Update: Bills allowing pet protection orders have now passed in  Washington, Hawaii and Illinois.  The North Carolina bill has passed the state senate.

These bills failed, however, in Texas, Maryland, Connecticut, New Mexico and Iowa. The Minnesota bill has been held over till next year.

For more on these bills and pet protection orders, read Animal Law Coalition's report below. 

Bills allowing pet protection orders are once again high on the agenda of several state legislatures this year.

The first such law was passed in Maine in 2006 and since then a number of states have passed measures that allow judges to enter orders of protection for pets or other animals in situations of domestic violence.

Read more about the studies that show someone abusing a spouse or children is also likely to be cruel to animals in the household. The animal cruelty is many times a way to hurt the abused spouse or child or gain control over them. Many times abused spouses are too afraid to leave a situation of domestic violence because they fear harm will come to their animals they must leave behind.  

Ohio H.B. 55 is an example of the pending bills. Under that bill a court could enter an order of protection in favor of any companion animal in the residence of the victim of domestic violence. This means a court can order an abuser to stay away from the animal or impose other conditions to protect the pet's health and safety. An abuser could be arrested for contempt should he or she violate the order. Of course, the abuser could be arrested for contempt as well as animal cruelty should he or she harm the companion animal.

This is an example of the well-documented link between animal cruelty and domestic or other violence to humans. Indeed, the Ohio bill, H.B. 55, would also require a mental health evaluation for any child found guilty of animal cruelty. The Ohio bill would require mental health and other medical professional regulatory boards to offer courses on counseling individuals who abuse animals.  It is important to stop animal cruelty at the least, to stop potential violence to family members and others.

Ohio H.B. 55 is before the House Criminal Justice Committee. Write or call committee members and urge them to vote YES on H.B. 55.  Find Ohio state representatives here. Both pets and people will be safer if judges can issue orders of protection for animals and law enforcement will have the tools they need to help control domestic violence situations.  

In Connecticut, H.B. 5326 would have required the Dept. of Children and Family Services to "develop a series of questions related to animal treatment to be used during existing screening, intake, investigation and risk and safety procedures."

By evaluating any abuse of animals, authorities can take steps to protect children at risk. The bill recognizes, again, the link between cruelty to animals and domestic violence.  

(This bill died upon adjournment of the legislature.)

Bills allowing pet protection orders are also pending:

Washington, H.B. 1148 has passed and is now law!

Hawaii, H.B. 1512 has passed and is now law!

Arizona, S.B. 1278  (Contact your Az legislators here and urge passage of this bill)

Texas, H.B. 853/S.B. 1840 - This bill died upon adjournment of the legislature.

Minnesota, S.F. 838/H.F. 1396, will be taken up next year.  

Iowa, H.F. 32 died upon adjournment of the legislature. 

Illinois, H.B. 3918 has passed and is now law!

Georgia, H.B. 429 will be taken up next year.

South Carolina,  H.B. 3117, is pending in the House Committee on the Judiciary. Find and contact committee members in support of this bill. Find your South Carolina legislators here and urge their support of H.B. 3117.  

North Carolina, S.B. 1062 has passed the Senate and is pending in the  House.  Find your North Carolina legislators here and urge their support of this bill.

Maryland, S.B. 736/H.B. 901 died upon adjournment of the legislature.

Delaware, H.B. 77 has passed the state House and is pending in the Senate. Find your Delaware state senators and urge them to support this bill.   

New Jersey, S. 1045/A. 820 is pending and would allow an order of protection when the abuser has been found guilty of animal cruelty. Find your New Jersey legislators here and urge them to pass this bill. 

Massachusetts, H.B. 1319 and H.B. 1499 vary slightly but both provide for pet protection orders. Both bills are in the state House. Find your Massachusetts legislators and urge them to pass one of these bills.

New Mexico HB 434 passed the House but died upon adjournment.