Who gets the pet when a couple separates? B.C. looking at amendments to Family Law Act
New guidance is being proposed to help judges in B.C. decide what happens to a family pet when a couple separates.
If passed, Family Law Act amendments introduced by attorney general Niki Sharma Monday will require consideration of who is able and willing to care for a pet, if a child has a relationship with the animal and if the family pet may be at risk of violence.
"The amendments make it easier for people to come up with their own agreements when it comes to how to divide the family pet time with the family pet or if they can't, to get an order from a judge to say who's who gets custody of the family pet," Sharma told reporters at the legislature.
V. Victoria Shroff a lawyer and educator specializing in animal law, told CTV News, there's been a steady increase in the number of cases involving what she calls "pet custody." Part of that, she says, is due to the increased number of people who got pets during the pandemic.
She said the amendments introduced by the province aim to view the pet not as property, but as a part of a family. Shroff called the move, "groundbreaking."
Shroff added she believed this was the first time legislation like this was introduced in Canada.
"I think it's going to bring clarity, it's going to help separating couples, I I'm really, really jazzed about it," she added.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.