Connecticut Domestic Violence and your Pet......

Connecticuts Domestic Violence Statute and how it can Protect Your Pet.

We’ve all heard about the increase in domestic violence that seems to have reached epic proportions in far too many families around our state. For many years the courts have addressed these cases utilizing two state laws specifically designed by our legislature to provide relief to a victim of serious physical abuse or to any individual who has been placed in fear of serious physical harm.

Typically, an applicant of a civil restraining order or a victim in a criminal case who receives the benefit of a protective order faces many difficult problems in addition to the physical and emotional trauma. But what about the pets of the applicant/victim? What happens to them when the abusive spouse or roommate threatens to remove the pet when he or she is removed from their dwelling?

Effective October 1, 2007, the Connecticut legislature enacted an “AN ACT CONCERNING THE PROTECTION OF PETS IN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CASES”. The law amends the civil restraining order law and the criminal protective order law by allowing the issuing Judge of the Superior Court to “…make such orders as it deems appropriate for the protection of any animal owned or kept by the applicant including, but not limited to, an order enjoining the respondent from injuring or threatening to injure such animal.”

This new law now allows a judge to protect the animal from injury or the threat of injury by the person against whom the restraining order or protective order has been issued.

Connecticut has now joined the ranks of many states across the country in addressing this very difficult dilemma posed in cases of this kind.

The Courts are full of cases involving not only harm to people in domestic relationships, but actual theft and serious injury or death to domestic animals at the hands of the violent perpetrator.

This new law has finally recognized the rights of pet owners to protect their loved animals against this terrible problem. While the law is still new, many courts in our state have begun to implement it’s provisions, protecting the pet from harm in these difficult and highly charged emotional proceedings.