Blue Cross has today announced the launch of the Pet Nup, the pet equivalent of a pre-nuptial agreement, but with pet welfare at the heart of it. Whilst many couples put in place agreements to protect their assets, the charity is encouraging pet owners to consider their beloved pets and sign up to this specially created document to plan for the pets’ future and avoid heartache should their relationship come to an end(1).
Developed by specialist divorce lawyers at Lloyd Platt & Co, the document declares ownership, responsibilities and rights in the event of a relationship breakdown whilst keeping pet welfare at its heart.
- Almost two thirds admit that arguing over cherished pets made splitting up more difficult
- Women are most likely to keep the pet in the case of a break-up
- Four pets taken in by Blue Cross every week following relationship breakdowns
A recent report* carried out by the charity has revealed that more than one in four divorced couples in the UK has argued over the ownership of their pets when they split. Blue Cross figures show that marital conflict and relationship breakdown has been the cause of almost a thousand pets given up to Blue Cross’s 12 rehoming centres over the past five years – an average of four a week.
The leading pet charity has partnered with divorce lawyers, Lloyd Platt & Company, in an attempt to stop the numbers of pets getting caught up in marital disputes around the country and lessen the stress and heartache for owners and pets alike.
It comes as almost two thirds (62%) of those questioned revealed that arguing over treasured pets had added to the emotional turmoil of a divorce. 66% admitted that a pre-agreed written agreement, stipulating at the outset who would get ownership of pets and who would pay for what in the event of a divorce, would have made the process a lot less upsetting and they would have argued less about it.
Dogs and cats were identified as the most fought over pets followed by horses, rabbits and guinea pigs.
The free document, which can be downloaded from the Blue Cross website and has been developed in partnership with legal divorce experts, sets out the right of ownership in the event of a divorce or relationship breakdown and covers ongoing pet care. In addition, Blue Cross has also created a simple Deed of Agreement document that sets out who will take ownership in the event of a break-up.
Vanessa Lloyd Platt, divorce lawyer at Lloyd Platt & Company, who developed the Pet Nup comments: “Pets are part of the family so in the event of divorce who gets to look after the pet, as with children, is sadly all too often the grounds for much dispute. We handle more than four hundred divorces a year, many of which have a prenuptial agreement involved, and whilst they are always emotional and hard for those involved, the pre-nuptial agreements definitely take the conflict out of them and speed up the process. Just as with the house, the car, and the gadgets, it makes sense to agree right at the outset who gets ownership of the dog, horse or the chinchilla in the event of a relationship breakdown or divorce.”
The Blue Cross study reveals that when Brits split it is usually (56%) the wife or girlfriend who keeps the pet, whereas just under a third of men (29%) retain full ownership.
For those who couldn’t decide who should keep the pet, 15% decided to give them to a family friend, 12% to family members and 6% to pet charities such as Blue Cross.
Alyson Jones, Rehoming Manager at Blue Cross, comments: “At our rehoming centres we deal with some very upsetting situations when pets are brought to us following relationship splits. It really is devastating for everyone involved – including the pet. One partner will sometimes bring a pet to us for rehoming without the other’s knowledge. Our pets are not just material goods; they are often at the heart of our home lives, so it is a good idea to agree on your pet’s future in advance to make a difficult situation easier. It makes sense to agree up front who will keep your pet so that they don’t get dragged through the courts or end up in our rehoming centres.”
Over a third of the couples questioned revealed they had taken on a pet as a sign of their commitment to each other but when they split a third (30%) of couples admitted they disagreed about the details of care their pets should receive.
The top five biggest pet bones of contention for couples who have split-up are:
- The number of walks per day (41%)
- Frequency of grooming (34%)
- Vet check-ups (25%)
- How long pets should be left alone (24%)
- Holidays (17%)
Vanessa Lloyd Platt adds: “The courts in England and Wales do not like deciding how people should divide ownership of their pets, but where they do, evidence of who bought the pet or a document outlining who will get what and who will pay for what, will be very strong evidence. It is particularly important where children are involved for everybody to know where they are if the relationship breaks down. I believe written agreements like the pet-nup will stop the increase in pet conflicts once and for all.”
To download a copy of the Pet Nup or Deed of Agreement just go to: www.bluecross.org.uk/pet-nup
1. NB this document is not legally binding unless signed by both parties and witnessed.
* OnePoll survey of 1880 Brits, 1292 of which are divorcees (July 2014)
