Sarah Hyland has used her celebrity tirelessly to raise awareness of two issues close to her heart: animal welfare and domestic violence. On October 30 Variety will honor her with the former at the upcoming Power of Women gala in Los Angeles Variety Courage Award, presented by Purina, which recognizes both issues simultaneously.
The award celebrates Hyland’s outspoken advocacy for survivors of relationship abuse while building on Purina’s Purple Leash Program, which provides resources and support to make domestic violence shelters pet-friendly so survivors with pets can stay together. “I am so honored,” Hyland said. “Many shelters don’t allow pets and have to figure out how to get them out [of the relationship] and doing that, especially with animals, is so important.” She adds that sometimes the pet can provide just the emotional support the survivor needs. However, less than 20% of domestic violence shelters in the US currently allow pets.
“Many people who have been in abusive relationships have had pets,” she says. “I wouldn’t have made it much without my dog. But at the same time… animals can be used as a tool of manipulation and also as a tactic. Their lives are then put at risk [to] try to hurt someone through an animal.
It was just a decade ago that Hyland obtained a restraining order against her then-boyfriend of four years and “Geek Charming” co-star Matt Prokop. At the time, she was granted a restraining order that also covered her dog due to threats against him. Supporting survivors and raising awareness of the outreach programs available to them are of great importance to her.
“For thousands of years we didn’t talk about it. I don’t think the community has shared enough,” she said. “And I feel like if we talk about it more, more women – and men and just people in general in abusive relationships – will feel more comfortable being able to talk about it with their loved ones rather than feeling put through their to have the abuser isolated from everyone, which is the first thing they do, so you don’t have that community. So we have to keep talking about it. It is very important to be able to help people in need.”
The PTSD caused by that abuse lingers long after the relationship ends, remaining “in that abused place of your soul, where you spend all the time thinking it’s your fault and that you could have done better, you you could have come out sooner, you could have done better’. told people,” Hyland says. “It’s almost like you don’t want to talk about it anymore. You want it done, and that’s that. I completely understand its dissociation pattern. I feel very guilty about it myself… until something happens that triggers me, and I didn’t realize that part of myself was healed. I don’t know if that’s part of it [of] every woman will one day completely recover from this. It’s something that scars her soul a little. It’s more about loving that scar instead of hating and ignoring it.”
Sarah Hyland and Julie Bowen (Getty Images)
Hyland’s Modern Family co-star Julie Bowen couldn’t be more proud of her former TV daughter for the personal healing and growth she’s faced since her ordeal a decade ago. “Without adversity, there is no way to define someone’s character and sense of self,” Bowen said Variety. “Sarah’s path has forced her to face challenges – both physical and emotional – from a very young age. She has faced each moment with determination, grace and vulnerability. I’m so proud of that Variety recognizes her strength and heart with the
Praise for courage.”