The New York Post recently ran an article highlighting how dogs are finding themselves at the center of divorce cases, particularly if the couple doesn’t have any two-legged kids to argue about.
I wonder if this reflects that couples simply need something to argue about when they get divorced or if the dogs truly are considered “children” in their family. I know I love my dogs dearly, but I don’t confuse them with my human children. If the house were burning down and I had to choose, there’s no question, I would get the two-leggers out before the four-leggers. Does that make me a bad person?
On the other hand, my brother and sister-in-law, who have no human children, do treat their canines as if they were their kids. Probably even better than they would treat human kids because the dogs are spoiled rotten and lead very comfy, charmed lives.
It seems as if the dogs who get stuck in custody battles fare pretty well after the split. The cases are sometimes settled by arbitration, sometimes in the divorce court, and the outcomes are varied. Sometimes he gets the dog full time, sometimes she does. Sometimes they have joint custody, switching off every week. Sometimes there is full custody with visitation for the other party. The lawyers and courts appear to be taking this very seriously; of course, for the lawyers, the longer the fight, the more money they make.
Unfortunately, even though the courts are taking on this matter, they still classify the dogs as PROPERTY rather than as living beings.
Your thoughts? Have you been through a custody battle with your dog? Please share your experience in the comments section.
Until next time,
Good day, and good dog!