When you and your significant other decide to take that all-important first step towards becoming pet owners, there’s such a sense of joy and happiness that it seems to exude with every wag of the animals tale. Owning a animal isn’t always the easiest thing in the world, but early on the two of you decide you can handle any hiccup that comes your way. After a while though things don’t turn out the way you want them to. Either he refuses to stop hanging out with the guys and commit to the relationship or she simply begins to find his list of bad habits too large to be ignored. Eventually the inevitable happens….you decide it’s time to split up and go your separate ways. But what about the pet the two of you bought with love and hope all those years before? The pet isn’t the problem so why should it get sent back to the pound when both parents love it dearly? So the question becomes, who decides where Fido lives? Mommy or Daddy?

According to Steve Dunn with Craig Associates out of Mobile, Al, this is a very common situation that can almost be as hard as if an actually child were involved. “We’ve had cases where, just like the parents will share custody of the kids, they have joint custody of the pets, and this is spelled out in the separation agreement” However while joint custody of the pet may be the best thing for it’s former owners, animals traditionally don’t like change and living someplace different depending on the day of the week can only lead to a very unhappy pet.  Says Jennifer Knepshield of the Charlotte Street Animal Hospital, “Most dogs do better than cats with frequent changes in routine, although some dogs, such as some rescued dogs and certain breeds, are very sensitive. Then there are breeds such as the golden retriever that tend to love everyone, and since any attention at home is great, they obviously adjust more easily”

Unfortunately a solution that is both satisfying to the pet and its owners isn’t always within reach. It really just boils down to what’s in the best interest of the animal and who can provide it with the life it deserves.  Maybe instead of joint custody, the animal can be taken out for the day and returned at a later time the same evening. The most important thing is to establish a routine and stick with it. This way the animal always knows where it stands and what is expect of it.