Current Legislation

Pets and Abuse Prevention

An Act to Include Pets in Domestic Violence Orders
House Bill 1499 and House Bill 1319                                 

Update: the Judiciary Committee extended the reporting deadline for these bills -- we'll keep you posted! (5/18/10)

MSPCA position: Support. 

This bill would specifically allow judges to include pets in temporary restraining orders (issued pursuant to Chapter 209A). If a judge finds reason to include a companion animal in the order of protection, the petitioner is given exclusive custody, care and control over the animal.

What This Bill Would Do:
The bill would provide protection for both human and animal victims of domestic violence. The link between animal cruelty and human violence is well documented in both study statistics and stories of abuse. Like children, pets are often used as pawns in domestic violence. Batterers abuse animals for a variety of reasons - to demonstrate power and control, to retaliate for acts of independence, to keep a victim silent and to coerce a victim to return or stay in an abusive relationship.

Fear for the welfare of a household pet often prevents battered women from escaping abusive relationships. One study found that up to 48% of battered women will not leave, or will return to a violent relationship due to fear of what might happen to the animal if left behind. (Ascione, F.R. (2007) Emerging research on animal abuse as a risk factor for intimate partner violence. In K. Kendall-Tackett & S. Giacomoni, eds.: Intimate Partner Violence. Kingston, NJ: Civic Research Institute.)

In addition to the MSPCA, supporters include many domestic violence organizations:

Link Up Education Network
Human/Animal Violence Education Network
REACH Beyond Domestic Violence
Asian Task Force Against Domestic Violence
Dove, Inc.
Renewal House
Our Sister's Place, Fall River
Womanshelter/Companeras
YWCA of Western Massachusetts
American Humane Association
The Humane Society of the United States

States with laws or that have bills pending to include pets in domestic violence orders: Maine, New York, Vermont, Nevada, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Tennessee, California, District of Columbia, Louisiana

Sponsor:  Representative Koutoujian 

-- Find out who your legislators are.
-- Find out more about legislators.
-- Read the text of H. 1499. 
-- Read more about this issue from American Humane Assoc. (.pdf)
-- Read an article about this issue in O, the Oprah Magazine
-- Read an article about this issue in the Boston Herald
-- Read about this in the Animal Action Team Blog
-- Read about a similar bill filed by Representative Katherine Clark
-- Sign up here to receive news and alerts on legislation
-- NEW:  Read about recent cases that demonstrate the link, one in Framingham and another in Hull
-- Visit the Animal Legal and Historical Center for state summaries of this type of law. 

Judiciary Committee:

Senator Creem – Senate Chair        
FIRST MIDDLESEX AND NORFOLK. — Newton, in the county of Middlesex; and Brookline and Wellesley, precincts A and C to E, inclusive, in the county of Norfolk.

Senator Baddour- Senate Vice-Chair   
FIRST ESSEX. — Haverhill, Newburyport, Amesbury, Merrimac, Methuen, North Andover, precincts 1, 4, 6 and 8, and Salisbury.

Senator Candaras
FIRST HAMPDEN AND HAMPSHIRE. — Springfield, ward 2, ward 5, precincts C to H, inclusive, wards 7 and 8, East Longmeadow, Hampden, Longmeadow, Ludlow and Wilbraham, in the county of Hampden; and Belchertown, precincts B and C, and Granby, in the county of Hampshire

Senator Hart
FIRST SUFFOLK. — Boston, ward 1, precinct 15, wards 6, 7 and 13, ward 14, precincts 1, 2, 4, 5 and 12 to 14, inclusive, wards 15, 16 and 17, ward 18, precincts 1 to 6, inclusive, and 21.  

Senator McGee 

THIRD ESSEX AND MIDDLESEX. — Lynn, Marblehead, Nahant, Saugus, precincts 1, 3 to 5, inclusive, 7 to 9, inclusive, and Swampscott, in the county of Essex; and Melrose, wards 6 and 7, in the county of Middlesex.

Senator Tarr 
FIRST ESSEX AND MIDDLESEX. — Gloucester, Boxford, Essex, Georgetown, Groveland, Hamilton, Ipswich, Manchester-by-the-Sea, Middleton, Newbury, North Andover, precincts 2, 3, 5 and 7, Rockport, Rowley, Wenham and West Newbury, in the county of Essex; and North Reading and Wilmington, in the county of Middlesex.

Representative O’Flaherty – House Chair 
Second Suffolk. - Consisting of all precincts  of ward 2, of the city of Boston, and all precincts of wards 1 and 2, precincts 1 and 3 of ward 3, and precincts 1 and 4 of ward 4, of the city of Chelsea, both in the county of Suffolk.

Representative Speranzo– House Vice-Chair        
Third Berkshire. - Consisting of precinct A of ward 1, all precincts of wards 2, 3, 4, precinct A of ward 5, and all precincts of wards 6 and 7, of the city of Pittsfield, in the county of Berkshire.

Representative Fagan
Third Bristol. - Consisting of precinct B of ward 1, and all precincts of wards 2, 3, 5, 7 and 8, of the city of Taunton, in the county of Bristol.

Representative Garry
Thirty-sixth Middlesex. - Consisting of the towns of Dracut and Tyngsborough, both in the county of Middlesex.

Representative St. Fleur
Fifth Suffolk. - Consisting of precinct 10 of ward 7, precincts 5 and 7 of ward 8, precinct 6 of ward 12, precincts 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6 of ward 13, precincts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8  and 9 of ward 15, precinct 1 of ward 16, and precinct 2 of ward 17, of the city of Boston, in the county of Suffolk.

Representative Fernandes
Tenth Worcester. - Consisting of the towns of Hopedale, Mendon and Milford, all in the county of Worcester.

Representative Clark
Thirty-Second Middlesex- Consisting of the city of Melrose and precincts 3, 4, 5 and 6 of the town of Wakefield , both in the county of Middlesex .

Representative Dwyer
Thirtieth Middlesex. - Consisting of precincts 2, 3 and 5, of the town of Reading, precinct 3, of the town of Stoneham, and all precincts of wards 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, of the city of Woburn, all in the county of Middlesex

Representative Gregoire
Fourth Middlesex. - Consisting of the city of Marlborough, in the county of Middlesex; and precinct 1, of the town of Southborough, and the town of Berlin, both in the county of Worcester.

Representative Evangelidis
First Worcester. - Consisting of the towns of Holden, Hubbardston, Oakham, Princeton, Rutland, precinct 1 of the town of Sterling and the town of Westminster, all in the county of Worcester.

Representative Webster
Sixth Plymouth. - Consisting of precincts 2, 3, 4 and 5, of the town of Duxbury, precinct 2 of the town of Halifax, and the towns of Hanson and Pembroke, all in the county of Plymouth.