Avoid a custody battle over your dog during a divorce unlike Ant McPartlin and Lisa Armstrong by getting a pet pre-nup
THERE were more than 28,500 divorce cases in the last year involving custody of a pet, so you might want to be prepared.
The upsetting issue was thrust into the public eye last year when Ant McPartlin and Lisa Armstrong split, with a battle over Labrador Hurley before they agreed on joint custody.
In the past three years, there has been a 24 per cent rise in requests for family lawyers to draw up “pet-nup” agreements.
Ownership of a pet is decided by who is listed as owner, while pet owners tend to believe it is who is the primary care-giver.
Pets are legally viewed as property and the courts can decide whether a pet should be shared or even sold, leaving the owners to split the money.
Direct Line Pet Insurance found 88 per cent of owners make pets a priority over access to pension funds, while 30 per cent of pets are seen as more important than savings or investments and 12 per cent of warring couples fought for them more keenly than their CHILDREN.
In the event of a break-up, owners say they would consider several options when deciding what happens to their pet.
This ranges from setting up a financial agreement (53 per cent) to shared custody (47 per cent) and 25 per cent admitted taking pets to a shelter or rescue, 17 per cent admitted selling them and more than one in six (16 per cent) would even consider having their pet put down.
Vanessa Lloyd Platt produced the world’s first pet-nup for animal welfare charity Blue Cross () because of the number of pets handed in following divorce.
She told Paws & Claws: “I cannot stress enough the importance of these, especially where children are involved. We deal with more and more heartbreaking situations that could have been avoided.
“The pet-nuptial is more in demand now than ever. The focus of this is to plan for what should occur if a relationship breaks down — living arrangements for the pet, how it is fed, exercised and cared for. Also, consideration for insurance, illness and holidays.”
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Four pets a week arrive at Blue Cross because of a broken home.
The charity has found that women are more likely to keep a pet after a break-up, with most arguments being over cats and dogs but also birds, rabbits, fish, horses and reptiles.
Alyson Jones of Blue Cross, said: “Pets are not just material goods, they are often at the heart of our home lives. So it is a good idea to agree on your pet’s future in advance to make a difficult situation easier.”
Stars of the week
ADORABLE assistance dogs Alice and May help their owner Sophie Martin manage two severe conditions that mean her joints can dislocate and her heart rate can suddenly rise, making her pass out.
Alice can smell when Sophie is going to pass out and warn her. May knows when Sophie’s blood sugar is low.
They have been named pet best friends by Petplan because they bark and lick her to wake her and sit on Sophie’s limbs to steady them during any spasms.
Sophie, 21, from Hants, said: “They have turned my life around.”
Pet vet
PETRA LIEVERS, from Newport, has a five-year-old spaniel called Coco.
She says: “He used to love bounding around but for the past two months hasn’t even wanted to go on a walk. She’s eating, going to the toilet in the garden and seems absolutely fine – she just doesn’t want to walk.”
Sean says: “That’s a bit strange. Normally spaniels are bags of energy.
“I wonder if Coco could be in pain. Sometimes back or neck pain can really hold a dog back and seem to alter their personality. Otherwise, it could be the hot weather, a hormonal issue or something else underlying that’s making her feel unwell.
“For your own peace of mind, and to try discover what’s wrong, I’d highly recommend a full physical check over with your vet.”
PENNY ASHTON, from Bakewell, Derbys, has a two-year-old French bulldog who is adored by the family – especially her son Sam, seven.
She says: “Every night, Dexter sleeps in bed with Sam. Is there anything wrong with this? He’s a clean dog, we wash the sheets regularly and Sam loves him, but is it OK?”
Sean says: “I don’t think there’s anything wrong with this as long as Sam and Dexter are both healthy and you keep good hygiene.
“With kids younger than five or six, I’d worry a little more about leaving them unsupervised with a dog, as they may annoy or pester a dog, possibly making them fearful or anxious. But if Sam is responsible and looks after Dexter well, I can’t see a big issue.
“In fact, studies have shown that children growing up close to pets in the household can have fewer health conditions, such as asthma and eczema, than children in households without pets. One final bit of advice – always make sure Dexter’s flea and worming treatments are up to date.”
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