LOS ANGELES — They still fight like cats and dogs in divorce court. But more and more, they are fighting about cats and dogs.
Custody cases involving pets are on the rise across the country.
In a 2006 survey by the 1,600-member American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, a quarter of respondents said pet-custody cases had increased noticeably since 2001. There is no doubt such cases have grown steadily since then, said Ken Altshuler of Portland, Maine, a divorce attorney and AAML president.
Pet-custody cases have grown 15 percent in his office over the past five years, said attorney David Pisarra of Santa Monica.
He shares custody of 8-year-old Dudley, a longhaired standard black-and-tan dachshund, with his ex, who has remarried and introduced a stepdog to Dudley.
Pet consultant Steven May hired Pisarra six years ago to handle his divorce. May and his ex worked out custody of three dogs, two cats and Tequila the parrot. Pisarra and May became friends and wrote “What About Wally?” — a book about co-parenting a pet with an ex.
