Including pets in protection orders
Posted on 04. Mar, 2010 by Session Daily | Public Information Services in State Legislature
A civil order for protection can keep an offender away from a victim’s home and workplace.
Seeing Fido and Fluffy could also get included.
Rep. Michael Paymar (DFL-St. Paul) sponsors HF1396 that would permit a court to include provision for the care, possession or control of a pet or companion animal in a protective order.
Approved by the House Civil Justice Committee on a 6-5 vote, the bill was sent to the House Public Safety Policy and Oversight Committee.
Six DFLers voted yes, and Rep. Dave Olin (DFL-Thief River Falls), joined four Republicans in voting no. Olin said in 32 years as a prosecutor he’s never dealt with this issue, and doesn’t know if this is “an earth-shaking matter” that justifies being in statute.
“You’ve heard these cases, not just in the metropolitan area, but all through the state where a batterer has thrown a dog or a puppy against a wall, or thrown an animal off a porch,” Paymar said. “It’s not just out of anger that they’re doing this; they’re trying to reach deep into that battered woman’s psyche and saying, ‘If you don’t stay, if you don’t stop what you’re doing this is what’s going to happen to you, or this is what’s going to happen to the kids or the pets.’”
A companion, SF838, sponsored by Sen. Sandy Pappas (DFL-St. Paul), awaits action by the full Senate.
by Mike Cook | Session Daily
