A Michael Broad Blog
Under the law in the UK, and in most other countries, cats and dogs are regarded as inanimate objects; in old-fashioned English they are “chattels”. To a couple who are divorcing they are far more than chattels. They are family members and there is often, nearly always, a close emotional bond between animal and …
When the animal welfare laws of any country state that companion animals are sentient beings, it is a great leap forward in animal rights which is clearly apparent in a recent divorce case from Spain where the reform of the Animal Welfare Act in 2021 ensured that animals are regarded as sentient beings and …
A divorce court in Argentina gave the couple’s dogs equal rights on this one occasion and allowed the animals to select who they want to live with. The case sets a legal precedent, and it is probably a world first. The case temporarily grants rights to animals that are equal to those of humans, …
In the UK, and the USA, and I suspect many other so-called developed countries, the family cat is currently treated as a family asset to be divided on fairness principles just like any other family asset. The argument is that the cat, as a sentient being, should be treated as a child. In divorce …
Today, Google tells me that divorce can be over such things as Covid-19, cheating, coffee, cats, cigarettes, chores, chewing tobacco, clutter, child discipline and credit card debt. Quite a list and these are just the “Cs”! And within the list is “cats”, which is timely because you may have bumped into a story on …
There is an increase in disputes, in the UK and perhaps in other countries, between divorcing couples over who should keep the cat or dog (and indeed any other companion animal). One possible reason is that in Britain there has been a steady decline in the birthrate which leads to an increased focus on …
Don’t play divorce ping-pong with pets and kids. It is up to the parties in a divorce to decide what is best for their cat or dog when they divorce. The companion animal’s welfare is paramount when making this decision. Cats and dogs and other pets should not be treated as inanimate possessions. It …
Are domestic cats sometimes the reason, as cited in divorce papers, for the divorce of a married couple? The answer has to be yes but….I don’t know how often domestic cats are cited in divorce papers. There are some interesting historical records however, which I cover briefly below. The fact of the matter is …
