Domestic relations; protection for household pets in both family violence and dating violence protective orders; provide

Protective orders now cover household pets

Georgia courts can include pet protections when a verified petition is filed for a family-violence or dating-violence protective order. Courts can decide who has possession of the pet and handles its care and custody. They can bar the person named in the order from harassing, harming, taking, transferring, hiding, or abusing the pet. They can also bar using the pet as security for a debt. Covered pets are companion animals owned or possessed by either party or a minor child in either party’s household. Livestock, laboratory, working, sport, commercial, and consumption animals are excluded. These protections are court options, not automatic in every order.