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Alabama faces battle at the ballot box; groups look to federal laws for protection; Israeli Cabinet votes to shut down Al Jazeera in the country; Florida among top states for children losing health coverage post-COVID; despite the increase, SD teacher salary one of the lowest in the country.

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Civil rights groups criticize police actions against student protesters, Republicans accuse Democrats of "buying votes" through student debt relief, and anti-abortion groups plan legal challenges to a Florida ballot referendum.

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Bidding begins soon for Wyoming's elk antlers, Southeastern states gained population in the past year, small rural energy projects are losing out to bigger proposals, and a rural arts cooperative is filling the gap for schools in Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

Trend Continues in Extending Domestic Violence Protection Orders To Pets

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Wednesday, March 31, 2010   

SEATTLE, Wash. - West Virginia just joined Washington as one of more than a dozen states that include pets in domestic violence protection orders. Advocates say the new protective order for pets will help women get out of abusive situations.

Tracy Coppola, legislative analyst with the American Humane Association, says 70 percent of victims report their abuser threatened or hurt their pets.

"They'll say, 'If you leave me I will kill the cat,' or 'I'll stab the cat.' The abuser will often hurt the pet or threaten to hurt the pet in order to scare the victim into submission."

The West Virginia law is similar to the law adopted in Washington State in 2009. Thirteen states now have similar measures on the books.

State Rep. Brendan Williams (D-Dist 26) sponsored the measure (HB 1148), which became law last year. Williams says he heard testimony that convinced him there is a link between violence against pets and the abuse of people.

"We had a woman from Shoreline who testified about her abusive husband setting her home and her two dogs on fire as a means of controlling her. It really is part of a pattern of criminal deviancy that you see in a domestic violence situation."

Coppola says violence against animals can desensitize the children in an abusive home and distort their view of the world.

"People who even witness animal cruelty are over eight times more likely to perpetrate violence. These kids are not necessarily being abused themselves, but they're witnessing the violence to their animal."








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