Protect Friends & Families of Incarcerated Individuals From PrePaid Phone Companies (Evercom, Correctional Billing) Unfair Deceptive Business Practice

Protect Friends & Families of Incarcerated Individuals From Monopolizing PrePaid Phone Companies (Evercom, Correctional Billing) Unfair Deceptive Business Practices Petition

Tennessee: Urge Gov. to Sign Pet Protective Order Bills!

Great news! On May 17, TN SB 196 passed the Senate Floor, and its companion bill, HB 1161, has passed the House. These bills specifically include animals in protection orders and grant custody of the animals in question to the person who gets the protection order. Please email Governor Bredesen asking him to sign these bills into law.


HB 1161/SB 196—Pets Included in Orders of Protection


Sponsor(s): Rep. Janis Sontany, Senator Tim Burchett
ASPCA Position: Support
Action Needed: Please contact Governor Phil Bredesen and ask him to sign H.B. 1161/S.B. 196 into law.



span style="font-size:115%;">Up to 40 percent of battered women delay going to a shelter because they fear what will happen to their left-behind pet.

One in Four

Women

Will experience

Domestic Violence

In her lifetime.

Update, 5/17/07: Both bills have successfully completed their journeys through the Tennessee Legislature, and now await the Governor's signature. Great job, advocates! HB 1161/SB 196 will give the courts the power to protect pets by including them in protective orders, thereby helping to break the cycle of domestic abuse and violence. Sadly, animals often are used as pawns in domestic disputes. Batterers abuse animals for a variety of reasons—to demonstrate power and control, to retaliate for acts of independence and to coerce a victim to return.

In recent years, a strong and surprising connection has been documented linking animal abuse and domestic violence. In a survey conducted by The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence of those living in shelters for battered women and children, incidents of pet abuse were reported by 85.4 percent of the women and 63 percent of the children. Sixty percent of women who are the victims of domestic violence have had a pet killed by violence.

Please contact members Governor Bredesen ask him to sign H.B. 1161/S.B. 196.