In situations of domestic abuse, pets can be both an indicator of the abuse in the household, and victims themselves.
“ Children must be protected from all forms of physical and psychological violence and from exposure to violence, such as domestic violence or violence inflicted on animals. ”
United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child’s General Comment No. 26 (2023) on children’s rights and the environment
The Campaign
Ruby’s Law seeks to address the often-overlooked role of pets in the cycle of domestic abuse and provide survivors with the confidence to seek safety without fearing for their animals.
As it currently stands, gaps in family law in England and Wales mean that abusers can cause harm to family pets, perpetrators can use pets to coerce and control their victims, and prevent victims from leaving abusive environments.
Ruby’s Law calls for legislative amendments to current family law in England and Wales to explicitly protect pets in households where there is domestic abuse.
We propose the following:
- Expand Non-Molestation Orders
- (under Section 42 of the Family Law Act, 1996) to explicitly allow non-molestation orders to cover pets.
- Expand Occupation Orders
- (under sections 33–38 of the Family Law Act, 1996) to include provisions for the court to decide who retains care of the pet and ensure the pet’s safety when determining occupation orders.
- Broaden the understanding
- of domestic abuse by introducing language which recognises that harm to pets can be used as a form of coercion or control, linking this to the broader understanding of domestic abuse under the Domestic Abuse Act 2021.
Animals are recognised as sentient beings capable of experiencing feelings such as pain or joy.
Animal Welfare (Sentience) Act 2022
These proposed changes would:
- Provide explicit protection for pets
- By including pets in family court orders would ensure that abusers are legally prohibited from harming, threatening, or using pets to intimidate victims. This would also protect pets from direct abuse.
- Close a legal gap
- Many victims stay in abusive situations out of fear for their pets’ safety. These proposals would provide a clear legal mechanism to safeguard pets.
- Provide court-directed pet custody
- By allowing courts to decide who retains care of the pet, victims can secure their pets’ safety without the abuser having access to them. This prevents abusers from using pets as leverage or harming them during disputes.
- Acknowledge pets as targets of coercion and control
- By acknowledging harm or threats to pets as a form of emotional or economic abuse would align with the Domestic Abuse Act 2021.
These proposals collectively address a significant gap in legal protections for pets in domestic abuse situations.
They ensure that pets are safeguarded, reduce the use of pets as tools of abuse, and provide survivors with greater confidence to leave abusive environments knowing their pets will also be protected.
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