Senator Lopes Leads Senate Passage of Legislation to Protect Domestic Violence Survivors and their Pets

Today, state Senator Rick Lopes (D-New Britain), Chair of the Environment Committee, led Senate passage of a multifaceted bill that supports domestic violence survivors, strengthens the State Veterinarian’s authority to protect animal health, and works to stabilize funding for Connecticut’s animal population control program.

Senate Bill 318, “An Act Concerning Animal Welfare”, 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,” said Senator Rick Lopes. “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.”

Protecting Domestic Violence Survivors and Their Pets
Research has well documented that domestic violence survivors are more likely to remain in dangerous situations when they have no safe option for their companion animals.

Shelter space that accommodates both survivors and their pets remains extremely limited across Connecticut. Senate Bill 318 addresses this gap directly.

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. The study will examine existing resources available to survivors seeking temporary or permanent placement for their pets, identify contact persons who can assist survivors in placing their animals, and 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 legislation builds on the work of organizations like Companions in Crisis, a Connecticut-based nonprofit that helps secure temporary shelter for the pets of domestic violence victims, and was developed with the strong support of the Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence (CCADV).

Strengthening the State Veterinarian’s Authority
Senate Bill 318 also includes a technical fix requested by the Department of Agriculture that expands the State Veterinarian’s authority to issue orders preventing the spread of disease among animals and poultry. Current law limits such orders to contagious and infectious diseases. This definition has created difficulty in addressing diseases that fall outside those specific classifications. The bill broadens this authority to cover any disease, ensuring Connecticut is better equipped to respond swiftly to emerging animal health threats.

Studying Animal Population Control Program Funding
The bill will require the Department of Agriculture to convene a working group to study Connecticut’s animal population control program and develop recommendations to augment and stabilize its funding.

This provision reflects a broader commitment to ensuring Connecticut has the resources necessary to address animal overpopulation in a sustainable, long-term way.

Senate Bill 318 is supported by the Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence. In their testimony, 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?”

This bill creates an infrastructure for assisting survivors with placement of their pets by directing the State Veterinarian to identify one or more contact persons who are accessible 24/7 and who will 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.

The bill now heads to the House of Representatives.