BC Court Orders Couple to Share Custody of Pet After Split Following Family Law Change

A B.C. court has granted shared custody of a family dog after the couple broke up, in line with a new provincial law where pets are treated as members of the family, not property. Stella, a golden retriever, will be splitting her time between Sahar Bayat and her former partner, Omid Mavedati, after a B.C. Supreme Court judge decided both loved and cared for the animal. “Both the claimant and the respondent have shown a deep concern about the well being of Stella, and I am satisfied that in the circumstances the custody of Stella should be shared on an interim without‑prejudice basis,” Associate Judge Scott Nielsen wrote in his decision. “I am going to make an order that the claimant and the respondent share the custody of Stella 50/50 on a week-on/week-off basis.”...