LIHU‘E — A bill to consider pets as household members in cases where temporary restraining orders are granted is one of hundreds of bills still alive at the state Legislature. House Bill 1512 proposes to allow Family Court judges to
LIHU‘E — A bill to consider pets as household members in cases where temporary restraining orders are granted is one of hundreds of bills still alive at the state Legislature.
House Bill 1512 proposes to allow Family Court judges to issue temporary restraining orders that prohibit the named person from “taking, concealing, removing, threatening, physically abusing, or otherwise disposing of any animal identified to the court as belonging to a household.”
“We’ve been wanting that for a long time,” said Dr. Becky Rhoades, executive director of the Kaua‘i Humane Society.
“Commonly, pets are used to intimidate victims of violence,” said Rhoades, citing cases on Kaua‘i where family cats have been drowned and family dogs killed by adults after loving human relationships soured. “It’s not uncommon at all.”
Rhoades said she has been very involved in the bill, and is hopeful this is the year that it will pass, especially given the publicity of an O‘ahu murder case where the alleged perpetrator may have also killed the family dog after his relationship with a woman ended.
In that case, Kailua attorney Craig Kimsel was murdered, allegedly by Daniel Kahanaoi, the ex-boyfriend of Rusty Anoba, Kimsel’s client and former girlfriend. Anoba had a TRO against Kahanaoi, but there was no legal recourse to help protect her dog. Anoba believes Kahanaoi is responsible for killing her dog when their relationship ended.
“It’s a very important protection,” Rhoades said. “That’s why we want the pets protected as well. … We want to keep the family together, and pets are part of the family.”
Rep. Jon Riki Karamatsu, D-Waipahu-Waikele, agreed.
“It’s unfortunate that people now have to fear for the safety of their pets in addition to their own personal safety in situations following the end of a bad relationship,” he said.
“While we continue to be concerned about how to strengthen the laws of protection for humans, we also hope to alleviate some of the emotional stress that could occur with the loss of a beloved pet in domestic-violence cases.”
