Anyone who has a pet knows that the pet is part of the family.

When couples break up, their children typically still spend time with each parent, including time on the parent’s turf.

But what about the family dog or dogs?

Believe it or not, it’s a lot more complicated with a dog.

First, if the couple can’t agree privately, the judge will decide the pet’s fate as though the dog were an item of personal property, based solely on its fair market value. The pet’s best interests will not be a consideration in most cases.

Second, unlike kids, who are pretty resilient and generally able to tolerate regularly bouncing from one parent’s home to the other’s, dogs aren’t. According to one animal consultant, dogs like “routine and predictability” and “structure”.

Read more in this Asheville [NC] Citizen Times article: Dog custody becomes an issue when relationships end.