A social worker sees a dog chained up in the bitter cold without food, water or shelter in the yard of a client s home.
But because she is concerned about violating the patient s privacy or is afraid of retaliation, the worker might not report the case of potential animal abuse to authorities.
A bill that Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine recently signed into law aims to change that.
House Bill 33, which takes effect April 6, requires all social workers and veterinarians to report suspected animal abuse to authorities. The law also mandates that authorities such as animal control officers and dog wardens report animal and child or elder abuse to social services professionals, to create a system of cross-reporting.