Category: Pet Custody

When couples in New York divorce or separate, deciding who keeps the family pet can be one of the most emotional parts of the process. Until recently, the law viewed pets as personal property—no different than furniture or jewelry. That changed with the passage of New York’s pet custody law, which...

Last Updated: April 07, 2025

More and more divorcing couples in New York City are asking the same question: Who gets to keep the dog? Or the cat, the bird, or even the family ferret. For many, pets aren’t just property — they’re family. When a...