Advocacy: Help Protect Georgia's Pets from Domestic Abuse

I received this email from American Humane and thought it was worthwhile in sharing. If you live or know of anyone in GA with pets, please forward this info to them:

GA 2009 - Pets in Protective Orders

Help protect Georgia’s pets from domestic abuse

Each year throughout Georgia, domestic violence victims risk their lives to protect their defenseless animals from harm. Research has shown that up to 48 percent of battered women remain in abusive homes out of concern for leaving their pets behind. Yet, sadly, Georgia’s current domestic violence law does not address this issue.

House Bill 429 addresses this issue directly. In an effort to stop abusers from harming or threatening to harm companion animals, the bill encourages judges to include animals in domestic violence protective orders. A protective order is a legal order issued by a court that requires one person to stop harming, stay away from and/or cease contact with another person or, in the case of this bill, that person's pets as well.

We owe it to the countless domestic violence survivors throughout Georgia to get HB 429 passed.

HB 429 is currently in the House Judiciary Non-Civil Committee. Please ask Committee Chair Rich Golick to schedule HB 429 for a hearing and to vote for its passage.