An Exploratory Investigation of Companion Animal Custody Disputes following Divorce
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 19464584 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Marion C Willetts (0000-0003-4116-4338, Sociology & Anthropology, Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois, USA, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2021 |
| Volume | 62 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 1-18 |
| Publication date | 2021-01-02 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Divorce & Remarriage (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1050-2556 • E-ISSN: 1540-4811 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/10502556.2020.1830258 |
| OpenAlex | W3094249605 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 4 |
The overarching purpose of this paper was to explore the legal resolution of companion animal custody disputes in the event of a couple’s divorce or dissolution of a cohabiting union. I conducted content analysis on court cases throughout the U.S. between 1944 and 2019 and on policies enacted between 2016 and 2019 in Alaska, California, Illinois, and New Hampshire, the only states to date that have implemented legislation stipulating how companion animal custody disputes should be legally resolved. Results indicate that the law is moving away from a legal standard that defines animals as personal property to one concerned with the best interests, well-being, or care of companion animals and the strong emotional attachments of individuals to them. The implications of these court cases and legislation are discussed
Child custody · Companion animal · Dispute resolution · Exploratory research · Legislation · Political science · Sociology · Law · Marriage and Sexual Relationships · Multicultural Socio-Legal Studies · Psychology · Reproductive Health and Technologies
| Highly cited | No |
|---|