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FROM ADVOCATE DAILY:

Best interests analysis for kids, not pets

From this week’s article on Advocate Daily, by our own Timothy Sullivan:

When it comes to seeking “custody” of a family pet, Ontario courts have followed a somewhat consistent approach in viewing animals as mere property — not children — although judges are still sometimes asked to treat children and pets equally, Ottawa family lawyer Timothy N. Sullivan writes in Lawyers Weekly.

“Strictly speaking, the family dog and cat are property, and subject to the regular provisions of Part I of the Ontario Family Law Act. Telling your pet-loving client this, however, rarely goes over well,” writes Sullivan, principal at SullivanLaw in Ottawa.

To read more, check out the whole story on AdvocateDaily.