More and More States Allowing Pet Protection Orders
Pet protection orders have been a popular legislative proposal in the last 2 years.
A law allowing judges to issues orders of protection for pets was first passed in Maine in 2006, and in 2006 and 2007, Vermont, New York, California, Illinois and Connecticut passed similar laws.
This year Louisiana in LA SB 264 passed a law allowing a judge to grant a petitioner for a temporary restraining order sole custody and care of an animal and also directing the abuser to "refrain from harassing, interfering with, abusing or injuring any pet".
In a twist on these orders, Alaska made it a crime this year in most instances to "knowingly kill" or "injure" an animal "with the intent to intimidate, threaten, or terrorize another person". It is well-established in domestic violence situations, the abuser will many times threaten or abuse animals to control and threaten the victim spouse or children. Click here for more on Alaska's new law.
A similar bill, H.B. 2208, is pending in the Pennsylvania House Judiciary Committee. The bill would make it a 3rd degree felony if an abuser "willfully and maliciously kills, maims, disfigures, tortures or [tries to] poison" animals if the owner or caregiver has an order of protection against the abuser.
This bill has been stuck in the Judiciary Committee for some time. There's little time to pass it. Contact Judiciary Committee members and urge them to vote yes on H.B. 2208. Also, find and contact your Pennsylvania legislators and urge them to support H.B. 2208.
The Ohio legislature is still considering H.B. 418 which, if passed, would allow a court to order an abuser to stay away from a companion animal just like any victim of domestic violence. Click here for more on this bill and how you can help pass it.
New Jersey's legislature is considering S. 1045/A. 820 which would allow judges to issue orders of protection to protect animals from people convicted of violating the animal cruelty laws. Find and contact your New Jersey legislators and urge them to pass this bill.
Studies
In one study 71% of women in a battered women's shelter reported their abuser either abused a household pet or threatened to abuse a pet. (Ascione, 1998)
In another study 88% of child abusers also abused the animals in the home. (Ascione)
In a study by Dr. Jacquelyn Campbell, Public Health Department, the Johns Hopkins University from 1994 to 2000 in eleven USA metropolitan cities, pet abuse was one of the four significant predictors for determining who was at highest risk for becoming a batterer. Many abused spouses delay leaving out of fear for their pets' safety and because they have nowhere to take them.
PROTECT THE ANIMALS
OUR COUNTRY NEEDS TO START PROTECTING THE RIGHTS AND LIVES OF THESE ANIMALS, THEIR "SO CALLED PETS". i KNOW THE ECONONMY IS NOT THE BEST RIGHT NOW, BUT IF WE ALL TAKE CARE OF EACHOTHER WE CAN PULL THROUGH THIS. I PERSONALLY BELIVE THAT EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE A PERMIT TO OWN A PET OR TO EVEN HAVE CHILDREN. OUR SOCIETYT IS SO IRRESPONNSIBLE, AND SELFISH THAT THEY WOULD RATHER STARVE AND NELGECT THEIR ANIMALS FOR A PACK OF CIGARETTES OR THAT 6 PACK OF BEER. ITS SAD, ITS PATHETIC AND ITS WRONG. TAKE CARE OF YOUR PETS AND CHILDREN, FEED THEM, KEEP THEM WARM AND MOSTLY JUST LOVE THEM, THAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART. OUR LAWS NEED TO BE STRICTER AND CHARGE THOSE WHO NEGLECT AND ABUSE THESE ANIMALS. I AM GOING TO TRY MY BEST TO GET THESE LAWS PASSED. WE NEED TO COUNTRY TO GET TOGETHER, STAND UP FOR THESE ANIMALS AND TAKE CARE OF THEM, THEY DEPEND ON US, JUST AS MUCH AS YOUR CHILDREN DO.