A veteran state senator proposed a bill last week that would expand the current definition of domestic abuse to include harm or threat of harm to animals.

If the bill proposed by Sen. Fred Risser, D-Madison, passes, a person would be allowed to petition for a restraining order on grounds of abuse or threat to his pet.

Wisconsin law currently does not include harm to animals in the definition of domestic abuse.

Domestic abuse is currently considered any action by a close family member or significant other, which is committed intentionally in hopes of inflicting physical pain or harm to an individual with whom the abuser has a close personal relationship.

Additionally, both sexual assault and destruction of personal property are viewed as domestic abuse under existing law. The proposed bill adds both harm and threat of harm to the threatened person's pet to the definition of domestic abuse.

If passed, this law will provide additional grounds for obtaining a restraining order, Risser said.

"[This bill] permits the courts to enter a restraining order against an abuser who is threatening to interfere with an abused person's pet," Risser said.

Harm toward an animal with the intention of inflicting emotional pain on its owner, Risser added, would be a criminal offense under this bill.

"People love their pets, [and] people who are abused will not leave the abusive situation for fear of their pets' safety," Risser said.

Patti Seger, executive director of the Wisconsin Coalition Against Domestic Violence, said the bill recognizes the link between animal abuse and domestic abuse.

"If an abuser starts kicking the dog and says to the human victim, 'Next time this will be you,' the human can get a restraining order against the abuser," Seger said.

There is a strong link between animal abuse and domestic abuse, Seger added. While the bill is aimed at helping people, it inadvertently helps protect innocent animals from harm.

"Animals such as pets may be the subject of abuse by an abuser," Seger said.

In cases when the abused human victim and victim's pet need to escape an abusive situation, Seger said that some humane societies and domestic abuse centers in Dane Country provide necessary shelter.

"In many communities, the humane society has stepped up and worked in collaboration with service providers to provide shelter for the pet," Seger said.

But the idea for additional domestic abuse protections is not a new one. Risser said a similar bill passed in Maine.

According to Risser, there has been no opposition to the bill, and he has received positive feedback from female constituents and remains very optimistic the bill will pass.