Pennsylvania
Bill in Pennsylvania shines light on link between domestic violence and animal abuse
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — A bill to extend protection from abuse orders to pets passed the state Senate and is bringing new awareness to the dangerous link between domestic violence and animal abuse and the services available in the Pittsburgh area.
KDKA-TV’s Jessica Guay stopped at a local center that has advocates with four paws who are ready to help.
Ari is more than just a cute dog. He works a 9-to-5 job. Ari’s mom, Grace Coleman, is also his boss at Crisis Center North.
“He is a wonderful dog. He is so obedient. Ari’s very gentle with the children,” Coleman said.
Crisis Center North’s nationally recognized Paws for Empowerment program turns rescue dogs into canine advocates. It started in 2011 thanks to Coleman’s dog Penny, who helped a little boy feel brave enough to go into counseling at the center.
The center’s smart dogs use their talents in schools, therapy and the courtroom. Ari enjoys providing comfort to victims.
“Ari goes to magisterial court to assist victims in that courtroom setting. Victims could be sitting across the table from a perpetrator and the distance is very close, and so we felt like a dog could provide the most comfort in those venues,” Coleman said.
Ari was invited to Harrisburg this week to teach lawmakers the importance of keeping domestic abuse survivors and their pets together and help move a bill forward.
House Bill 1210 will allow companion animals to be included in protection from abuse orders by giving victims temporary ownership rights. The bill passed in the state Senate on Wednesday and still needs the governor’s signature.
“I cannot tell you how many times our advocates have picked up the phone and heard stories about victims who have had their dog’s legs broken as a means of control. … I could tell you horrible story after horrible story of some of the things victims heard. And this bill is going to provide tools for advocates that make pets something more than property,” Coleman said.
Crisis Center North also helps victims relocate, find housing, pay for expenses, and thrive — with their pet, whether it’s a dog, cat, snake, gerbil or even a horse.
“During a three-year period, we have helped over 350 humans, we have helped over 500 animals, we have provided over 415 nights of emergency shelter to animals in abusive situations,” said Coleman.
“Some of the survivors we worked with are leaving only with their dog. And then when they arrive in a new location, the dog may have injuries, may not have had the vet care it needs,” she added.
Coleman said the center also educates and trains veterinarians and animal care providers so they can recognize and respond to domestic violence when animals may have been abused.
“They’ve trained over 1,500 individuals on the intersectionality of human and animal abuse, and that personally delights me because my father was a veterinarian and I know from growing up in a vet clinic how important that is and how many people would come and talk to him about everything,” she said.
Coleman calls the bill historic and transforming because it’s going to give advocates another tool to protect human survivors and their furry family members.
“Some of these animals are by the side of their owners who may be experiencing abuse, watching them experience that. They may be experiencing that themself, and in some cases, dogs have been known to protect the person. So, the separation is not conscionable for people who have relied on that pet to get through that particular situation,” Coleman said.
For anyone experiencing domestic violence, contact Crisis Center North’s 24/7 confidential crisis hotline at 412-364-5556 or via the text chat line at 1-877-522-6093 or online chat.
Don’t hesitate to call the center for emotional support, to make an appointment or to learn more about their free services.
RADNOR TWP., Pa. (WPVI) — Three winning scratch-off tickets totaling $7.5 million were sold in Pennsylvania, lottery officials announced on Monday.
One winning “MONOPOLY Own It All” ticket worth $5 million was sold in Delaware County at the GIANT on the 500 block of East Lancaster Avenue. The grocery store will receive a $10,000 bonus for selling the winning ticket.
“MONOPOLY Own It All” is a $50 game that offers top prizes of $5 million.
In Erie County, a $1.5 million-winning “Cash Spectacular” scratch-off was purchased at a Sheetz on Perry Highway. “Cash Spectacular” is a $30 game that offers top prizes of $1.5 million.
And in Luzerne County, a $1 million-winning “Millionaire Loading” scratch-off was sold at Schiel’s Family Market in Wilkes-Barre. “Millionaire Loading” is a $20 game that offers top prizes of $1 million.
Scratch-off prizes expire one year from the game’s end-sale date posted at palottery.com.
Winners should immediately sign the back of their ticket and call the Pennsylvania Lottery at 1-800-692-7481.
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A new report from U-Haul shows where Pennsylvania residents are leaving to and where new residents are coming from in 2025. Here’s what to know about U-Haul’s top 10 states with the most and least growth numbers.
Eight warm weather states made U-Haul’s top 10 growth list for 2025, while eight states in the colder Northeast and Midwest filled out the bottom 10, including Pennsylvania and neighboring New York, New Jersey, and Ohio. Delaware ranked 21 out of 50 states in growth for 2025.
U-Haul also noted besides geography, that seven of the 10 states with the most growth featured Republican governors, nine of which went red in the last presidential election, and 9 out of 10 in the bottom growth states featured Democrat governors, seven of which went blue in the last presidential election.
“We continue to find that life circumstances — marriage, children, a death in the family, college, jobs and other events — dictate the need for most moves,” said John “J.T.” Taylor, U-Haul International president in press release. Adding, “But other factors can be important to people who are looking to change their surroundings. In-migration states are often appealing to those customers.”
U-Haul ranks states growth based on their one-way customer transactions that rented trucks, trailers or moving containers in one state and dropped it off in another state. Their growth index included over 2.5 million annual one-way transactions across the United States and Canada.
Texas holds the number one U-Haul growth state for the seventh time in the last 10 years while California ranked last for the sixth year in a how.
Pennsylvania’s growth rank for 2025 remained at a low 46 out of 50 states, same as 2024, and compared relatively similar to its growth numbers over the last 10 years, according to U-Haul’s data, with the exception during 2022-2023 when its highest growth numbers hit 24 out of 50 in 2022 and 38 out of 50 in 2023.
Oregon, Mississippi, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Louisiana and Montana were among the biggest year-over-year gainers in 2025 compared to U-Haul’s 2024 rankings, while Ohio, Virginia, Indiana, Iowa, Delaware and Nebraska saw the biggest drops.
While the national average rent in the U.S. sits at approximately $1,623 per month (0.4% higher than this time last year) the Keystone State boasts a lower rent average at approximately $1,526 per month (1.9% higher than last year), according to Apartments.com. It is ranked 34th least expensive rent by state.
Here’s what to know about Pennsylvania and what states saw the most and least growth in 2025 according to U-Haul.
Top 10 U-Haul growth states of 2025
In 2025 Pennsylvania ranked 46 out of 50 states on growth as reported by U-Haul.
- Texas
- Florida
- North Carolina
- Tennessee
- South Carolina
- Washington
- Arizona
- Idaho
- Alabama
- Georgia
U-Haul reported the 10 states with the lowest growth numbers were lead by California, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Connecticut, and Michigan.
Where are Pennsylvania residents moving to and from?
According to the company’s semiannual U.S. migration trends report, based on the one-way rental data after the summer’s high moving season, it revealed that while Pennsylvania remains a top destination, Pennsylvanians are also packing up and heading out. Here’s where they moved to:
- New York
- Maryland
- North Carolina
- Massachusettes
- Ohio
- Michigan
- Florida
- California
- Washington D.C.
According to this report, here’s what states new residents came from:
- New Jersey
- New York
- Maryland
- Florida
- Virginia
- North Carolina
- Delaware
- Massachusetts
- Ohio
- Texas
- West Virginia
- Michigan
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