Wednesday Wag: Illinois now has a new set of divorce dog custody laws

When we think divorce, we think about kids, money and property. But what about the dogs? Now Illinois has a set of laws to deal with pet custody.

Divorce can be hard for everyone involved, and that includes the pets. But now Illinois has just come out with custody laws to determine who gets to keep their pets in the case of a divorce. That’s right. There are dog custody laws.

And why shouldn’t there be? Obviously, people need to figure out custody for their kids, but dogs are important too. Both pet parents could be close to their dogs and want to keep them.

Or, in some sad cases, the dogs could end up being given up because the owners don’t know what to do with them.

Divorce is reportedly one of the most common reasons people give up their dogs. According to Rover, hundreds of thousands of dogs are left at shelters every year because of breakups. Plus, divorce and disruptions in home lives and routines could lead to behavioral problems in dogs.

But we’ve started treating our dogs like family members more and more lately. And new laws in Illinois are going into effect to encourage owners to treat their dogs like their kids.

Before, pets were treated like property in divorce cases. But any dog owner knows that’s just not true. They’re family. They’re our kids. And now they’ll be recognized like that.

According to the Chicago Tribune, a judge can now consider the well-being of a pet and decide if owners get sole or even joint custody of their four-legged friends.

“It sort of starts treating your animal more like children,” state Sen. Linda Holmes, who sponsored the legislation, said. “If you’re going before a judge, they’re allowed to take the best interest of the animal into consideration.”

Next: Wednesday Wag: Will doggo be the word of 2018?

Divorce is hard on everyone, and figuring out what to do with pets that both owners are attached to can be difficult. But now there’s a way to make sure everyone’s doing what’s best for the dogs.