USPS Publication Number 16300
T h is C o m mu n i t y N ewsp a p er is a pu bl ica t ion of E sca m bia-S a n t a Rosa B a r Assoc ia t ion
Se r v i ng t he Fi r st Jud icia l Ci rcu it Section A, Page 1
Vol. 20, No. 35
Visit The Summation Weekly Online: www.summationweekly.com
August 26, 2020
1 Section, 8 Pages
PROTECTING PETS:
F L OR I DA BIL L P ROTEC TS DO ME STI C V I OL E NC E S U RV IVORS AND T H E I R P E TS by Lilly Paradise Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis recently signed a bill to protect domestic violence survivors and their pets. The Domestic Violence Injunctions bill ensures that pets are included in protection orders so that domestic violence victims can keep their pets. More than 30 other states have enacted meaningful public policies to safeguard both humans and pets from violence in the home. As domestic violence cases rise during COVID-19, this law is providing relief to survivors and their pets. Research indicates that up to 89 percent of pet-owning women in domestic violence shelters report that their abuser threatened, harmed or killed a family pet. Additionally, as many as 48 percent of domestic violence survivors with pets delay seeking safety, fearing what would happen if they left their pets behind. “Under normal circumstances, adults, children and pets living in an abusive home often face major obstacles to escape harm’s way. Unfortunately, the necessity of staying at home to prevent the spread of COVID-19 has made this situation substantially more dangerous for both people and pets,” Jennifer Hobgood,
Senior Director of state legislation for the ASPCA Southeast Region, said. “As our nation responds to this pandemic, reports of increasing rates of domestic violence have surfaced in many areas, including Florida. This lifesaving law now makes it clear that courts may include family pets in temporary restraining orders, and we thank Governor DeSantis for signing this bill to help domestic violence survivors and their pets reach safety.” Jennifer Bitner, Executive Director of the Pensacola Humane Society, was involved in getting the bill signed. “The desired outcome to protect pets and their people drew me to get involved,”
Bitner said. “At our shelter, we helped one victim who shared her story. She came to relinquish her dog and she had all of her personal belongings in her vehicle. She had fled a violent home. The staff came and brought me to the front porch where the lady was with her dog. I made the decision we would offer to foster her dog until she could get help and assistance and find a new place for her and her dog to live happily. They were reunited in a short period, less than 30 days. Jennifer shared this story with legislators on several occasions while supporting the passage of this bill. The Pensacola Humane Society is currently helping another client in a similar situation. Bitner attended multiple legislative committee meetings to support the bill and testify to the urgent need for such. protections. Representative Alex Andrade was on the committee and signed as the co-sponsor of the bill. Bitner continued to attend hearings and conferences through the process. She was asked to attend the ASPCA spon-
This lifesaving law now makes it clear that courts may include family pets in temporary restraining orders.” sored press conference on the bill where the three sponsors Sen. Albritton, Rep. Killebrew, and Rep. David Silvers, as well as Sherriff Ivey and Jen Hobgood, ASPCA Senior Director, Legislation, Southeast Region, spoke about the importance of this bill and why it was important to pass it this legislative session. The
bill continued to move through the process and passed both houses and was signed by Governor DeSantis in June. For more information on the Pensacola Humane Society and their programs, visit pensacolahumane.org.
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