{"id":1986,"date":"2017-06-20T16:49:17","date_gmt":"2017-06-20T20:49:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/?p=1986"},"modified":"2018-07-27T14:20:14","modified_gmt":"2018-07-27T18:20:14","slug":"pet-custody","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/pet-custody\/","title":{"rendered":"Pets in the Pre-Nup? The New World of Pet Custody Battles"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-large wp-image-1987\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/OVRS_iStock-504697292-1024x619.jpg\" alt=\"pet custody\" width=\"50%\" \/>Couples who adopt pets together are most likely not thinking about what will happen to these pets in the event of a breakup, but maybe they should. With over 70% of U.S. households containing a pet, combined with a 50% divorce rate, it makes sense that pet custody battles are on the rise.<\/p>\n<h3>The Law of the Land<\/h3>\n<p>In most states, pets are considered part of a couple\u2019s joint assets, except in cases where one party brings the pet into the relationship. In that case, the pet is considered that person\u2019s nonmarital property.<\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<p>Many factors come into play when the court determines who will get custody of a pet, including whose name appears on the pet\u2019s license and registration, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/getting-to-know-and-avoid-leptospirosis\/\">veterinary records<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/contact-us\/\">purebred<\/a> papers, and microchip registration.<\/p>\n<p>Alaska may be leading the way for change when it comes to the pets-as-property laws. As of January 2017, Alaska became the first state to allow judges to take an animal\u2019s well-being into account in pet custody disputes. It\u2019s a huge step forward for how companion animals are seen in the eyes of the courts.<\/p>\n<h3>Pet Custody Agreements<\/h3>\n<p>It\u2019s always best to try to come to an agreement privately regarding the care and living arrangements of the family pet. Pet custody agreements are becoming more popular as a way for couples to formalize the custody arrangements for their pets prior to a divorce or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/dog-fights\/\">breakup<\/a>. It may not be fun to think about, but preparing a custody agreement in advance can save the frustration, expense, and heartbreak of a pet custody battle later on.<\/p>\n<h3>Pets, Not Pawns<\/h3>\n<p>Agreeing on a pet\u2019s care and living arrangements prior to a divorce or breakup is key in making sure that the pet won\u2019t be used as a pawn. Consistency is important to maximizing the mental and physical health and wellness of a pet, and creating a responsible \u201cpet parenting\u201d plan can help the pet (as well as the post-breakup relationship).<\/p>\n<p>Your pet\u2019s well-being is our top priority at <a href=\"https:\/\/ovrs.com\">Oakland Veterinary Referral Services<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Couples who adopt pets together are most likely not thinking about what will happen to these pets in the event of a breakup, but maybe they should. With over 70% of U.S. households containing a pet, combined with a 50% divorce rate, it makes sense that pet custody battles are on the rise. The Law [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[157,171,467,521,776],"class_list":["post-1986","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-you-your-pet","tag-custody-of-pets","tag-divorce-affects-on-pets","tag-pet-custody","tag-pet-legal-matters","tag-you-your-divorce"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Pets in the Pre-Nup? 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