Why Sarah Hyland advocates for domestic violence survivors (and their pets).

“Many people who were in abusive relationships had pets,” she says diversity. “Without my dog, I often wouldn’t have been able to get through. But at the same time…animals can be used as manipulation and also as a tactic. Their lives are then put at risk to try to hurt someone through an animal.”

In 2014, Sarah obtained a restraining order against her then-boyfriend of four years Geek charm Co-star Matt Prokop. The court order, which prohibits Prokop from contacting Sarah and her home or coming within 100 meters of her, also extended to her dog, Barkley Bixley.

Prokop has not publicly commented on the interim injunction.

Sarah Hyland with her dog Barkley

Andrew Toth/Getty Images

As part of her ongoing advocacy, Sarah is calling for an end to the silence surrounding domestic violence. “We haven’t talked about it for thousands of years,” she says diversity.

“I don’t think the community shared enough. And I believe that 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 to their loved ones about it, rather than letting their abuser isolate them from everything the first thing is what they do so you don't have that community. So we have to keep talking about it. It’s really important to be able to help those in need.”

She emphasizes that the effects of domestic violence last long after the violence has stopped. She says that post-traumatic stress disorder from abuse can “stay in that abused place of your soul where you think all the time it's your fault and you could have done better, you could have gotten out sooner, you could have told people.” can.” “