Pet Companion Shelter Expansion Project Officially Breaks Ground

Mar 10

HomeAid Phoenix and Sojourner Center officially broke ground March 10th, 2023 on the Pet Companion Shelter Expansion project. The project entails the significant remodel of six emergency shelter rooms to make them pet friendly and the addition of a new dog park on the Sojourner Center campus in Phoenix.

Groundbreaking festivities included heart-felt speeches from Sojourner Center Co-Directors Julie Peterson and Bailey DeRoest, HomeAid Phoenix Board President Chris Cady (Division President - New Home Company), Builder Captain representative Brad Schoenberg (Division President - Taylor Morrison), Phoenix Vice Mayor Yassamin Ansari and District 8 Councilmember Carlos Garcia.

From left to right, Sojourner Center Co-Director Julie Peterson, former participant Prisilia, Phoenix Vice Mayor Yassamin Ansari, Councilmember Carlos Garcia, Sojourner Center Co-Director Bailey DeRoest, Project Builder Captain/Division president Taylor Morrison Brad Schoenberg, HomeAid Phoenix Board President/Division President New Home Company Chris Cady, and BrightView Market Leader Bret Beitz.

Since 1977, Sojourner Center has been a safe haven from domestic violence for over 60,000 women and children in Arizona. In 2015, it opened their pet companion shelter, serving countless domestic violence survivors and their pet companions. Studies show that many victims of domestic violence delay leaving their situation out of concern for their pet(s). “By transforming our existing emergency shelter rooms and building a larger outdoor dedicated pet space, we’re enabling more pets and their families to overcome the impacts of abuse.” said Julie Peterson, Sojourner Center Co-Director. “With only 5% of domestic violence shelters providing refuge for pet families across the country, this project has the potential to be a national model”, said Peterson. “Having the additional space will provide participants and their pet companions a sanctuary to heal and play together.”

Builder Captain, Taylor Morrison, and many other supporters of the project, are excited to see this project get underway, expected to take around 90 days to complete. “We are humbled by the opportunity to lend our expertise and resources towards this project, which will have lasting effects on the lives of those overcoming the impact of domestic violence,” said Brad Schoenberg, Division President for Taylor Morrison. “HomeAid Phoenix provides our industry a unique platform to serve the community that our employees live and work, and we are happy to represent HomeAid Phoenix as the Builder Captain for this essential project.” Organizations including Greater Good Charities, PetSmart Charities, Banfield Foundation, RedRover, Arizona Community Foundation and AKC Humane Fund provided funding for the project.