Online Reporter
BRASILIA. —Courts in Brazil will be able to determine shared custody arrangements for the pets of separating couples under new laws.
Lawmakers in the Brazilian Congress viewed the law change as a reflection of the importance people place on their pets.
The legislation means that, if a couple separates without reaching an agreement regarding their pet, “a judge will determine the shared custody arrangement and the equitable distribution of the animal’s maintenance expenses between the parties”.
Currently, the country of 213 million people has about 160 million pets, according to the Instituto Pet Brasil.
For the law to apply to separating couples, the animal must have spent the majority of its life with the pair.
Shared custody will not be granted in cases in which one of the parties has a prior criminal record, or a history or risk of domestic violence.
Members of Congress said there had been an increase in pet custody disputes in courts, while noting the law responds to “changes that have occurred in Brazilian society in recent decades”, according to a statement accompanying the law.
The statement added that couples with fewer children tend to have closer relationships with their animals, “often considered true family members”. — BBC
