Pet Custody: Who Keeps the Pet When Couples Divorce?

Approximately seven out of ten U.S. households own a pet. It has become increasingly common for pet parents to share a meal, trip, and even a bed with their furry children. While pets are being treated more like kids and less like a tangible good, family law statutes throughout the United States fail to treat a dog or a cat any different than a lamp when it comes to divorce. Courts have remained detached from hearing, ruling on, or enforcing pet custody and/or visitation arrangements. The household pet is simply another asset to be allocated.