Brazil has approved new laws introducing joint custody rights for pets of separating couples.
According to Brazilian congressional lawmakers, the recent changes highlight the importance of pets in the lives of people who treat them like family members.
Under the newly-approved law, in case of separation between the couple without any agreement on the custody of their pet, they will seek this arrangement through the court.
“A judge shall determine the shared custody arrangement and the equitable distribution of the maintenance expenses of the animal between the parties,” the law says.
But for the law to apply to couples, they must have spent the majority of their lives with the pet. And if the couple is found to have a history of domestic violence and criminal activities, they will never be granted joint custody.
According to Instituto Pet Brasil, the 213 million people in the country currently own about 160 million pets.
Members of Congress also highlighted the increase in jurisdictional disputes over pet ownership, saying that the law adapted to “the changes that have taken place in Brazilian society in recent decades.”
The accompanying report shows that as birth rates decline, animals are increasingly integrated into the domestic sphere, “often considered true family members.”
Before these historical changes in Brazil, Spain also set the example by granting joint custody of a pet dog to a separated couple.
In 2014, France also made changes to the law so that pets are considered “living and feeling beings rather than movable accessories.”
