D.C. Council Mulling Bill That Considers Pets' Well-Being in Divorces

The Washington, D.C., Council is considering legislation that would consider pets' well-being in divorces, reports the Daily Caller.

The Animal Care and Control Omnibus Amendment Act, which passed a first vote unanimously in a marathon legislative session last week, would require family law judges to make joint or sole custody decisions that reflect the best interest of the animal in cases of divorce.

It would also criminalize the possession of dogfighting equipment, outlaw bestiality and ban the retail sale of animals that are not rescues.

The bill is scheduled for a second vote on Dec. 20.

"Family pets are currently treated as property when a couple separates," the bill's cosponsors wrote. "The party who purchased the pet remains the determining factor for ownership … in contentious separations, the ownership of a family pet can be used as a tool to hurt the other party.

"The final provision of this bill modifies the pure property disposition of a pet in a divorce so that the court may assign sole or joint ownership of a pet based upon the care and best interest of the animal."

Max Broad, president of D.C. Voters for Animals, said the bill "does so many things for animals."

"A lot of stuff happens under our noses that we probably wouldn't be comfortable with, like puppy mills, like dogfighting. This is really the council acting on our behalf to align the city's laws with our values."

Alicia Prygoski, the strategic legislative affairs manager for the Animal Legal Defense Fund, told the Washington Post this kind of legislation is significant because divorces can get messy when animals are involved.

"We've seen it come up in actual cases, where animals are being used as bargaining chips, where the best interest of the animals are not being considered," Prygoski said. "So, there is definitely a need for this, and it elevates their legal status to better reflect how we see animals, that they are sentient beings."

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