State Sen Lopes Leads Senate Approval of Legislation to Protect Domestic Violence Survivors and Their Pets
State Sen Rick Lopes (D-6), who is Chair of the state legislature’s Environment Committee, has announced that he recently led the Senate passage of a multifaceted animal welfare bill designed to provide a greater protections for domestic violence survivors and their pets.
Senate Bill 318, “An Act Concerning Animal Welfare,” passed, according to Sen Lopes’ office, “helps ensure survivors are not forced to choose between safety and their pets”.
“When someone is trying to escape an abusive home, they can be impeded by what might happen to their family pet,” Sen Lopes said. “But that’s exactly what’s happening. People are staying in dangerous, sometimes life-threatening situations because they just can’t find a safe place for their pet and they refuse to leave them behind. This bill takes the first step toward making sure that when someone picks up the phone to get help, there’s an answer on the other end that covers their pet too, not just them.”
According to Sen Lopes’ office, the bill addresses a significant gap in Connecticut’s support systems, as shelter space that accommodates both survivors and their pets remains extremely limited across the state.
The bill received support from the Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence (CCADV). In testimony shared during the legislative process, Liza Andrews, the VP of Government & Public Relations at the CT CADV, said, “Abusers frequently use survivors’ attachment to pets as a method of coercion to stay in the relationship. Threatening, neglecting, and harming pets is a commonly cited tactic used to intimidate and force compliance from survivors. Second, for many survivors, companion animals are not simply pets; they are family members, emotional support, and sometimes the only form of stability and comfort during times of extreme trauma and crisis. When considering leaving, survivors often face an impossible choice. Do they leave for safety and abandon an animal they love? Or do they stay, risking their own safety?”
To resolve this dilemma, Sen. Lopes’ office says, “The legislation directs the Department of Agriculture (DoAg), in consultation with the Office of Victim Services, to conduct a study on the impact that the need to place companion animals has on victims of domestic violence.” Sen. Lopes’ office further noted that the study will, “evaluate the feasibility of establishing a 24-hour phone or electronic hotline dedicated to helping domestic violence victims find care for their companion animals”.
The infrastructure created by the bill includes the State Veterinarian identifying 24/7 contact persons to, “coordinate with animal rescue organizations or animal control facilities that are available to serve as a location for placement of a survivor’s companion animal on a temporary or permanent basis.”
Senator Lopes, a longtime New Britain leader who previously served as a State Representative before being elected to the Senate, has frequently advocated for legislation to provide greater protections for everyday people. Sen. Lopes’ office says this specific legislation builds on the work of nonprofits like Companions in Crisis to secure temporary shelter for pets.
Senate Bill 318 now moves to the House of Representatives for further consideration.
