What are Pets?
Pets generally refers to animals not raised for profit and are often considered almost members of the family such as dogs, cats, reptiles, etc. Other animals, such as cattle, goats, chickens, and horses are considered livestock instead of pets.
Pets acquired during the marriage are usually treated as marital property. However, most pets identify with one owner as “their person” and it’s always best to take that relationship into account when deciding how to divide ownership of pets.
Example:
Jerry and Sally own a dog named Fido and a cat named Patches. Sally loves dogs and cats, but she knows Jerry and Fido are inseparable so she feels that it’s in Fido’s best interest that he remain with Jerry. Jerry has never been a cat person so he never bonded with Patches. Sally and Jerry both agree that it’s best that Patches remain with Sally.