Divorce is traumatic in of itself. Settling who gets what, custody of the children and the financial aspect is difficult and often causes a lot of stress for people. In the past, pets were considered property and not given much thought.

In a first ever, Alaska has passed a law that now considers pets more like children. The law allows judges to take into consideration the well-being of the pet and even to rule that couples can have joint custody of the pet.

While this is a good law, and long overdue, it will pose some difficult problems when determining what is best for the pet. It will have to take into account the pet’s physical and mental health as well as the affect it will have on the family who is getting the divorce. It remains to be seen how this will all play out. But there is no question that it is a step in the right direction.

http://wapo.st/2jNXrka