In 2010, Arizona and Minnesota became the 16th and 17th states to enact laws encouraging judges to include pets in domestic violence protection orders.

Arizona’s new law - incorporated into omnibus Senate Bill 1266 and signed into law on May 7 - encourages pets to be included in domestic violence protection orders and also expands its definition of domestic abuse to include intentionally or knowingly subjecting an animal to cruel mistreatment, neglect or abandonment resulting in serious physical injury. 

Minnesota’s pet protection bills also passed when they were absorbed into an omnibus domestic abuse bill (Senate File 2437 and House File 2608), which was signed into law on May 10. The state’s courts are now encouraged to direct respondents from physically abusing or injuring any petitioner or minor child’s pet or companion animal as “an indirect means of intentionally threatening the safety of [the petitioner or child].”