Pet custody now part of B.C. family law to help families going through break ups | NanaimoNewsNOW

VANCOUVER – British Columbia’s attorney general, Niki Sharma, says the often difficult issue of pet custody for families going through breakups could be easier to decide with changes to family law that are entered into force on Monday.

She says that the changes aim to improve the process for determining the ownership of animals after a separation or divorce.

Previously, Sharma says that pet ownership issues after a breakup were similar to those used by courts to determine how to divide property.

Instead, courts now consider a person’s ability and willingness to care for an animal, relationships between a child and an animal and risks of animal cruelty to help determine animal ownership.