Advocates push for bill protecting pets in domestic situations

I hope this catches on in other states. The courts need to stop considering pets as if they are pieces of furniture. They need as much protection against abuse as humans do. Maybe more so since we have to speak for them.

www.wftv.com...

Animal rights advocates are pushing hard for a new law to protect pets in domestic violence situations.

As WFTV's Jamie Holmes reports, victims are staying in violent situations longer because their abusers are holding power over their pets.

He's pushing legislators across the state to take up Bill 288. It allows victims of domestic violence to take their pet with them when they escape the abuse.

"Pets are considered property. The judge will protect you, your children, the judge will not protect your dog," Heine said.

The bill is designed to help abuse victims get out of the house. Right now 40 percent of female domestic violence victims continue to stay in the home because they're worried about what would happen to their pet.

And 71 percent of abused women report their batterer had injured or killed their pet in an effort to control them.

Orange County investigators see dozens of cases a year like the one involving Harley Hughey, who text messaged his girlfriend while he killed her pet rabbit.

"He ended up strangling and drowning the rabbit as a way to get back to keep her in the relationship," said Kat Kennedy of Orange Co. Animal Control.

Still, Bill 288 doesn't have a voice. It failed to pick up a sponsor in the House and died in committee last year. There is some opposition concerned that if domestic violence laws are opened up, other changes to the books would happen.

Still, Heine is reaching out to every single legislator, trying to get one to bite.

"They can't go to a court of law and say here's my bruises, give me protection. Somebody has to stand up for the little animals and the big animals," Heine said.

Bill 288 still does not have a sponsor. A draft form was filed at the beginning of the month, which means a legislator can still pick it up for the upcoming session.

I hope it passes. We need to stop as much pain as possible and give animals the same protection against being abused. Most abusers start with animals anyways before they extend their actions onto people, so I feel it's about time this was addressed.

Plus, I wanted to end my thread contributions on a positive note before Christmas. After all, peace, love, and joy are not just for humans. Animals deserve it, too, for the unconditional love and happiness they bring us.

Merry Christmas to young and old -- and, yes, furry.

awesome. this is just great!

i've known a couple women who wouldn't leave their abusive mates on account of the family pet. i know one who fled and took the dog...and he called the cops on her for stealing the dog and the cops made her return the dog...which he then beat (thankfully... the dog is fine and karma taught him a MUCH nastier lesson not long after).

this is an awesome idea. i hope every state catches on. sometimes...that pet is the only true love in a relationship.

now i will say this: if he hits you more than once and you stay with him...there is a very real possibility that you deserve it. not that i think anyone should be beaten...but...if you don't get away from your abuser when you are fully capable of it...maybe you like the abuse?

me personally...if i knew that someone wanted to hurt me when they got upset...i probably wouldn't be around that person very long. that is just me, though...

reply to post by ICEKOHLD


Thanks for adding your friend's story. It's so sad how animals are used to control victims and it needs to end. We already have enough evidence that serial killers start with animals, so this fact needs to be extended to abusers as well. In my mind, even if someone wouldn't intentionally kill a person, many don't have qualms about killing a beloved pet. Abusing the pet in front of a victim really is the ultimate psychological abuse since many people, especially women, consider their pets to be their children and love them just as much.

Thankfully many states are implementing laws giving animals more protection and stiffer penalties and jail time to those abusers. I have been a support to many animal rights groups, and it's a never ending battle for them to keep eyes and ears open to any and all abuse cases and to not let those abusers off the hook and see to it that those cases are prosecuted. They are heros. I had a lady arrested this past summer, she was someone that lived in my neighborhood and I had heard her neighbor say there were animals still living in her abandoned home and she had been gone for two months, she just left these poor animals there with no water, food, electricity, ventilation, nothing...and it was the middle of July. Three animals had died, two younger ones were still alive when the cops went in to investigate. Those poor animals were desperate, the look on their faces I will never forget. I also daily sent emails to the president, my congress representatives and senators pushing for anti crush legislation to become legal, and thankfully that passed and is now law. There are other countries around the world with animal rights advocates trying to get crush videos made illegal in their countries as well. This is a never ending war against abuse, but thankfully our pets and animals are the soft spots in our lives and most people will fight for their rights.

Animals need more protection from the police from what I see- cops shooting them all the time.

It sounds good but I am always leary of more laws.

reply to post by hadriana


I don't see it as a new law. I view it as an alteration of viewpoint. While livestock should still be considered property since they are for profit, pets should be on the books as an extension of the family unit. No law is being implemented, only justice.

Originally posted by ICEKOHLD
awesome. this is just great!

i've known a couple women who wouldn't leave their abusive mates on account of the family pet. i know one who fled and took the dog...and he called the cops on her for stealing the dog and the cops made her return the dog...which he then beat (thankfully... the dog is fine and karma taught him a MUCH nastier lesson not long after).

this is an awesome idea. i hope every state catches on. sometimes...that pet is the only true love in a relationship.

now i will say this: if he hits you more than once and you stay with him...there is a very real possibility that you deserve it. not that i think anyone should be beaten...but...if you don't get away from your abuser when you are fully capable of it...maybe you like the abuse?

me personally...if i knew that someone wanted to hurt me when they got upset...i probably wouldn't be around that person very long. that is just me, though...

edit on 12/24/11 by ICEKOHLD because: (no reason given)

"if he hits you more than once and you stay with him, there is a very real possibility that you deserve it"

NO!!!!!!! Ugh that statement just sent my blood pressure way up!!!
Sorry but this is just ignorance on your part, many women in abusive relationships aren't in positions to help themselves, don't know what alternatives they have, are financially dependent on their abusers, and emotionally not strong enough to do this without some kind of support. And their abusers know how to say i'm sorry and keep them emotionally hooked. It takes a great deal of convincing, support and secrecy for these women to leave an abusive relationship, and there is also the issue of dealing with prosecution, evidence and facing their abusers in court. Abuse isn't just physical, they are manipulated, controlled financially, made to feel like no one would want them, their self esteem is completely stripped away. Please consider that there is so much more to these situations than meets the eye!

Sorry OP, not trying to take this thread off topic, but I just had to respond to this statement.

reply to post by justsaying


I agree with your sentiment. Many abusers follow a specific pattern where they tell their victims they don't need a job (no money of their own to get away with) and begin alienating them from the family and friends.
Before they realize what's happened, the victim has no money and no people to help them.