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.
Northwest: 5 top stories from 2020
But a new addition to the process could not have been more timely when census invitations started to be received in March: For the first time, residents had the option to fill out the census form online, in addition to the options of responding via phone and mail.
But one positive was that many traded coworkers for furry friends, and those pets probably had – and still might be having – a positive impact on their mental well-being, according to experts.
Research has shown that interacting with a pet, whether in a physical or mental way, even for intermittent periods of time, can have profound mental- or physical-health benefits, according to Rustin Moore, dean of the Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine.
West Side: 5 top stories from 2020
But a new addition to the process could not have been more timely when census invitations started to be received in March: For the first time, residents had the option to fill out the census form online, in addition to the options of responding via phone and mail.
But one positive was that many traded coworkers for furry friends, and those pets probably had – and still might be having – a positive impact on their mental well-being, according to experts.
Research has shown that interacting with a pet, whether in a physical or mental way, even for intermittent periods of time, can have profound mental- or physical-health benefits, according to Rustin Moore, dean of the Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine.