Criminal Justice (Domestic Violence)

HB 7194 expands the definition of domestic violence to include animal cruelty committed by a family or household member against another household member. It specifically adds three offenses to the list: unnecessary cruelty to an animal (§ 4-1-3), malicious injury or killing of an animal (§ 4-1-5), and abandonment of an animal (§ 4-1-26). This change directly affects victims who share household animals with an abuser and allows courts to address animal cruelty as part of domestic violence cases. The bill amends the Domestic Violence Prevention Act to explicitly include these animal-related offenses under the same legal framework as other domestic violence crimes.