Have a pet nuptial plan in place for your pooch if things don’t work out
Divorce sucks for everyone involved… unless of course, you’re a lawyer and that’s how you afford your Rolex collection. Divorce is becoming more common these days (over 50 percent and rising), so it’s smart to have a plan in place for your pet. To make that process less painful, Blue Cross for Pets has come up with a contract for your animal, in case that fateful day comes and you decide to untie the knot.
Pet Nup teamed up with divorce lawyers Lloyd Platt and Company to develop a legal document that should be filled out prior to getting married. This document covers who the pet goes to, if there’s going to be partial custody, who covers the vet bills, etc. And the best part is, most of it will hold up in court. The only parts that won’t are the lifestyle choices that are agreed to, like how many walks a day the dog gets.
Related:Four Steps To Divorcing With Pets
Blue Cross for Pets is the charity responsible for the nuptial agreement. They’re located in the United Kingdom and are in the business of helping to re-home dogs, cats and horses. According to its website, four pets are taken in a week due to relationships ending. Blue Cross for Pets also states that when British couples split up, 56 percent of the time it’s the woman who keeps the pet, and only 29 percent of the time men keep full ownership (it turns out that dogs are not just man’s best friend anymore).
Related:Women Speak! Fido is No Longer Just Man’s Best Friend
There are two forms available on the website for a free download. One is the in-depth Pet Nup Agreement and the other is a Deed of Agreement. Personally, I am married to my dogs and my work, so I don’t ever plan needing the full-blown Pet Nup. But the Deed of Agreement is something that could come in handy for me. It’s an agreement for people in relationships who purchase (or hopefully adopt) a pet. It’s the same idea, but a little simpler, since hopefully a normal break up won’t require lawyer battles.
I know we all want our relationships to work out, especially marriages. But the reality of it is that nobody can predict the future, so it’s best to be prepared. There’s no reason to make the animals suffer because your relationship failed. So whether it’s the full Pet Nup Agreement, or the Deed of Agreement, if there is ever a situation where a pet could be fought over or abandoned because of a relationship, I suggest filling it out and having it notarized.
