Dogs

January 30, 2017

I have represented many clients on arbitrations. An arbitration is an out of court process where an arbitrator (instead of a judge), makes a decision (called an “award”). It is less formal than court and, typically, can proceed much more quickly than the court process.
I had a two day arbitration over ownership and possession of the families’ dogs. As an aside, pets (and all other animals, for that matter) are not treated like children under the law. One cannot obtain “custody” of pets. Rather, they are treated like chattels, where ownership and possessory rights determine who gets to keep the pets.
It amazed me that it took two full days for both parties to present their cases. We had to call witnesses (including the dogs’ vet), to testify about which spouse attended the veterinary appointments for the dogs.
In the end, my client lost. He couldn’t overcome the evidence that he had purchased the dogs as gifts to his wife. She had friends and relatives who supported her claim. It didn’t help my client’s case that the dogs were purchased just before the wife’s birthday.