Are Beloved Pets More Like Children or Like Furniture?
I grew up with pugs as canine companions and my children also grew up with these tough little comedians of the dog world. Consequently, the ongoing “custody fight” involving Dexter, the pug, caught my eye. This ongoing legal issue, concerning Dexter and his two unmarried owners, Eric Dare and Doreen Houseman, have cost each of his owners over twenty thousand dollars in attorney fees thus far, and those costs are continuing to increase. The trial court found that Dexter was like a piece of property and that a value would be assigned to him just like a vehicle or piece of furniture. Under this scenario Dexter was awarded Dare. Houseman did not accept this pronouncement and promptly appealed the decision. The New Jersey appellate court overturned the lower court’s decision. The appellate court found that beloved family pets are not just pieces of property to be divided between the parties, like a piece of furniture. Instead, family pets are more like heirlooms, family treasures, and works
