AR-News: (US)Splitting Couples Snarl Over Furry Friends

[Animalconcerns]

NEW YORK — Legal battles between couples heading for Splitsville have gone
to the dogs — literally.

Issues surrounding custody of the family pet are causing couples to get
catty in the courtroom, as snarling pet owners ask lawyers and judges to
treat their furry friends like children, complete with requests for
visitation rights or divvying up chores like feeding, finances and trips
to the vet.

“They are starting to think of pets as more like their children than like
a piano,” said attorney Barbara Gislason, founding chair of the Animal Law
Committee (search) of the Minnesota State Bar Association.

In fact, more than 30 top law schools, including Harvard and Yale, have
fetched animal law classes for their roster — with lessons in pet custody
featured.

“The number of cases we’re seeing has grown in the past 10 years,” said
Joyce Tischler, executive director of the Animal Legal Defense Fund
(ALDF), which files friend-of-court briefs in pet custody cases. “People
are invested in their animals.” 

full story:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,112266,00.html

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