By: Neil O’Donnell –
The Pennsylvania State Legislature recently passed a bill that extends the protections of “Protection from Abuse” or PFA Orders to household pets. PFAs can be ordered by a court to protect a victim and/or their children from an abuser who is an intimate partner or a family member. This free procedure, when court-approved, sets terms that the defendant must follow. If they violate these terms, they face the risk of being arrested and held in indirect criminal contempt. Under this new legislation, defendants will now be required to “refrain from possessing, abusing or harming a petitioner’s companion animal,” according to Act 146 of 2024.
Extending these terms to pets is important to the protection of the petitioner as well as the pet itself. Oftentimes, pets are used against petitioners through threats and as leverage to coerce them to stay with their abuser or to torment them. It has been reported that about 70% of women in abusive relationships have their pets threatened, injured, or killed. Additionally, the ASPCA writes that “more than a quarter of domestic violence victims stay in abusive relationships for a median time of two years to avoid leaving their pets behind.” There are many organizations that are attempting to address this issue, such as 25 By 2025, whose mission is to help increase the number of domestic violence shelters to become pet-friendly from 17% to 25% by 2025. While there is still work to do, statewide protection for pets helps the cause immensely and opens the door for organizations to further develop solutions to this problem.
The bipartisan bill was signed into law by Governor Josh Shapiro in late November 2024, protecting pets, while also furthering protections for victims of abuse.