Including Pets in Domestic Violence Protection Orders in Minnesota

Guidance for Advocates and Attorneys for Domestic Violence Survivors1

This guide is intended to serve as a resource2 to help advocates and attorneys get pets of domestic violence (DV) survivors included in domestic violence protection orders in Minnesota.3 We hope that this information will serve to simplify the process and help survivors take more control of their lives and escape abuse along with their pets.

Advocates and attorneys often play a crucial role in helping DV survivors understand and exercise their rights to include pets in such orders. There are typically four key steps in this process:

  1. As early as possible, identify any pets, service animals, therapy animals, or any other animals who may live in the home.
  2. Identify and review the state’s protection order laws. (See below.)
  3. Gather evidence of any animal abuse or threats of animal abuse to present at the hearing. (See “Gathering Evidence” below.)
  4. Help the DV survivor understand what relief is available to protect the animal, and use available opportunities to include the desired relief in any temporary or extended order.

Ask About Pets

The first step is to ask if any pets or other animals are present in the home. It is common for individuals experiencing domestic violence not to volunteer that they have a pet. They may assume there are no resources or protections for their pets and therefore believe it is pointless to raise the issue. In addition, under the stress of the circumstances they may forget to mention pet concerns. The following are examples of questions to flesh this out:

  • Does an animal—a pet, service animal, or support animal—live in your home?
  • Has your abuser ever harmed your pet or threatened to harm this animal?
  • How did the animal abuse or threat affect you?
  • Where is your pet right now?
  • Is your pet safe?
  • Do you want to ask that the court grant you custody of your pet?
  • Do you want to ask that the court order your abuser to stay away from your pet?
  • Do you have anything that might help us prove that the abuser has threatened or hurt the animal, e.g., veterinary bills or records, photographs, or eyewitnesses?

It is important to recognize the overall significance of asking about pets. Being able to present information about how the abuser has treated animals can be a valuable tool to illustrate the extent of the abuser’s controlling and violent behavior. Knowing whether a pet is involved may help not only the pet but also other abused parties. Many individuals experiencing domestic violence may decide not to leave due to fear of leaving a pet behind, and addressing such concerns increases the likelihood that they will escape an abusive situation.

Discuss Resources for Pets

It is often helpful to reassure the DV survivor that you will work with them to develop a safety plan for them, their family, and their pet(s). Does the individual intend to stay with friends or family members, but cannot take their pet? Are they moving into temporary housing or a domestic violence shelter that does not accept pets? Explain that there are safe havens for pets of DV survivors in many communities. Safe havens are sheltering services available in an area that help individuals who are experiencing domestic violence place their companion animals out of harm's way so that they may seek safety for themselves.

Safe havens operate differently from community to community. Some rely on networks of foster care homes or are allowed to use the additional kennel space of a local humane society or veterinarian. In some cases, domestic violence shelters house victims and pets together; others have pet kennels on site. Depending on the local arrangement, family members may be able to visit pets while they are in safekeeping. Confidentiality of the pet’s location is highly guarded in order to protect pets and family members.

Refer the DV survivor to the Animal Welfare Institute’s Safe Havens for Pets directory. This is a directory, searchable by zip code, of sheltering services for pets of DV survivors.4 Recommend that the DV survivor also do the following:

  • Keep on hand the phone number of the nearest 24-hour emergency veterinary clinic.
  • Establish ownership of the pet by creating a paper trail (e.g., obtain a license, have veterinarian records put in the petitioner’s name).
  • Keep emergency provisions for the pet. Pack a bag for the pet that includes these items:
    • food
    • medicine
    • documents of ownership (receipts from adoption or purchase of pet, license to establish ownership, receipts for animal purchases)
    • health documents (veterinary or vaccination records)
    • leash
    • ID and rabies tag, if a dog or cat (these will also help establish ownership)
    • carrier
    • toys
    • bedding

Finally, in some circumstances where the animal and the DV survivor are separated, such as one involving a visit to the emergency room, the advocate or attorney may need to take steps to ensure that the animal is safe. Following a domestic violence call, the animal may be taken into custody by animal control and need to be claimed and transferred to safety later.

Minnesota Domestic Violence Protection Order Laws

Obtaining an Order for Protection

The laws pertaining to domestic violence protective orders in Minnesota are set forth in the Domestic Abuse Act (Minn. Stat. § 518B.01). Under Minnesota law, a person experiencing abuse from a family or household member can obtain an order of protection. Detailed information on the elements of the law (including what acts constitute “abuse” for purposes of the law and what qualifies as a “family or household member”) is available from WomensLaw.org. The Minnesota Judicial Branch website also offers extensive information on the law and process for obtaining a protection order.

The first step is to submit a “Petition for Order of Protection” and accompanying forms to the court. The Minnesota Judicial Branch website provides downloadable instructions and forms in five languages. Forms can be filed at the district courthouse, by mail, or electronically through the eFS system. As an alternative to completing the forms as PDF or Word documents, petitioners can use the Guide & File website to generate forms based on answers given during a guided online interview.

Including pets on an Order for Protection

Under Minnesota law, as part of a protective order, a court may award possession of pets to the petitioner and direct the abuser (the “respondent”) not to harm the pets.5

Requesting protection of pets

On the Petition for Order of Protection form, the petitioner should check the following two boxes on page 11:

  • Item 15(g): “Order the possession and care of a pet or companion animal as follows:” and provide details in the space provided below.
  • Item 15(h): “Order Respondent not to physically abuse or injure any pet or companion animal, without legal justification, known to be owned, possessed, kept, or held by either party or a minor child residing in the residence or household of either party as an indirect means of intentionally threatening the safety of such person.

Recounting past pet abuse

Animal abuse is not expressly included in the statutory definition of “domestic violence” in Minnesota.6 Nevertheless, on the form— and particularly at the hearing—the petitioner should describe incidents of past animal abuse that was intended to intimidate the petitioner. This can help to indicate a pattern of violence and the use of threats or injuries to pets to punish or control the petitioner, and to underscore the need to award the petitioner possession of pets. On the petition form, past abuse of the petitioner is described in Items 11 and 12.

Gathering Evidence for the Hearing

Fact-Gathering Questions to Ask the Petitioner

Before completing the petition, an attorney or advocate should ask the questions listed in the section “Ask About Pets” above. The answers to these questions will help the evidence-gathering process for the hearing and offer the court a more comprehensive scope of the circumstances.

If the respondent has threatened to harm either the petitioner’s animal or the respondent’s own animal, ask the petitioner what the respondent specifically said. The statement should be admissible under evidence rules as an admission by a party opponent. Ask where and when the statement occurred, and if someone else may have heard the threat (e.g., a neighbor, another occupant of the home, or someone else present). Have the petitioner describe the circumstances, including the topic of conversation and body language.

If the respondent physically hurt the pet, gather as many details as possible. In particular, find out if the animal needed veterinary care. If so, collect any evidence of the visit and consider if a subpoena of the animal hospital is appropriate. Either way, find out if any photos were taken, and, if the abuse was recent, help the petitioner record photo evidence.

In addition to the fine details, be sure to capture the bigger picture of abuse. Have the petitioner describe the series of events that led up to the incident of abuse as well as any past instances of conflict. What does the petitioner believe motivated the abuse? How did the petitioner react to the abuse? How did the respondent act afterward? Did the abuse serve as an effective controlling behavior? For example, did the abuse prevent the petitioner from leaving the home or going somewhere?

Remember, it is extremely important that the court understands how the animal abuse fits into abusive behavior generally. Because not everyone recognizes the value of pets, being able to demonstrate with evidence that the respondent used the pet as a means to control the client is crucial to convincing the court of the role animal abuse plays in domestic violence.

Evidentiary Issues

There are several common pieces of evidence that you may want to introduce:

  • Statements made by the respondent
  • Veterinary records
  • Photographs of injuries
  • Evidence of prior animal abuse
  • Prior convictions for animal abuse
  • Testimony of a police officer
  • Testimony of a veterinarian

Federal Domestic Violence Law: Paws Act

Although the process of obtaining a protection order is a civil matter, not a criminal one, violation of a protection order once it is in place is typically a crime under state law, punishable by fines and/or imprisonment. In some circumstances, it will also be a crime under federal law. In 2018, the provisions of the Pet and Women Safety (PAWS) Act were signed into law as part of the federal farm bill. The PAWS Act added language to Title 18, Chapter 110A of the US Code7—which pertains to interstate domestic violence and interstate stalking—that heightens protection for animals in situations involving protection order violations and stalking.

Interstate violation of a protection order occurs when someone crosses state lines (or by force, coercion, duress, or fraud causes another person to cross state lines) with the intent to engage in conduct that violates or would violate a protection order’s prohibition “against violence, threats, or harassment against, contact or communication with, or physical proximity to, another person or the pet, service animal, emotional support animal,8 or horse of that person.”9

Interstate stalking occurs when someone engages in conduct intending to kill, injure, harass, or intimidate another person (or place that person under surveillance for such purposes), so that it either

  1. causes the person to have reasonable fear of death or serious bodily injury to themselves; their immediate family members, their spouse or intimate partner; or their pet, service animal, emotional support animal, or horse, or
  2. “causes, attempts to cause, or would be reasonably expected to cause substantial emotional distress” to the person, their immediate family members, or their spouse or intimate partner,

AND such behavior occurs when the stalker is either

  1. traveling in interstate or foreign commerce,10 or
  2. using “mail, any interactive computer service or electronic communication service or electronic communication system of interstate commerce, or any other facility of interstate or foreign commerce.”11

It is important to emphasize that the latter provision means that stalking conducted via mail or computers—whether or not physical travel is involved—constitutes interstate stalking because use of the US mail and the electronic devices themselves involves activities that venture beyond state lines.

Federal authorities, not local and state law enforcement officers, are tasked with prosecuting violations of federal law. However, the Department of Justice recommends reporting such crimes, especially in an emergency, to the local authorities. The local district attorney will refer appropriate cases to a US attorney’s office. DV survivors and advocates also may wish to contact a local US attorney’s office or the Federal Bureau of Investigation directly. Each US attorney’s office has an Office of Violence Against Women contact person to take referrals under the interstate stalking law. Click on the links below for office locations:

US attorney offices
FBI field offices

Forms and Resources

Minnesota Official Forms and Government-Sponsored Resources

Minnesota Organizations

National Organizations

Further Reading

1. AWI would like to thank Katrina Mitchell, Duquesne School of Law, for their assistance in compiling this information.

2. Nothing in this material should be considered legal advice. This guide is designed to facilitate access to available information and resources, and to identify issues and steps to consider in the course of seeking protection for pets of domestic violence survivors. While we try to keep the information up-to-date, we cannot assure that it remains accurate at the time a reader accesses it; please consult an official source for the most current language of any statute or other legal requirements. While we have provided links to third party websites that contain additional information, we cannot guarantee the availability or quality of services at those sites.

3. This guide does not attempt to describe procedures focused on protecting survivors themselves, their children or other human family members. There are numerous resources available to address issues specific to human survivors, including but not limited to Women’s Law and the National Domestic Violence Hotline.

4. The directory reflects an effort to identify services that offer shelter for the pets of domestic violence victims. We cannot guarantee the availability or quality of services at any particular location.

5. Minn. Stat. § 518B.01 Subd. 6(a)(14,15): “… (a) Upon notice and hearing, the court may provide relief as follows: … (14) direct the care, possession, or control of a pet or companion animal owned, possessed, or kept by the petitioner or respondent or a child of the petitioner or respondent; and (15) direct the respondent to refrain from physically abusing or injuring any pet or companion animal, without legal justification, known to be owned, possessed, kept, or held by either party or a minor child residing in the residence or household of either party as an indirect means of intentionally threatening the safety of such person.” See also Michigan State University Animal Legal & Historical Center: Domestic Violence and Pets: Minnesota.

6. Note, however, that it is a felony to engage in cruelty to animals that “results in death or great bodily harm to a pet or companion animal, and the act is done to threaten, intimidate, or terrorize another person [emphasis added] Minn. Stat. § 343.21 Subd. 9(i).

8. “pets,” “service animals,” and “emotional support animals” as defined in 18 U.S.C. § 2266 (11–13)

9. 18 U.S. Code § 2262(a) (emphasis added)

10. “or is present within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States, or enters or leaves Indian country” 18 U.S.C. § 2261A