Pets and Custody: What do we do Meow?
It’s estimated that 70-80 million dogs and 74-96 million cats are owned in the United States. Approximately 37-47% of all households in the United States have a dog, and 30-37% have a cat. As a caring pet owner, many people in a divorce situation are confronted with the uncomfortable situation of deciding what to do with a family pet when the marital relationship ends.
Under Pennsylvania law, pets are typically considered property and cannot be the subject of a formal custody case. However, much like many issues in divorce and custody matters, agreements can be made outside of the court system. These agreement may mirror a typical child custody arrangement and provide for “visitation” for the pet or may determine which party receives the pet when the parties separate residences.
This area of the law is constantly changing, however, so if you find that you and your significant other need assistance with this aspect of your divorce, please contact us at LaMonaca Law, (610) 892-3877.
