Rhode Island lawmaker thinks so
A Rhode Island lawmaker has taken a cue from Alaska and introduced a legislation that will require judges to consider a domestic pet’s best interest during divorce proceedings.
The bill was introduced by Democratic state Rep. Charlene Lima who told The Providence Journal that pets are a big part of people’s families, and judges should make custody decisions that would be in the best interest of the animals.
Under current law, pets are considered personal property and treated as such.
Alaska was the first state to require courts to take into consideration “the well-being of the animal” in custody disputes involving non-human family members. The law became effective as of the 17th of January this year.
Animal lovers and animal rights activists across the US have commended the move. Animal Legal Defense Fund called the provision “groundbreaking and unique,” in their blog post.
“An increasing amount of pet owners are now considering signing pet prenuptial agreements to decide who keeps the pets in the event of a breakup or a divorce,” said Jiraporn Thongphong, an international divorce attorney working in Thailand.
Read more here
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