Who has custody of animals after divorce?

A Spanish law proposal seeks to limit the responsibility of each spouse in their divorce to caring for pets, as "emotionally sensitive organisms" rather than just "things".

This proposal, which Parliament agreed to study, sets out “the criteria on which the courts should be based in determining the entity that will be entrusted with the custody of the animal,” according to the text submitted by the Socialist Party and the radical leftist formation “Podemos”, which make up the government coalition.

The proposal stipulates that the care of the dog, cat, fish, tortoise or other should be alternate between the divorced spouses.

The text of the proposed amendment to the Civil Code stated that the distribution of pets in the event of divorce had so far been "a subject of controversy in the courts" of Spain.