Latest News from State Capitol and 55th District
Protecting Pets in Domestic Violence Situations
The United States Department of Justice defines domestic violence as “a pattern of abusive behavior in any relationship that is used by one partner to gain or maintain control over another intimate partner.” That control is generally gained over their partner through physical, sexual or emotional abuse.
While an adult should be able to recognize an incident of domestic violence, a child may struggle to understand or process what they are experiencing. Fortunately, we have laws in place to help children who may be victims of domestic violence.
But what about a furry, four-legged pet? Certainly, violence against an animal is illegal. But domestic abuse matters are different.
Research consistently shows that animal abuse is an indicator of domestic violence. Studies reveal that nearly 71% of pet-owning victims entering domestic violence shelters reported that their abuser had threatened, harmed or killed a pet.
What a frustrating scenario. A domestic abuse victim takes all the steps necessary to leave a troublesome situation. In filing a police report, the victim explains that the aggressor has been known to turn their anger on animals in the home and asks how they can go about making certain their pet is safe.
The response, until now, sounded something like “Unfortunately, Protection from Abuse orders do not apply to animals.”
Act 146 of 2024, which was recently signed into law, allows judges to provide for temporary ownership of a pet when considering a Protection from Abuse order (PFA.) The court may also direct the defendant to refrain from possessing, contacting, transferring or relocating the pet, or contacting or entering the property of any person sheltering the pet.
Of course, the first objective of a PFA is to prevent an individual from having contact with an alleged victim. But extensive research has shown that when some abusers can no longer harm an individual due to a PFA, they often turn their attention to vulnerable family pets, subjecting them to continued abuse and further traumatizing the victim.
Last year, there were 36,537 temporary PFAs sought in Pennsylvania. A temporary PFA is issued initially by the courts in response to a criminal complaint being investigated. From there, a hearing is scheduled and the courts determine what, and if, a more long-term PFA is necessary.
In researching the bill, I learned that some victims of domestic abuse often stay with their abuser much longer out of fear and concern for their pet. This was one of several reasons I voted in support of the proposal.
For me, the severity of domestic violence is highlighted when discussing the matter with law enforcement officials, who are quick to agree that domestic dispute calls can be the most unpredictable, and therefore the most dangerous, calls.
Did you know:
• In the last 10 years, more than 1,600 people died as a result of domestic violence in Pennsylvania. Though abused women made up most of those deaths, some were men, children and law enforcement agents.
• In Pennsylvania, 119 victims died from a domestic violence incident last year.
• One in three women and one in four men will experience domestic violence in their lifetime.
• The estimated lifetime economic burden of domestic violence in Pennsylvania is $156 billion.
If you are experiencing domestic abuse, please know there are free resources to help you. The Blackburn Center serves Westmoreland County and can be reached 24 hours a day through its hotline, 1-888-832-2272. To learn more, visit
blackburncenter.org.
Here are some additional news topics and reminders I would like to share.
Attorney General Warns of Phishing Scammers Claiming ‘Fraudulent Activity’ - The Office of Attorney General is alerting Pennsylvanians about a phishing scam involving claims of fraudulent activity on a person’s bank account in order to access personal data and information.
Often, the scammers will provide a telephone number for the target to call or instruct the target to reply to an email or text message.
The scammers then request login credentials to financial accounts, account numbers and other personal identifiable information, such as your Social Security number and date of birth. Financial institutions will never call you asking for your account information or login credentials through a telephone call, text message or email.
If you receive such a call, email or text, do not respond. Instead, you should contact the number on the back of your debit or credit card or contact your financial institution’s local branch office and verify if they made the contact.
If you are a victim of a phishing scam, inform the Office of the Attorney General by submitting a complaint at
attorneygeneral.gov, by emailing scams@attorneygeneral.gov or calling 1-800-441-2555.
PennDOT Seeking Workers for Winter Maintenance Program - With winter just around the corner, PennDOT is looking for people to staff its winter maintenance program.
Positions available may include CDL equipment operators, mechanics, dispatchers, tradesman helpers and semi-skilled laborers. The positions pay between $17 per hour to $27.75 per hour. The winter maintenance program runs through April.
For additional information, visit
governmentjobs.com and perform a search for PennDOT positions.