Protecting Companion Animals from Domestic Abuse

A comparative analysis of legal developments in the U.S. and the U.K.

Abstract

The purpose of this paper was to compare legislation in the United States and the United Kingdom concerning the welfare of companion animals[1] in domestic violence contexts. The U.S. recently implemented measures designed to protect companion animals specifically in violent homes, whereas the U.K. has not as yet done so. We provide specific legal strategies for both the U.S. and the U.K. that, if implemented, would better provide for the protection and care of companion animals in violent homes.

[1] In the context of the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary “an animal that you have at home for pleasure, rather than one that is kept for work or food; a pet.”