Mariksa Hargitay is known for her iconic role as Detective Olivia Benson in Law and Order: SVU. A survivor herself, Hargitay also works to help survivors of domestic abuse and sexual assault in real life. When she heard about how half of domestic abuse survivors delay leaving their abuser due to not wanting to leave their pets behind – She felt she had to help.
So she’s joined up with The Purple Leash Project, which aims to make domestic violence shelters more pet-friendly. In an interview with NBC she said, “Survivors of domestic violence often live in isolation, and the idea that they could bring their families with them and their entire family with them is so healing. We must do everything that we can to support survivors.”
She took part in the unveiling of the statue above called “Courageous Together.” It was created by Kristen Visbal, who’s best known for her “Fearless Girl” statue, which debuted staring down the famous “Charging Bull” statue near Wall Street in NYC. Hargitay said this about the statue, “It’s so powerful, it’s so elegant. I was really, really bowled over, but also…what I found so stunning was the determination and the strength in her face and the way the dog is looking at her so lovingly. It’s a stunning piece of art, which also invites the conversation and invites people to confront something that is historically and understandably difficult for people to talk about.” If you want to learn more or donate to the cause, visit purina.com/purple-leash-project
We last covered Mariska Hargitay when she named her cat Karma, after a song by her good friend Taylor Swift.