As new Ohio law, House Bill 33 will protect reporters of animal abuse

A social worker sees a dog chained up in the bitter cold without food, water or shelter in the yard of a client's home.

But because she is concerned about violating the patient's privacy or is afraid of retaliation, the worker might not report the case of potential animal abuse to authorities.

A bill that Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine recently signed into law aims to change that.

House Bill 33, which takes effect April 6, requires all social workers and veterinarians to report suspected animal abuse to authorities. The law also mandates that authorities such as animal control officers and dog wardens report animal and child or elder abuse to social services professionals, to create a system of cross-reporting.

The law gives these professionals protection when doing so, by making them immune from civil or criminal liability if they acted in "good faith" when making a report.

"Feeling like your hands are tied feels really, really bad as a social worker," said Colleen Dempsey, practice associate for the Ohio chapter of the National Association of Social Workers, a proponent of the new law. "It's a really tough spot to be in."

Representatives Laura Lanese, a Grove City Republican, and Sara Carruthers, a Hamilton Republican, introduced the bill in February 2019 and it garnered widespread support from animal activists and those working in the careers it will affect. Nobody testified against it as it made its way through the legislature, and just two House members, Bill Dean, a Xenia Republican, and Ron Hood, an Ashville Republican, voted against it.

Violation of the law will be a fourth-degree misdemeanor, punishable by up to 30 days in jail and a fine of up to $250.

Ahead of the new rule, Dempsey said her organization is working on materials to help educate members about the new expectations.

Dr. Rustin Moore, dean of Ohio State University's College of Veterinary Medicine, said the same is true for veterinarians.

"Veterinarians have always and will always take animal abuse and neglect very seriously. We didn't need a law to make us do that," Moore said. "Having said that, this law is very helpful, so they can feel comfortable moving forward, particularly in cases where things might not be crystal clear."

Students have learned about the connections between animal abuse and family violence well before House Bill 33, Moore said.

But in light of the new law, he said the Ohio Veterinary Medical Association is working to extend that effort statewide, to help vets recognize warning signs, ask questions and document evidence. Moore is a nonvoting member of the 3,000-plus member association's board of directors.

"A lot of the time, people say, 'I suspect something, but I don't know where to start," Moore said. "Making sure all that information is readily available is really important."

Leaders of Licking County Humane Society and Columbus Humane, the agencies tasked with investigating animal cruelty in their respective counties, said an influx of new reports could occur once the law takes effect, but they're prepared to respond.

Lori Carlson, president of the Ohio Animal Welfare Federation, said her group will be offering educational training on the law.

As the Licking County Humane Society's executive director, Carlson said she has experienced the issue from both sides. 

Before she took on that role in 2012, Carlson had worked for 26 years in child welfare. She's happy that House Bill 33 focuses on ensuring reporting is occurring in both directions, she said.

"The connection between violence toward animals and violence toward people, we've known that for a long time. It's always been one of our indicators," she said. "If we see animal abuse, there are probably other things happening in the home regarding the people."

Some abusers use pets as leverage to get victims to stay, or they hurt pets to exert control, she said. 

"It's a red flag," Carlson said of animal abuse. "It speaks to empathy. It speaks to all of those things that can contribute to also hurting people."

Studies have found that 49% to 71% of domestic violence victims reported that their pets had been threatened, harmed or killed by their partners, according to the Animal Welfare Institute, based in Washington D.C. 

Across surveys, between 18% and 48% of victims said they delayed leaving a dangerous situation out of concern for their pets’ safety, because most shelters don't accept pets.

That's why, in 2019, Columbus Humane partnered with Choices for Domestic Violence Victims, a shelter operated by Lutheran Social Services, to open a kennel on-site, so residents can live alongside their pets.

"If we only focused on animals, we wouldn't be helping the animals," said Rachel Finney, Columbus Humane's executive director and CEO. "We have to do both."

House Bill 33 is an extension of that mindset, she said.

"This will strengthen cross-reporting on both sides," Finney said. "Now social workers and veterinarians, as professionals with civil immunity, won't have to worry about risking their livelihoods, their business or their reputations when they report suspected abuse."