- SB115 would enhance communication between child services and animal control agencies.
- Animal abuse often indicates deeper household issues like child abuse.
- The bill would allow trained professionals to report red flags without extra investigative duties.
- Veterinary professionals would also be protected from retaliation when reporting animal abuse cases.
“I have seen firsthand that child abuse, domestic violence, elder abuse and animal cruelty rarely occur in isolation,” said Kristina Pulsipher, co-founder of Ruff Haven, a nonprofit crisis pet shelter on Wednesday.
This commonly found link between different types of abuse is what inspired SB115, sponsored by Sen. Jen Plumb, D-Salt Lake City, this legislative session. The bill would promote communication between the Department of Child and Family Services and animal control in cross-reporting animal and child abuse.
“These issues often overlap, and when one form of abuse is present, others are frequently occurring in the same household,” said Pulsipher. “Animal abuse is often one of the earliest and most visible warning signs that something much more serious is happening behind closed doors.”
She added that cross-reporting is a practical and evidence-based way that helps professionals in these fields respond effectively and share concerns appropriately to improve the safety of all people and animals involved.
According to statistics provided by Plumb, 60% of families under investigation for child abuse — including physical, sexual or mental abuse — have also been reported for animal cruelty. This number jumps to 88% when the child abuse is physical.
There are also 11 other states that have previously passed similar legislation.
SB115 went before the Senate Health and Human Services Committee on Wednesday and received a favorable recommendation. It will now go to a vote on the Senate floor.
What does the cross-reporting of child and animal abuse look like?
This bill isn’t meant to add more responsibility to DCFS employees and animal control officers; its goal is to simply open up more communication.
“This bill does not create new mandates to investigate outside of one’s role. It allows trained professionals to communicate when they see red flags that may indicate broader harm,” Pulsipher said.
It would allow DCFS to notify animal services if there are concerns about a family with animals in the home. The bill would also work the other way; if animal services see extreme animal abuse cases with children in the home, they can let DCFS know.
SB115 would also require the courts to report information about animal abuse convictions to DCFS. It would allow reports between DCFS and animal control to go to a central database so people don’t have to spend time contacting multiple individuals.
“It helps build that bridge,” the senator said. “Like there’s no way that DCFS is able to call every single animal control entity across the state.”
Plumb said this bill would also provide a way for local entities to get involved by saying, “Hey, we’re going to cooperate and figure out ways where we can cross paths with information.”
How Ruff Haven is helping Utah families keep their pets
Pulsipher is one of four co-founders of Ruff Haven Crisis Sheltering, and before starting the nonprofit, she worked as a social worker in the criminal justice field.
Ruff Haven provides short-term sheltering for pets of families who are in need. This can be for people who are leaving a domestic violence situation, going into rehab, going into temporary housing, or any other situation where they won’t be able to have their pets with them for a period of time.
“We just thought it was a need in our community that nobody in the animal welfare rescue community was meeting,” Pulsipher said.
The temporary sheltering makes it so people don’t have to permanently surrender their animals and allows them time to get back on their feet.
According to the organization’s website, they “believe the future of animal welfare lies in pet retention, keeping pets and their people together whenever possible.”
Pulsipher shared that on one occasion last year, Ruff Haven’s leadership attended a gala and shared about their mission. The next day, one of the performers from the gala showed up with her dog after learning about the nonprofit the night before.
The nonprofit does more than just shelter; it has the biggest pet pantry in the state and provides free grooming and vaccinations for cats and dogs. It is also connected to Dogs All Day, which provides pet boarding for profit and helps fund Ruff Haven.
The organization actually started during the COVID-19 pandemic, and at that time, they group would take in the pets of people who had to go to the hospital. Pulsipher said one man brought his five pugs to Ruff Haven when he had to go to the hospital; to this day, he still brings his pugs in to board at Dogs All Day.
Ruff Haven was part of the group that put together the idea for SB115 and brought it to Plumb, with whom they had worked closely in the past.
Supporting veterinary professionals when they report abuse
Another provision of SB115 would prevent veterinary professionals from being retaliated against for reporting animal abuse. Plumb said this comes from some professionals saying their corporate bosses discourage reporting because they want to keep clients. Reporting their clients can disrupt the money they make.
“When veterinarians have been told you’re not allowed, that’s really hard for them because their commitment is to the welfare of the families and the animals,” Plumb said.
She added that these professionals know that if there’s a problem with an animal, there can also be a problem with a child in that home, and they want to be able to say something.
