A Brave Mom of Two Escaped Domestic Violence but Refused to Leave Her Family Dog Behind — and Thanks to a Life-Saving Program, She Didn’t Have To
When Hope Dawson Sessoms packed her car one night almost a decade ago, she didn’t know where she was going — only that she had to get her children to safety. Living in an abusive relationship had become unbearable, and she had reached her breaking point. She fled with her two kids and their dog, Coco, unsure what would come next. For weeks, her car became her only home.
In New York City, where she sought refuge, Hope cleaned houses to make ends meet. It was grueling work — exhausting both physically and emotionally — but she was determined to keep going. The hardest part, she says, wasn’t the uncertainty or the long nights parked under streetlights. It was trying to make her children believe that things would eventually get better. “My daughter called me one night and said, ‘I don’t care where we have to stay, I just need to be with you,’” Hope recalls. Those words shattered her heart — and strengthened her resolve.
But there was another obstacle standing in her way: finding a safe place to live that would allow her to bring Coco. Many domestic violence shelters do not accept pets, forcing victims to choose between safety and the animals that often provide their only source of comfort. Hope couldn’t bear the thought of leaving Coco behind. “He was part of our family,” she says. “He was there for me when no one else was.”
That’s when she found the People and Animals Living Safely (PALS) program, run by the Urban Resource Institute in New York. The program offers safe, co-living shelters for survivors of domestic violence and their pets — a small but revolutionary idea that recognizes how vital the human-animal bond can be during crisis and recovery. For Hope, discovering PALS felt like a miracle. “They opened their doors to us and didn’t make me choose,” she says. “For the first time in months, I felt safe — all of us did.”
At the PALS residence, Hope and her children began to rebuild their lives. They had a room of their own, access to counseling, and most importantly, Coco was right there with them — sleeping by their side every night. The program provided veterinary care, food, and emotional support for both the pets and their families. It wasn’t just shelter — it was healing.
Now, years later, Hope has become an advocate for survivors and for the expansion of pet-inclusive housing across the country. She shares her story to remind others that safety should never come with conditions. “No one should have to leave their family behind to escape abuse,” she says. “We all deserve to feel safe — together.”
Today, Hope’s life looks very different. Her children are thriving, Coco is still by her side, and she works to help others find the courage she once had to find within herself. She says her experience taught her that starting over is possible, even after the darkest times.
Her message to others is simple: “There’s always a way out, and there are people who will help you find it.”
