My Dog is My Home has teamed up with Street Outreach and Animal Response from Indianapolis to advocate for Indiana's passing of Senate Bill 314, which will give judges the ability to include pets in protective orders issued to survivors of domestic violence.
SOAR and My Dog is My Home urge Indiana residents to contact your representative. Ask them to not only support this legislation, but to request an amendment--that the law extend protection to guarantee a survivor's right to access shelter with their animal.
Find your representative's name and contact information here.
Need guidance on what to say to your representative? See the ASPCA's Advocacy Alert on SB 314 for talking points and an example of an email you can send to your representative. But don't forget to customize! Remember to include a request to expand the bill so companion animals in orders of protection can access shelters with their families. Use the text below as an example.
Thirty-two states already allow pets to be included in orders of protection, and I would like to see Indiana allow for it as well. But most domestic violence shelters do not have pet-friendly policies. I also urge you to expand this bill to ensure pets in protective orders are able to enter shelters with their families.