Domestic Abuse Law Will Protect Pets
- Posted on July 3, 2011 at 8:26am by
Madeleine Morgenstern
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DALLAS (AP) — Protective orders that prevent an abuser from hurting, threatening or harassing a person will soon be extended to pets thanks to a Texas law taking effect this summer.
The law was designed to help when someone abuses or threatens to abuse an animal to intimidate or coerce a victim. While a first offense would be a misdemeanor, two or more offenses would bump the crime up to a third-degree felony, The Dallas Morning News reported Saturday.
“It’s really not about overzealously being protective of pets in Texas,” said Sen. Wendy Davis, a Fort Worth Democrat who wrote the legislation that Gov. Rick Perry recently signed into law. “It’s about protecting women who are battered.”
When the law takes effect Sept. 1, Texas will join about a dozen other states that have extended protective orders to pets.
“Everybody that has pets is very passionate and loves their pets,” so an abuser will use that passion against the victim as a show of power and control, said Dallas police Lt. Scott Walton, interim division manager of Dallas Animal Services.
According to the American Humane Association, 71 percent of pet-owning women entering shelters reported that their abuser had injured, killed or threatened family pets for revenge or to psychologically control them.
Mary Silman of Arlington, who endured prolonged physical and psychological abuse, recalled the traumatic beating of a pet dog she loved.
“My husband just started beating up the dog with his fists … trying to crack its ribs,” the 56-year-old woman said. “It was yelping. I couldn’t do anything or say anything because I was too scared … that he was going to do that to me.”
Silman said an abuser will keep a victim’s pet or kill it out of spite, and “no innocent animal needs to be caught up in that.”
Advocates say victims may be more inclined to seek help if they don‘t have to worry about their pet’s safety.
But some people who run shelters say the new law might pose new challenges for animal and domestic abuse shelters. For instance, some people staying at shelters are allergic to animals, and several shelters lack the space needed to even house pets.
The Family Place in Dallas encourages victims to contact a friend to house the pet or to call animal and domestic abuse shelters to discuss possible solutions.
People increasingly are also using social networks such as Facebook and Craigslist to find foster homes for pets.
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Comments (143)
heavyduty
Posted on July 3, 2011 at 10:13amLet’s extend the law to horses and cows, and all the animals. Then we can all become vegetarians. Gee what a crock of crap. I am sorry, and I don’t abuse animals. I like them just fine. But they are just animals. Just more crap for the courts to decide.
Report Post »rienheart
Posted on July 3, 2011 at 10:09amAnimals are already protected under “The Cruelty to Animals Law” You can be Prosecuted. This Makes Animals the same as Humans. Cass Susstien (sp) Wants this legislation. It is part of his agenda to give Human Rights to animals. READ. This is a Slippery Slope we are sliding down. I’m all for Protecting Animals, but there are Laws already on the Books. Don’t you all remember The Footballer who went to Prison recently for DOG FIGHTING???? Get a Grip People. Socialism is in your Blood if you agree with this Law. You can be prosecuted for Cruelty to Animals. MORONS
Report Post »Liberal_Atheist_Critical_Thinker
Posted on July 3, 2011 at 10:03amPets should be protected by law.
Report Post »mikee1
Posted on July 3, 2011 at 10:02amI think that is a very good law for a change. Nice to see something good in the law, not just all the queer marriage sodomy. Seems like a lot of the good in this country keeps coming from TEXAS.
Report Post »FORLORNHOPE
Posted on July 3, 2011 at 9:56amI am sure there are already a laws on the books. This is redundant You abuse a family member we already have a law, you abuse a pet we already have a law.
Report Post »Texas Grasshopper
Posted on July 3, 2011 at 9:55amwow ….lots of people support this law …“ people who trade security for freedom deserve neither ” …th
Report Post »AmericanDogMan
Posted on July 4, 2011 at 1:24amAmen!!
Report Post »clarity2199
Posted on July 3, 2011 at 9:40amI am an animal lover, and I can’t help but have my heart go out to every animal abused by people. But at the same time, this law is opening a pandora’s box. there’s liberals out there that want to give more rights to animals than people, and use this as a way to go into your home.
And how can animal lovers say ‘no’? Sometimes the worst things can come from the best intentions. I’m telling you now….some years from now, there’s a lot of people going to be regretting what this turns into. I just hope I’m wrong.
Report Post »WTSpike
Posted on July 3, 2011 at 9:36amThere is no excuse for abusing pets. I support such a law, whether it has teeth or not. It’s still a step in the correct direction. Pets are innocent souls who mean no harm to anyone. They deserve to be protected under the law.
By the way, if you do not have a pet, please adopt one. They need you.
Report Post »TH30PH1LUS
Posted on July 3, 2011 at 9:26amEvil =
1. Buy pets but neglect them.
Report Post »2. Let them run loose through the neighborhood, getting into fights with feral animals.
3. Don’t spay/neuter, and they just breed more animals to be neglected by the same people.
4. People who actually harm/abuse pets with pain/torture
BuckleUpAmerica
Posted on July 3, 2011 at 9:19amWe do need tough laws to protect the children, elderly and the animals.
Report Post »Cigar
Posted on July 3, 2011 at 9:17amWe need something like this…. Dog fighting should be a min or 1 year in jail w/out time off for “good behavior the the 1st sadistic ritual………………………………..
Report Post »ronmorgen
Posted on July 3, 2011 at 9:16amIf you “Constitutional Conservatives” are in favor of this law, it shows me just how liberal you are.
Report Post »JGP
Posted on July 3, 2011 at 11:31am@ ronmorgen
Report Post »There’s nothing unconstitutional about this. This is a state matter as it should be. A state senator wrote the bill, it was voted on and Perry signed it. Was it brought to the house rep’s first by the citizens, I don’t know.
Do we need yet another layer of laws when I’m sure there are already plenty of laws on the books regarding animale abuse? Hell no.
The problem is politicians want to make a name for themselves and spend their time thinking of new b.s. so they can have their name attached to some legislation.
We need rep’s from now on at state and federal levels that say their whole political exsistance is to weed out the unnecessary layers of laws and agencies and departments that over lap.
UBETHECHANGE
Posted on July 3, 2011 at 9:10amThis is definitely another thing conservatives and libs can agree on. Good law and thank you Texas!
Report Post »UBETHECHANGE
Posted on July 3, 2011 at 9:14amDon‘t mess with animals and don’t mess with TEXAS!
Report Post »joefboschsr
Posted on July 3, 2011 at 12:01pmReally? Child Molesters walking the streets, Illegal aliens streaming across the borders, and Texas is worried if I harass or threaten my dog? Boy would I be in trouble. I threaten to beat my dog every time he poops in the house. Take me away now.
Report Post »MONICNE
Posted on July 4, 2011 at 8:55amThank You Governor Perry! This is as important as ANYTHING Sarah or Michele ever Passed!
“Texas – It’s like a whole other Country”
Report Post »RepubliCorp
Posted on July 3, 2011 at 9:05amIn a separate study, Dr. Caetano, John Schafer of the University of Cincinnati and Carol Cunradi of the Prevention Research Center at Berkeley, California found that black, Hispanic, and white couples reported violent incidents within the previous 12 months at respective levels of 23 percent, 17 percent and 11.5 percent.
Report Post »RepubliCorp
Posted on July 3, 2011 at 9:03amRaul Caetano and Craig Field of the University of Texas’s School of Public Health found that Hispanic (and black) couples exhibited three times the frequency of male-on-female violence and twice the frequency of female-on-male violence than did white couples.
Report Post »heavywx
Posted on July 3, 2011 at 9:02amTake the red pill
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qs9BHlavGTs
Report Post »ronmorgen
Posted on July 3, 2011 at 9:01amGovernment overeach. Rick Perry is a big government fan, and has lost any support he might have gotten from me. Now I suppose if an unruly dog attacks me, and I kick back, I will go to jail, but the dog was under no law.
Report Post »Jaimo
Posted on July 3, 2011 at 9:27amYou’d only go to jail if the dog was yours and you have your wife by the hair at the time, pal.
Report Post »billybe123
Posted on July 3, 2011 at 9:31amReally, big Government Fan? Where the Hell are you getting your news from? He’s NOT a fan of Big Government Fool. Stop watching NBC and there sister stations idiot.
Report Post »MrObvious
Posted on July 3, 2011 at 9:35amNot exactly … as I read it, unless the dog belonged to your significant other; and, the dog posed no threat to you or anyone else at the time, there should be nothing to worry about – except rabies.
The problem with domestic violence is it’s often a he said she said kind of think and the odds are 50/50 as to who‘s lying and who’s not.
Without mandatory medical examinations of reported victims (or in this case there pets), the waters will remain muddy.
When violence is involved, government has a role to play.
We won’t really know if the law was a good or bad idea right away. We know what’s in it; but, we don’t yet know, exactly, how enforcement agencies will treat it.
That‘s why it’s up to states to try these kinds of things out, instead of the federal government.
If TX made a mistake, then it need not be repeated by the other states; and, TX can easily reverse itself. If the law turns out to be good, other states can copy it; and/or, adjust it as needed to work for them.
If the law were enacted at the federal level, everyone would be burdened with it (as a one size fits all); and, reversing it would be that much more difficult.
Report Post »IneedtoseeyourID
Posted on July 3, 2011 at 9:54amYou obviously did not read the article and are ignorant of the law in general. How about doing some research or just using common sense before you post.
Report Post »Mustangrider
Posted on July 3, 2011 at 12:16pmGood point we have laws against viscous animals being allowed to run around the neighborhood, and now there are laws against abuse. So when I’m walking down the road minding my own business and some dillrods pit bull comes out of nowhere to maul me and I pick up a rock or stick or kick him in self defense, who gets hauled away the dog or me?
Report Post »AmericanDogMan
Posted on July 4, 2011 at 1:19amYea… I agree with the sentiment!! This is making me question Perry! He has time and money to sign laws and waste paper on protective custody orders for pets!! Wow… nonsensical! Don’t they have like 15 Billion dollar budget deficit or something like that!
Wow I gotta see how this law works and applies… I was really geeked about Perry this is making my stomache hurt! Gardasil and Pets with lawyers WOW
Report Post »KeithOlberdink
Posted on July 3, 2011 at 8:54amawwww da widdle puppy. Look at dat face.
No punishment is harsh enough for animal abusers.
Report Post »thewildoldman
Posted on July 3, 2011 at 8:54amOur beloved pets are part of our family,they give us unconditional love–most humans can not. The punishment for anyone who abuses any animal should be a felony the first time.
Report Post »kramh
Posted on July 3, 2011 at 10:23am@ Thewildoldman, What defines a pet? On my ranch our four dogs are pets,but some would consider cows to be a pet. Where is the line drawn? If I process a cow into steaks am I commiting a crime? This is one problem when the government over regulates our lives. PETA members do not feel that any animal protien should be used. There really is not any difference between a pet goldfish and a trout, they are both fish. Be careful about the laws that you want for they can come back to bite you in the rear end.
Report Post »jds7171
Posted on July 3, 2011 at 12:40pmAlso being stupid should be a felony as well. But we don’t see that happening anytime soon.
Report Post »TexanGunLover
Posted on July 5, 2011 at 4:39pmAgreed!
Report Post »Nobamazone
Posted on July 3, 2011 at 8:51amI am all in favor of protecting these pets, especially since they really are in danger in these situations. However, don’t we already have laws against abusing animals?? Do we really need MORE laws? I don’t know abut Texas, but here in Michigan we have laws to protect victims already, they are just not followed in many instances. ESPECIALLY when it comes to protecting the children in domestic violence cases. Lets start following the laws we have and we should not need more.
Report Post »nomercy63
Posted on July 3, 2011 at 8:48am1st offense???? Is some BS penalty??? I see someone abusing an animal,let me just tell you,you better hide and hide very well.
Report Post »Jaimo
Posted on July 3, 2011 at 9:26amAbsolutely. If my husband was beating up the dog, and I didn’t have time to get my gun, he would have ended up with a steak knife in the neck.
Report Post »Pastor Ray
Posted on July 4, 2011 at 11:16amSorry jumped in too quick…I though you said eating the dog…
Report Post »drewst
Posted on July 3, 2011 at 11:15amYes very often even extreme sadism to animals only gets barely a slap on the wrist, some places nothing. But anyone who cares about others/animals and ignores what happens on factory farms and fur farms and vivisection labs, “hunting” (especially with bows) and trapping, circuses, pet mills, gas chambers, etc. etc. is not truthful at all. Humans, including in the USA, have industrialized boiling alive and skinning alive and inflicting non-stop extreme suffering and cruelty on them by the billions. And many people go torture and kill animals just for entertainment and are proud of themselves, and stores cater to such depraved, evil cultures with no care at all. How many people here against pet abuse know what happens in pet mills or fur farms or care about the feeling beings whose bodies they eat and what they experience or about the beings in vivisection labs? If you want to be against evil treatment of others/animals then start with yourself!
Report Post »TomFerrari
Posted on July 3, 2011 at 8:48amWhile we do indeed need laws to protect pets, I also am certain this is not the way to do it.
Report Post »There needs to be unique laws for pets. Extending human protections to pets is a dangerous slippery slope on which we should not put ourselves. Doin so will eventually lead to ridiculous stuff from activist judges. I can EASILY see activist liberal ‘progressive’ judges doing stuff like awarding support for pets in divorce courts, etc.
Counter-Culture Revolutionist
Posted on July 3, 2011 at 1:54pmBEWARE!! Cass Sunstein, the regulatory czar, has helped write at least one book on animal rights which equalizes the rights of animals with those of humans. In fact, animals are not to be considered “pets” and are to be given rights to an attorney. This new law is a way to get the camel’s nose under the tent.
Report Post »danenut6
Posted on July 4, 2011 at 8:38amTexas already has some of the best animal protection laws on the book. Laws like this are meant to make people feel good and to give animal RIGHTS. This is the agenda of the animal RIGHTS activist. They want all animals to have the same RIGHTS as people. I am sorry. . . no animal is worth the life of a human and no law on the book is going to make a sick person not hurt one. Just another feel good bill to make it seem like government cares. This is not the only “animal rights” bill passed in Texas this year, people need to wake up and see what is going on. Look at California and the laws they are putting through. . . most recent is trying to stop GOLDFISH breeders! You let them start telling you what you can and can not do with your PROPERTY and you will set president. It is starting small–stop the pet stores, stop the breeders, then it will go to live stock ( like the recent egg and chicken bills across the united states) Once your food source is controlled ( and likely out sourced to another country) WHAT THEN?
Report Post »njconserv
Posted on July 3, 2011 at 8:37amI think pets should get more protection they are innocent victoms , the people make the wrong choices that cause harm,
Report Post »jackeric61
Posted on July 3, 2011 at 1:20pmAnd how many times will the law be used to arrest someone just on the allegation that the cat or dog was kicked or abused. Do the police really need to waste their time going to a animal abuse call??
Report Post »Kalshion
Posted on July 3, 2011 at 3:04pmNot all pets are innocent, some are inharitently*sic* agressive. Pit Bulls come to mind, which is why I support a strong ban on the breeding of Pit Bulls in this country (who have contributed to more deaths of humans than any other animal that I’m aware of, but my own information may be out of date)
Report Post »hillarie
Posted on July 5, 2011 at 9:11pmNow all we need are abuse laws for animals that are raised for food. What is done to them is unspeakable.
Report Post »butler180
Posted on July 3, 2011 at 8:36amThe law can not protect women and children from abuse, so how is this going to work?
Report Post »The laws on the books should be strengthen against abuse to child.
We have become a nation who thinks more of animals than people.
dupaws
Posted on July 3, 2011 at 9:37amMaybe that us because animals are better than most people. They need our help, and I have found that most of the time people are worse than any animal. So good for TX, on this one.
Report Post »GEW
Posted on July 3, 2011 at 12:39pmStrange law. Guess in Texas even “big brother” is takin hold.
However, wasnt it the old SPCA laws (or one of the animal protection groups) that “children” were protected under?
Wondering what will happens if your neighbors start calling police under this law about cruelty to a dog because it is barking, or a cat because it is roaming? Arent there laws already on the books?
However, I know a guy who threatened his wife -not to go through with the divorce- or he would keep the kids dog. He did….and she had to go through the courts to get the dog back, another guys that wife kept their two dogs, and he had to “get visitation rights” to see the dogs and have them come visit him in his home on the weekends!! Whoa!
All this took place in TEXAS!
Report Post »thermonator
Posted on July 3, 2011 at 12:49pmCorrect!
Report Post »These special laws don’t protect anyone, people, children or pets.
As noble as these laws seem to be, in reality they are just part of the creeping nanny state. Today most people arrested for domestic violence don’t even involve any violence because of the broad definition of what domestic violence is.
In my home town, there was a couple that was arrested for domestic violence for arguing in public.
Caerus
Posted on July 4, 2011 at 1:47amThis has nothing to do with children versus pets. Do you think it is legal in the state of Texas to hurt or threaten to hurt a child in order to intimidate a victim? Then how on earth is this making pets more valuable than children? That is nonsensical. I do heartily agree that child abuse needs to be dealt with in a harsher manner than it is now, too many abusers get too little actual jail time, but it has little to do with this article.
Ask a LEO, this is a huge problem in a lot of DV cases. The abuser is willing to abuse a person, naturally they don’t have any problem abusing a pet. Then they hold the threat of injury to the pet over the head of the abused to get what they want. They do the same thing with children of the abused, elderly relatives of the abused, etc.
Report Post »GayDem4Beck
Posted on July 4, 2011 at 6:41amAnd this is the Rick Perry you can expect, if he runs for POTUS No Thank You Mr. Perry. Didn’t like you when you were a Democrat, didn’t like you when you supported NAFTA, didn’t like you when you took shots at the Arizona Immigration Law. Yet Another RINO in the ranks.
Report Post »ALNative
Posted on July 4, 2011 at 10:24amWe do protect the women, at least in Alabama. People are arrested daily for domestic abuse. If the abused would only testify instead of just crying and say “I love him”. The animal will love them even after they abuse them. I agree there should be a law protecting pets from these abusers, both men and women. and the animal can’t refuse to testify.
Report Post »Aaron in Polk County
Posted on July 3, 2011 at 8:34amIt’s a shame that this even needs to be a law.
Report Post »banjarmon
Posted on July 3, 2011 at 11:16amDose this law mean that a mailman can’t kick your mean dog??
Report Post »Ruler4You
Posted on July 3, 2011 at 12:40pmI guarantee you, these laws will one day lead to the elimination of all hunting.
Report Post »GEW
Posted on July 3, 2011 at 12:58pm@ruler4you–I guarantee you, these laws will one day lead to the elimination of all hunting.
Actually, it will lead to the elimination of you, me and all “owning” aminals. You wait.
Report Post »itsamadhouse
Posted on July 3, 2011 at 2:08pmThe biggest problem I have w/this law is what constitutes abuse. Say you’re walking your dog who has been sniffing at the same spot for a long time. You pull on the leash to continue the walk. At that moment Sally Do-Good happens by in her car and sees, as she describes it, you violently pulling on the leash. Now you are stuck with being charged potentially with a crime b/c Sally doesn’t like how you walk your dog. This law seems rife for abuse by all sorts of animal rights types who may not like the idea of people owning pets period.
Report Post »Reiver
Posted on July 3, 2011 at 9:55pmW/ a super majority in the house and senate the Texas Legislature DID pass some good bills-BUT they passed THIS inane POS when they let concealed carry on campus, sanctuary cities, open carry, TSA pat down, and several other pertinent bills languish in commitee. Dewhurst and Straus are efen RINOS and have to go. Glad they only meet once every 2 yrs. Rob Orr gave his pledge to Straus 2 yrs ago for speaker i will find out if he did again this year. if so i will do everything i can to get him voted out.
Report Post »Secret Squirrel
Posted on July 4, 2011 at 9:42am.
Report Post »So if my pet is sick and I have it put down,
will I be charged with murder?
Don’t laugh, maybe next year.
TexanGunLover
Posted on July 5, 2011 at 4:50pmAre you going to do it humanly or are you going to torture it to death? There is a difference.
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