The state of Maine has become the first in the country to enact a law to help protect pets from abuse. This new law, enacted in May of this year, allows judges to include domestic pets in protection orders for spouses, partners, and children leaving abusive relationships.
A spokesperson from the Humane Society of the United States applauded the move by the state of Maine, calling it an innovative, new approach. Advocates for the law hope that including pets in protection orders will help battered women and others — those who were unwilling to abandon their pets to save themselves can now feel reassured, knowing their beloved pets will be protected from further abuse.
Governor John Baldacci believes the new law will make abusers stop and think before resorting to violence against pets as a means of keeping human victims from leaving a relationship. Both law enforcement officials and animal welfare agents say it isn’t unusual to hear about abusers venting rage against their partner’s pets. A survey of abused, pet-owning women at a shelter in Utah found that 71 percent of the abusers threatened, harmed, or killed the women’s pets.
Maine isn’t the only state that recognizes the link between domestic violence and animal abuse; it is only the first in the nation to enact a law allowing judges to include pets in protection orders. California, Connecticut, Louisiana, Nebraska, Ohio, and Tennessee all encourage cross-reporting among agencies involved in law enforcement, domestic violence, child protection, and animal control.
Animal welfare agencies are encouraging cooperative efforts between shelters for women and shelters for animals. Several agencies in Maine participate in PAWS — Pets and Women to Safety. The program helps place endangered pets in foster homes so owners can move into a shelter without guilt. And the program isn’t limited to dogs and cats — even farm animals and exotic pets have been helped through the PAWS effort.