Protecting pets from abuse is key in saving humans, too
To the overwhelming majority of animal lovers, pets are family. They may not be the whole life of human members of a family, but they so often make families whole. Or, as whole as they can be.
With the stroke of a pen last month, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro recognized the value of pets to so many. It’s not outlandish to think that by doing so, more than a few lives are going to be saved over the long haul in the commonwealth.
In November, an amendment to an important Pennsylvania law that protects survivors of abuse was extended to offer their pets the same rights. Act 146 of 2024 from H.B. 1210, essentially amends Pennsylvania’s Protection from Abuse Act and serves as a “protection from abuse” or “restraining order” for pets against the actions of those who abuse their owners.
It’s an essential extension of current law, as much for the human owners as for pets who too often find themselves equally innocent victims in abusive family situations.
So often in life-altering times, humans opt to stick it out at home rather than seek help — be it from a hospital in times of illness, or a shelter when abuse is present — because leaving their beloved pets behind even in emergencies is unthinkable.
Colleen Gedrich, a pet advocate with WRC: We Respect and Care’s Protecting Pets Against Domestic Violence program, which provides services to domestic violence victims and their pets in Lackawanna and Susquehanna counties, said that like the program, the new law can convince anyone thinking about escaping abuse to do so sooner, knowing their pets will be cared for away from an abuser.
“Oftentimes, the family pet can be used as a form of control,” Gedrich said. “This can be a target to try to get the person who’s fleeing to come back.”
Now that Pennsylvania extended the Protection from Abuse Act to pets, becoming one of the last states in the nation to do so, it will now be easier for victims to find housing for pets, or secure services that will enable them to take their pets with them to the shelters or new lodging they are provided away from abusers.
It’s long past time state officials recognized the importance of ensuring the safety of the family pet in situations like this, given how staggering the numbers are linking animal abuse to domestic violence.
It’s a difficult series of facts to overcome for those dealing with domestic violence, who often delayed help for themselves or didn’t seek it at all because their beloved pets didn’t have the same avenues to run toward safety that they did. Hopefully, this change in policy will be the start of a marked change not just in how many victims of abuse seek help with peace of mind knowing that their entire family can be safe, but how quickly they would be willing to do it.
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