There are so many I's to dot and T's to cross during a divorce, that sometimes, the most loving members of the family — the pets – are often ignored. By the time Fido is remembered, the house and family has already been split up. But there has been a trend lately that has people coughing up more than dough during a divorce — getting pet prenups.
It works like a basic prenup: the couple signs into an agreement that if they are to part, a chosen party keeps the animal. For many animal lovers, it's the right move for the family, as well as the pet.
"If an animal is being used as a tool to get at each other, like people use children in custody [disputes]," says Tracie Hotchner, the Vermont-based "Radio Pet Lady," "they're not putting the animal's needs first."
Talking about pet custody hit a high in June when Melanie Griffith and Antonio Banderas announced their divorce. According to their comments, it seems that the celebrity couple ended their "almost twenty years marriage in a loving and friendly manner." However, Griffith soon made it clear she intended to fight for custody of the couple's three dogs.
"There are plenty of people like that, and for good reason," says Christian Lau, coauthor of The Dog-Lover's Companion to Boston. "Our pets get very attached to us, and we get very attached to them."
For more:
Divorce lawyers see uptick in 'pet prenups' (Boston Globe)