Posted: | December 12, 2018 03:57 PM |
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From: | Senator Andrew E. Dinniman and Sen. Thomas H. Killion |
To: | All Senate members |
Subject: | Pet Cruelty in Domestic Violence Situations |
We will soon re-introduce SB 480 from last session that adds a section to Pennsylvania’s Animal Cruelty Law to specifically address animal cruelty in a domestic violence situation. The bill was voted favorably from the Senate Judiciary Committee on March 19, 2018 but was not considered by the full Senate prior to the end of the 2017-18 Legislative Session. All too often, an estranged spouse, boyfriend or girlfriend will get back at their spouse or partner by hurting or killing their cat, dog or other pet. Under this legislation, if a person with a protection from abuse order, sexual violence protection order, or a protection from intimidation order against them commits animal cruelty against the pet of their spouse or partner, they would face a felony of the third degree. Co-sponsors in the 2017-18 session included Senators Brewster, Tartaglione, Killion, Rafferty, Boscola, Costa, Browne, Farnese, Ward, Haywood and McGarrigle. We hope you will join us in co-sponsoring this bill. |
Introduced as SB364