PET COURT OFFERS A SOLUTION FOR DETERMINING PET CUSTODY

“While a dog may be considered by many to be a member of the family, under Florida law, animals are considered to be personal property. County of Pasco v. Riehl, 620 So.2d 229 (Fla. 2d DCA 1993), and Levine v. Knowles, 197 So.2d 329 (Fla. 3d DCA 1967). There is no authority which provides for a trial court to grant custody or visitation pertaining to personal property. § 61.075, Fla. Stat. (1993).”

Pets Are Not Furniture

Courts of law treat pets like furniture when couples break up. One-half of the couple gets the couch, dining room table and the car; the other half gets the bed, the vacuum cleaner, and the dog. Pet Court treats pet parents and their pets as a family. After receiving a request from separating parents to determine pet custody, Pet Court conducts an investigation, questions the parents, and holds a hearing to decide which parent gets custody of the pet. Pet Court considers a number of factors in determining custody, but all factors have one primary aim: Determining what is in the best interests of the pet. Determination of the best interests of the pet is made by evaluating all of the factors affecting the welfare and interests of the pet.

If you are pet parents who are separating and you cannot decide who gets custody of your shared pet, please consider retaining the services of Pet Court to determine who gets custody. You can review the Procedure link in this site for details concerning the process followed by Pet Court in determining custody. You can contact us for additional information by submitting our Contact Us form, sending an email to kreider@petcourt.net, or calling us at 954-860-8454.

We care about animals and it is our goal to fill a void in our legal system by providing a service that treats pets as the family members they are.