Legal Information: North Carolina

Restraining Orders

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Updated: 
February 14, 2022

Can my pet be included in my DVPO?

If there is a pet in your household (owned by you, your child, or the abuser) and you have concerns for your pet’s safety you can ask a judge to order the abuser not to hurt the pet as part of your 50B order. If the abuser is keeping you from your pet or you worry that the abuser may take the pet with him/her, you can also ask that you be the one to keep the pet.1 This remedy is available in temporary and final DVPOs. You should also include any information about the abuser hurting or threatening to hurt your pet(s) in the complaint.

1 NCGS § 50B-3(a)(8), (9)(b1)

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