Ohio House Bill 418

Important news from the ASPCA Advocacy Center...

Currently pending in your state’s senate, Ohio House Bill 418 is important animal welfare legislation that will:

· increase the penalties for certain acts of animal cruelty;

· mandate psychological counseling for juveniles who commit animal cruelty; and

· give Ohio’s courts the power to include pets in protective orders.

Sadly, animals often are used as pawns in domestic disputes. Sixty percent of female victims of domestic violence have had a pet killed by their abuser(s)—and up to 40 percent of battered women delay going to a shelter because they fear what will happen to the pets they must leave behind.

Many states have already passed laws allowing pets to be included in court-issued orders of protection. This is your chance—help Ohio become the next state to take this important step in the fight against domestic violence and animal abuse.

What You Can Do
HB 418 has already passed the Ohio House and now has to pass the Senate to become law. However, this must happen by the end of this month—if the bill doesn’t pass by December 31, it dies.

Please call your Ohio State Senator now!
Visit the ASPCA Advocacy Center to learn more and to find your Ohio state senator’s phone number.

Thank you, Ohio, for joining the fight against domestic violence.