(The writer is a Reuters contributor. The opinions expressed
are his own.)
By Chris Taylor
NEW YORK, August 12 (Reuters) - When couples split, custody
is one of the hardest issues they have to resolve. And that goes
for dogs and other furry family members as much as for children.
Formosa Hsu and her ex-partner Joseph, who did not have
kids, spent years in mediation to decide how to split the time
of their little beagle mix Pupineya, whom they had adopted when
he was 3 months old.
For Joseph, a 33-year-old software engineer, the idea that
he wouldn't see the dog again was the "worst feeling in the
world," he remembers. Hsu, 42, a beauty consultant from
Charlottesville, Virginia, says she was "devastated."
Finally they struck a deal: The dog would split his time
between the two, even though they now live on opposite coasts.
Six months in Virginia, six months in British Columbia.
Welcome to the tricky and highly emotional world of pet
custody.
"I tell attorneys who are handling divorces, number one, ask
if they have kids. Number two, ask if they have pets," says
Debra Hamilton, a mediator from Armonk, New York, who
successfully handled Pupineya's case. "These days pets are just
as important as kids. Sometimes even more important."
In the past, the issue of pet custody almost never emerged
in divorce proceedings. Now it comes up in about half of cases,
Hamilton estimates. About 10 percent of divorces end up getting
"rough and rocky" over dogs and cats, she says.
Indeed, 27 percent of attorneys report an increase in pet
custody cases over the last five years, according to a survey by
the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. The most desired
animal: dogs, 88 percent of the time.
Cats were much less sought-after, with 5 percent of cases.
Even iguanas, pythons, African grey parrots and giant turtles
have been fought over.
Why have we become so willing to go to war over Fido or
Fifi?
"I think what is happening is that a lot of people are
choosing not to have children, but they are getting pets earlier
than ever," says Jacqueline Newman, a Manhattan attorney who has
handled multiple pet-oriented divorce squabbles. "Therefore pets
become like children - and people will fight for them."
If a couple does have kids, the typical arrangement is that
the dog or cat will go wherever the children go, experts say.
Money issues often follow. After all, raising a dog can be
expensive - especially in high-cost urban environments.
In fact, the first year of raising a small dog will set you
back an average of $2,674, according to researchers at the
University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine.
Medium-sized dogs will chew through $2,889 in their first year,
and large-sized dogs $3,239.
Since not every pet owner makes the same amount of money,
that can be a problem.
"I call it 'doggy support,'" Newman says. She recalls one
pug, Oliver, who was "a very expensive dog." "High vet bills,
special food, doggie daycare, dogwalkers. It was more than
$1,000 a month," she recalls
The result: The higher-earning partner ended up forking over
more than three-quarters of pet-care costs, despite having
Oliver half the time.
That is also what happened with Pupineya, with Joseph
handling most of the pet-care costs, including cross-country
airplane jaunts. But after years of wrangling, both partners are
happy to have the matter settled, so they can enjoy time with
their four-legged family member.
Says Hsu: "My life was never complete until adopting the
pup."
(Editing by Beth Pinsker and Leslie Adler)