Sarah Hyland delivers emotional message for domestic abuse survivors

Sarah Hyland spoke up about domestic abuse and its victims.

On Thursday night, 24th Oct in Los Angeles, Modern Family actress and Love Island USA host took the stage at the annual Variety Power of Women gala, presented by Lifetime.

The four-time SAG Award winner was honoured with the inaugural Variety Courage Award, sponsored by Purina, for her dedication to raising awareness about animal welfare and domestic abuse.

Hyland’s heartfelt speech highlighted her ongoing commitment to the important causes.

“Accepting this award for courage has made me think about what that word means to me. It takes courage to wake up every morning and face the world knowing that people may have no idea what you are going through,” Hyland said in her speech.

“It’s all too easy to feel isolated and misunderstood, no matter how strong you are.”

Sarah Hyland expressed her gratitude toward Purina and its partner, RedRover, during her speech.

She specifically praised their "Purple Leash Project", which aims to make domestic violence shelters more “pet-friendly,” which works around the fact that nearly half of domestic abuse survivors delay leaving dangerous situations because they can't bring their pets with them, and less than 20 percent of shelters currently accept animals.

The "Purple Leash Project" works to ensure survivors don’t have to make the heartbreaking decision between their own safety and the well-being of their pets.

“Since 2019, Purina and RedRover have provided more than 50 Purple Leash Project grants to domestic violence shelters across the country,” Hyland said.

“In the world of isolation they’ve been living in, you cannot underestimate the power of letting them know they’re not alone.”