夫妻闹离婚 宠物狗狗该归谁?

For Gale Myers it's Lucky as way more than a cute loyal dog.

"Do you feel your dog as your child?"

"I don't have any kids,so she's the closest. Then I wanna have to a child. I have another dog as well,and they both like my kids."

So when she decided to leave her husband,money and property didn't enter her mind. She left with "my clothes,a few personal items and the dog. And that's I wanted."

Problem is her ex wanted Lucky too,and that made a no contest divorce a rather testy battle. In Maryland,a pet is considered property,like a car or a house, certainly not like a child.

"Lucky's to tell me!"

But Maryland Judge Graydon McKee told me he didn't think it was fair to force the Myers to sell the dog and split the proceeds,so he ordered joint custody,she gets Lucky 6 months,he gets Lucky the other 6 months. A ruling that could shake up divorce court for good.

"It recognizes the emotional,the reciprocal attachment between a pet and the other members of the family. And in some sense elevates the role of the pet to a quasi-family-member."

It brings us back to our question,should a pet be considered like a child in divorce court?

"There was a certainly complicated divorce litigation,clearly. It would be a time-consuming proposition."

As it could become at Myer's case,despite the custody ruling,there are still questions.

"What if the dog is sick,and there's a lot veterinary bills accrued?"

"We are supposed to split the bills."

"Split the bills,so that's also in what Judge ordered?"

"Uh,not sure exactly."

"Technically that's not been welshed out in the order."

"But even if it becomes an issue,Gayle Myers doesn't regret any of it."

"I just can't bear on her. She's been there for me and has faith in me that I'm going to come home every night to feed her and take care of her."

After all,they're family.