ORLANDO, Fla. – Just months ago, Xayla was working to rebuild her life.
A mother of three, including a young child and two pets, she said she was focused on getting back on her feet after a difficult period.
“He wouldn’t let me work; he wouldn’t work. It was to the point where we couldn’t pay our bills,” Xayla said. “He was so controlling.”
After her boyfriend lost his job, she said his behavior changed, escalating from control to abuse.
“He started getting physical with me,” she said. “He even got physical with my animals.”
Those animals, her pit bull, Bean, and her calico kitten, Dutchess, were more than pets. They were part of her family. But as the violence escalated, Xayla said the danger spread beyond her and her animals.
“Once it happened with my child, I called the police,” she said. “I said I have to find somewhere else to go because he’s also on the spectrum.”
Still, leaving wasn’t easy.
Like many survivors of domestic violence, Xayla said she didn’t immediately walk away.
“I gave chances because things happen in life that could change you,” she said.
But everything changed, she said, when her boyfriend put a gun to her head and fired a shot into a closet.
With help from her mother, who cared for her son, Xayla began planning her escape. One major obstacle remained: where could she go on short notice with both her child and her pets?
That answer came in the form of Harbor House of Central Florida, a domestic violence shelter that accepts animals alongside their owners.
“It was very secure and very confidential,” Xayla said. “Me, my pets, and my son. I felt very safe. I felt like I could breathe again.”
At Harbor House’s Paws for Peace Kennel, she says her pets were treated with the same care she received.
“My pit had a big ole bed, a beautiful yard, free treats,” she said. “They made sure they had toys; they even paid for vaccines.”
Now, Xayla has moved into transitional housing, is back at work, and is safe. Her abuser remains behind bars.
“This experience has definitely taught me to love myself more,” she said. “It’s getting me closer to God, and I’ve been on a really good journey since I left that situation.”