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Pet welfare now considered in family separations under new B.C. law

Ability and willingness to care for an animal, relationships between it and a child now relevant

British Columbia Attorney General Niki Sharma says the often difficult issue of pet custody for families going through break ups could be easier to decide with family law changes that took effect Monday.

She says the changes aim to improve the process for determining ownership of pets after a separation or divorce.

Previously, Sharma says pet ownership issues following a break up were similar to those used by the courts to determine how property is divided.

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