact of keeping survivors and their pets together. At one emergency shelter supported through Purple Leash in 2025, a mother and her young son spent two weeks waiting to bring their beloved dog to safety after escaping an unsafe situation. As the child prepared a kennel for the dog's arrival, he told a shelter support worker, "My dog protected me from being hurt… and I protected him." When the dog finally arrived, the child and his pet ran toward one another, a reunion the shelter worker described as a memory they would always cherish.

It's one of many stories that bring the importance of the Purple Leash Project, and the impact of keeping survivors and their pets together, into focus. Launched in Canada in 2024 by Nestlé Purina PetCare Canada in partnership with Women's Shelters Canada (WSC), the Purple Leash Project provides shelters with the funding needed to welcome pets onsite, helping more survivors reach safety without having to leave a beloved animal behind.

"No one should have to choose between their safety and their pet. Over the past two years, we've seen firsthand how meaningful pet-friendly sheltering can be for survivors and their families," said Maleeha Sheikh, Manager of Corporate Communications, Nestlé Purina PetCare Canada. "The growing demand for Purple Leash funding shows just how important this support is. We are proud to continue working with Women's Shelters Canada to help more shelters welcome pets and keep families together during some of life's most difficult moments."

This year, 40 shelters across Canada applied for Purple Leash funding, compared to 25 applications in 2025. The successful recipients extend the program's reach across British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.

In 2025, Purple Leash funding directly supported more than 136 women and children, 25 families and 82 pets, including dogs, cats and rabbits. Six additional shelters became pet-friendly, bringing the national total to 86 pet-friendly shelters out of 615 across Canada.

"For survivors with pets, knowing there is somewhere they can go together can make a meaningful difference at a critical moment," said Anuradha Dugal, Executive Director of Women's Shelters Canada. "As more shelters across the country work to become pet-friendly, we're creating more pathways to safety that recognize pets for what they are to so many survivors: part of the family and an important source of comfort during an incredibly difficult transition."

By March 2027, three years after the Purple Leash Project launched in Canada, the initiative is expected to have supported 45 shelters across the country. Together, those shelters are helping build a broader network of safe places where survivors can begin their next chapter with every member of their family by their side.

The Purple Leash Project's name reflects that mission, with purple representing domestic violence awareness and the leash symbolizing the bond between pets and people.

To learn more about the Purple Leash Project and how you can support, visit www.purina.ca/purple-leash-project. If you or someone you know is experiencing violence, visit www.sheltersafe.ca to find the nearest women's shelter and crisis line.

About Nestlé Purina PetCare
Nestlé Purina PetCare Canada creates richer lives for pets and the people who love them. Founded in 1894, Purina has helped dogs and cats live longer, healthier lives by offering scientifically based nutritional innovations. Purina manufactures some of the world's most trusted and popular pet care products, including Purina ONE, Pro Plan, Fancy Feast and Tidy Cats. Purina promotes responsible pet care through scientific research, products and support for pet-related organizations across Canada. Purina is part of Nestlé, a global leader in Nutrition, Health and Wellness. For more information, visit purina.ca for the latest Purina news.

About Women's Shelters Canada
Women's Shelters Canada (WSC) brings together 16 provincial and territorial shelter organizations and supports more than 615 shelters across the country for women and children fleeing violence. They are a national, collaborative voice for systemic change with the goal of ending violence against women, children, and gender-diverse individuals through an intersectional feminist framework. Learn more at endvaw.ca.

SOURCE Nestlé Purina PetCare Canada

Media Contact: Srijoni Sarkar, PRAXIS Public Relations, 647-673-1578, [email protected]