Ruby’s Law, which is striving to protect pets in domestic abuse settings, has its second reading in Parliament in October. Ahead of that, campaigners are inviting MPs to a drop-in on 8th September so they can learn more about the proposed legislation and the positive impact it will have on victims of domestic abuse and their companion animals.

Ruby's Law seeks to address the often-overlooked role of pets in the cycle of domestic abuse and provide survivors with the confidence to seek safety without fearing for their animals.

Ninety per cent of households experiencing domestic abuse in England and Wales reported that animals were also abused by the perpetrators. In 12% of these households, the pet was killed.

Pets are often used as tools of coercion and control in abusive relationships. Victims frequently delay leaving, or return to, dangerous situations because they fear for their pets' safety and / or cannot find safe accommodation for their beloved animals. Pets become victims too, when being used as weapons to control, intimidate and harm survivors. Current family law does not adequately address this critical issue, leaving victims and their pets without protection.

This is where Ruby’s Law seeks to make a change. It is calling for legislative amendments to current family law in England and Wales, to explicitly protect pets in households where there is domestic abuse.

Ruby’s Law aims to secure three key legal changes to protect pets in domestic abuse situations:

Legal recognition - Recognise pets as household members who can be affected by domestic abuse, just like children and other family members.

Protective mechanisms - Ensure that pets are protected and safe during court proceedings, with provisions for their care and wellbeing.

Court responsibilities - Establish clear court responsibilities regarding pet-related decisions in domestic abuse cases and family law proceedings.

To achieve this, the cause is proposing:

Expand Non-Molestation Orders (under Section 42 of the Family Law Act, 1996) to explicitly allow non-molestation orders to cover pets.

Expand Occupation Orders (under sections 33–38 of the Family Law Act, 1996) to include provisions for the court to decide who retains care of the pet and ensure the pet’s safety when determining occupation orders.

Broaden the understanding of domestic abuse by introducing language which recognises that harm to pets can be used as a form of coercion or control, linking this to the broader understanding of domestic abuse, under the Domestic Abuse Act 2021.

Ruby’s Law has already moved from campaign to Parliament, having been the subject of an Early Day Motion in November 2025, to overwhelming cross-party support. On 10 March 2026, Ruth Jones MP introduced the Domestic Abuse (Pets) Bill in the House of Commons. The Bill formally brought the campaign's proposals into the parliamentary process. This moved England and Wales one step closer to legal reform, with the Bill has receiving support from MPs across a number of political parties.

Crucially, the campaign has not stopped. This means that Ruby’s Law has entered a new and important phase: turning parliamentary recognition into sustained political momentum and, ultimately, legislation.

To achieve that, the campaign is now urging the public to email or write to their MP encouraging them to attend the September 8th MP drop in, which will provide them with an opportunity to hear directly about the campaign, the evidence behind it and why reform is needed.

The process has been made very simple for the public to get involved. A draft letter to MPs is available on the Ruby’s Law website and can be used as a starting point for contacting representatives. If you’d like them to attend the drop in, then please add this to your letter, asking them to attend on 8th September at the House of Commons. See: https://www.rubyslaw.co.uk/take-action#write-mp

Ruby’s Law was founded by family barrister Christina Warner. Christina has brought together her experience as a family lawyer with a wider interest in animal protection and the links between violence against humans and animals.

Christina said: “Animal abuse in the context of domestic abuse can take many forms: threats to harm an animal, restricting access to veterinary treatment, withholding food or medication, taking a pet away, or threatening to kill an animal. But, while Ruby’s Law is about animal welfare, it is not simply that. It is also about family safety, domestic abuse and access to justice. Ruby’s Law seeks to remove the impossible choice between personal safety and the safety of a beloved animal.

“Please encourage your MP to go along on 8th September. Every conversation with an MP helps demonstrate that this is not a niche animal-welfare issue, but a genuine gap in the protection available to domestic abuse survivors and their pets.”

For more information go to: https://www.rubyslaw.co.uk/