Kevin Blanchette

Honorable Representatives, My name is Kevin Blanchette, and I am a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor here in New Hampshire. In my clinical work, I have repeatedly seen the connection between animal abuse and human abuse. In cases where abuse and neglect were happening to an animal, it has been a signal that others in the home were also being abused. This included harm to both domestic and wild animals. I have consulted with supervisors, agency directors and legal teams about the reporting of animal abuse in these instances, and each time, the answer was the same: the law is unclear. Clients can be educated, but without the tangible support provided after a report is made, education can only go so far. Without a clear mandated reporting law, mental health providers are placed in an impossible position. Reporting risks violating confidentiality. Not reporting risks allowing abuse to continue. Ethically, without legal backing, we cannot break confidentiality. This means opportunities for intervention are lost. Mandated reporting laws for vulnerable populations are not a new idea. We have them in place not as punishment, but rather as a way of opening up access to support. Abuse and neglect do not stop simply because they are identified in therapy. Mental health providers are limited in what support we can provide on our own. Meaningful intervention requires collaboration among social services, animal services, and law enforcement. The need for this collaboration is well-established. It is recognized nationally and internationally, including by the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit, which has emphasized the importance of a collaborative response to animal abuse. By recognizing animals as a vulnerable population and clarifying reporting obligations, this bill gives professionals the legal clarity needed to provide a comprehensive response. This bill does not create risk. It reduces it. It replaces uncertainty with clarity and opens space for ethical decision making. Thank you for your time and consideration.