DAUPHIN COUNTY, Pa. (WHP) — A press conference was held today at the Capitol urging the U.S. Senate to pass House Bill 1210, which would allow courts to grant temporary ownership rights to companion animals and pets.
The bill passed the House in July 2023, and lawmakers are now looking to the Senate to follow up. Several speakers, including two state representatives, came together to discuss the importance of this bill.
“Getting House Bill 1210 across the finish line is important for two simple but very sad reasons,” said Rep. Natalie Michalek. “Firstly, if there is domestic abuse going on in a home, there is a very good chance that the pet is also suffering at the hands of the same abuser. And secondly, abandoning the pet This idea creates a barrier for victims to escape abuse.
The bill would not allow courts to award outright ownership, but could direct defendants to refrain from owning, contacting, giving away or transferring animals. One of the speakers, Cassandra Reyes, a professor at West Chester University, was both a pet owner and a victim of domestic abuse.
“I had a gun pointed at my face and I was threatened with a knife,” Reyes said. “And during this time, I had a little tabby cat named Sammy.”
Her experience led her to support this bill and help others who have been abused just like her.
“A bill like this would allow so many people to escape these situations,” Reyes said. “We know that not only humans are victims of this violence, but also non-human animals within the family.”
