'A heartbreaking decision.' Tamron Hall joins ABC13 to talk about helping abuse victims with pets

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Statistics show one in three women and one in four men will experience some form of domestic abuse in their lifetime. These partners seeking safety can sometimes face a heartbreaking choice when it comes to their pets.

Only about 15 percent of domestic violence shelters across the United States allow pets due to financial and space restrictions. Many survivors delay leaving their abuser, because they can't take their pet with them to the shelter. This gap leads survivors to make a difficult choice: flee to the shelter, but leave their pet behind or endure abuse to protect their beloved pet.

ABC13's Jonathan Bruce and Emmy Award winning journalist Tamron Hall of "The Tamron Hall Show" teamed up to discuss how "The Purple Leash Project," founded by Purina and RedRover, provides resources to make domestic violence shelters pet-friendly, allowing animal companions and people to escape abuse and heal together.

"I've covered hurricanes, natural disasters, where people will run back in to try to save their pets. These are our family members...we just want to help remove some of the roadblocks for the shelters and for the survivors so they can see the road," Hall told ABC13.

Watch the full conversation in the video above.

You can learn more about the program through The Purple Leash Project's website

"The Tamron Hall Show" airs weekdays at 1 p.m. on ABC13.

For updates on this story, follow Jonathan Bruce on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.