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
India's foreign minister reacts to murder charges, claims Canada welcomes criminals
India's Foreign Affairs Minister accused Canada of welcoming criminals from his country in response to the RCMP's recent arrests in a homicide that has roiled tensions between the two countries.
15-year-old boy stabbed in Ottawa on Thursday dies
A 15-year old boy who was critically injured after a stabbing in Nepean on Thursday has died of his injuries, Ottawa's English public school board said Sunday.
Dash cam catches moment suspected drunk driver hits parked car, sends it careening into North Shore flower shop
Police say it’s fortunate no one was injured or killed in a collision at North Vancouver’s Park and Tilford shopping centre Saturday evening that sent one vehicle careening into a flower shop and another into a set of concrete barriers outside a Winners store.
Actor Bernard Hill, of 'Titanic' and 'Lord of the Rings,' has died at 79
Actor Bernard Hill, who delivered a rousing cry before leading his people into battle in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King' and went down with the ship as the captain in 'Titanic,' has died.
'A tiny city:' Pro-Palestinian campus protesters organize for another week
Pro-Palestinian activists have set up tents at universities in Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver and Montreal, following a wave of similar protests at campuses in the United States linked to the Israel-Hamas war.
Lawsuit against Meta asks if Facebook users have right to control their feeds using external tools
Do social media users have the right to control what they see — or don't see — on their feeds?
A Holocaust survivor will mark that history differently after the horrors of Oct. 7
This year's Holocaust Remembrance Day, which begins on Sunday evening in Israel, carries a heavier weight than usual for many Jews around the world.
Princess Anne lays wreath at Battle of Atlantic ceremony; honours late Queen
Princess Anne saluted Canadian veterans and current forces members and honoured her late mother during separate ceremonies Sunday in Victoria as she wrapped up a three-day British Columbia West Coast royal visit.
El Nino weakening doesn't mean cooler temperatures this summer, forecasters say
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.