HARRISBURG (TNS) — Survivors of domestic violence in Pennsylvania will soon be allowed, under court order, to bring their pets with them when fleeing their abusers.
Under a new bipartisan law signed by Gov. Josh Shapiro in November 2024, judges can opt to include pets as part of protection-from-abuse orders in an effort to remove barriers for domestic violence victims trying to leave intimate partner violence or a dangerous environment while protecting their animal’s welfare.
Pennsylvania will soon join 37 other states that allow judges to issue protections for pets as part of protection-from-abuse orders. These orders, often called PFAs, are usually no-contact restraining orders intended to protect victims and their families from an abuser in both emergency and long-term situations.
Pets can be used by abusers to continue to control or isolate their victim, and some victims may wait to leave a violent environment if they fear for their pet’s safety, according to the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence. Approximately 48% to 71% of domestic violence survivors who have pets report that their companion animal has been abused or killed by their abuser, according to the center.
Pennsylvania’s current protection-from-abuse laws include safeguards for a victim’s children but do not clearly grant judges the power to extend those protections to a person’s pet. The new law codifies that a court can grant temporary ownership of a pet and explicitly prohibit an alleged abuser from being near the animal. It will go into effect later this month.
State Reps. Natalie Mihalek. R-Allegheny, and Christina Sappey, D-Chester, sponsored the legislation with the support of some law enforcement and animal rights groups, such as the Pennsylvania Sheriffs’ Association and the Humane Society of the United States.
“People don’t leave an abusive situation because they’re terrified to leave the pet behind,” Sappey said. “Judges are going to understand that they’ll have this tool, and I think people who are thinking about leaving are going to be empowered to get out of an unsafe situation.”
Sappey and Mihalek worked together on the bill for four years before it finally passed last year, and animal rights activists had advocated for it for even longer, Sappey said. Adding pets to protection-from-abuse orders will not cost anything to taxpayers, according to a state analysis.
“I want victims who are currently in a violent situation, who are impacted daily by domestic violence, to know that they can leave,” Sappey said. “If they’re on the fence because they’re concerned about leaving their pet behind, they now have a tool to protect them, so the whole family can remain safe from the abuser.”
