A Florida congressman is backing bipartisan legislation that would direct the U.S. Department of Justice to examine the relationship between animal cruelty and interpersonal violence.
U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan of Florida joined other lawmakers in introducing the Animal Violence Exposes Real Threat of (AVERT) Future Violence Act.
If enacted, the legislation would require the Justice Department to compile existing research on the link between animal cruelty and interpersonal violence, identify gaps in available data and report its findings to Congress.
The Animal Welfare Institute, one of several organizations supporting the bill, said the legislation could help pull decades of research into one place and give the issue greater visibility.
“What it does is two things,” Nancy Blaney, AWI’s director of government affairs, said. “It tells DOJ to compile and get all of the data and the evidence about the link between animal abuse and other forms of violence.”
AWI said animal welfare advocates have been raising concerns about that connection for decades, including links involving domestic violence, child abuse, elder abuse, dogfighting and other crimes.
AWI has previously supported federal legislation addressing the intersection of animal welfare and domestic violence, including the Pet and Women Safety (PAWS) Act, which was signed into law in 2018.
Florida lawmakers approved a measure earlier this year that also recognizes the connection between threats against pets and interpersonal violence.
HB 277, which takes effect July 1, allows judges to consider threats to kill or injure a family pet when determining whether to grant a domestic violence injunction. The measure also makes broader changes to Florida’s domestic violence laws, including enhanced penalties for repeat offenses and expanded protections for victims.
Related: Florida law expands domestic violence protections involving pets
Florida bill would let courts consider threats to pets in domestic violence cases
The law, which takes effect July 1, allows judges to consider threats against pets when deciding whether to grant domestic violence injunctions.
Blaney said the relationship between animal cruelty and interpersonal violence should not be overstated as a one-size-fits-all predictor, but should be treated as a warning sign.
“It is very much a red flag,” she said. “It is very much something that needs to be taken seriously.”
That can include cases involving children who harm animals, domestic violence victims whose abusers target their pets and animal fighting cases that may overlap with gambling, drug dealing or other criminal activity, she said.
Buchanan said the legislation would help strengthen efforts to identify and prevent violence before it escalates.
“Animal abuse is often a warning sign of future violent behavior,” Buchanan said in a statement. “By better understanding this connection, we can help law enforcement and communities intervene earlier and potentially save lives.”
Blaney said the legislation could help lawmakers and agencies better understand what prevention programs should look like, including juvenile intervention programs and resources for domestic violence shelters that can accomm*odate survivors and pets.
The bill has been referred to committee for consideration.
If enacted, it would establish a $2 million grant program aimed at supporting prevention and intervention efforts before violence escalates.
