Leaving your spouse? Here's a trick for how to share custody of your pets
If you're the parent of a fur baby thinking of leaving your spouse, you may want to consider the kind of custody agreement you're willing to live with, with your soon-to-be-ex.
According to the Montreal SPCA, statistics show you're more likely to have a long-lasting union with your pet than your, well, human.
As a result, the organization has come up with a contract -- apparently the first of its kind in Quebec -- for couples to sign, should the relationship go south.
It's all part of the SPCA's Lasting Relationship campaign, which encourages couples to formalize their custody agreement in event of a break-up.
“We hope such agreements will become standard practice during the adoption process, not only at the Montreal SPCA, but throughout Quebec," said Sophie Gaillard, director of animal advocacy and legal affairs at the Montreal SPCA.
The organization is also launching a petition demanding that courts consider an animal’s best interests when determining custody in separation or divorce hearings.
It points out in family law, animals are considered "things" rather than "sentient beings."
"Even though the Civil Code of Quebec has recognized animals as sentient beings with biological needs since 2015, in separation or divorce cases, they are subject to the same rules as movable property," the SPCA notes. "As a result, it’s the spouse who acquired the animal who is entitled to claim ownership at the time of separation or divorce. Courts do not take into account the animal’s interests or even their attachment to each partner."
According to the Institut de la Statistique du Québec (ISQ), about 50 per cent of marriages end in divorce, with the highest risk of break-up around the four-year mark.
In addition, Statistics Canada finds that one-third of divorces occur within the first seven years of marriage, while most barely make it past the 12-year mark.
By comparison, the SPCA points out most cats live around 15 years, while an average dog's life expectancy is 11 years.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction overturned by N.Y. appeals court
New York's highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction, reversing a landmark ruling of the #MeToo era in determining the trial judge improperly allowed women to testify about allegations against the ex-movie mogul that weren't part of the case.
BREAKING Honda to get up to $5B in govt help for EV battery, assembly plants
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment that is banned at Queen’s Park.
CTE: Researchers believe widespread brain injury may contribute to veteran suicide rate
Researchers are working to better understand if some Canadian military veterans may be suffering from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, also known as CTE -- a disorder previously found in the brains of professional football and hockey players after their death.
1 arrested in northern Alberta during public shelter order
Residents of John D'Or Prairie, a community on the Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta, were told to take shelter Thursday morning during a police operation.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
New deep-water channel allows first ship to pass Key bridge wreckage in Baltimore
The first cargo ship passed through a newly opened deep-water channel in Baltimore on Thursday after being stuck in the harbor since the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed four weeks ago, halting most maritime traffic through the city's port.
First in Canada procedure performed at London, Ont. hospital
A London man has become the first person in Canada to receive a robotic assisted surgery on his spine. Dave Myeh suffered from debilitating, chronic back pain that led to sciatica in his right now and extreme pain in his lower back.