LANSING, Mich., Dec. 22, 2025 — State Reps. Penelope Tsernoglou (D-East Lansing) and Kimberly Edwards (D-Eastpointe) recently reintroduced legislation to ensure that survivors of domestic violence and other violent crimes can bring their pets with them when seeking emergency housing. 

Currently, the Crime Victims Services Commission (CVSC) reimburses certain expenses for victims of crimes that are forced to relocate when their safety is at risk. Individuals who are forced to relocate are often victims of domestic violence and, in many cases, the decision to leave or relocate can be an extremely difficult one. As the law is written today, the CVSC is unable to reimburse victims for certain pet related expenses, including short-term pet boarding and residential pet deposits.

Tsernoglou introduced House Bill 5409 which would amend existing law to allow eligible reimbursement to include short-term pet boarding and residential deposits so that pet costs are not a barrier for those seeking to escape a violent situation. 

“I am proud to once again partner with Rep. Edwards in introducing these important pieces of legislation,” Tsernoglou said. “If a victim of domestic violence is having to decide whether they should relocate to protect themselves and their family, they should never have to worry about the costs associated with bringing their pet with them. No one should ever be forced to decide between leaving a potentially dangerous situation or leaving their pet behind. Our legislation would help to prevent these all-too-common situations from happening.”

Edwards introduced HB 5410 which would add a definition of common household pets and make support for the common household pets of victims of domestic violence eligible under the CVSC’s funding programs.

“The goal of this legislation is to remove as many barriers as possible for survivors of domestic violence who want to escape a potentially dangerous situation,” Edwards said. “These bills would help survivors receive the support they need, whilst keeping their family intact, acting as a truly common-sense solution to protecting survivors.”

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