Brazil Courts Will Now Decide Custody of Fido

Brazil just rewrote the breakup rulebook—this time, for pets. New legislation will let judges award shared custody of animals when couples split and can't agree on who should keep them, reports the BBC. Per the law, "a judge will determine the shared custody arrangement and the equitable distribution of the animal's maintenance expenses between the parties," notes the Inquirer. The animal must have spent most of its life with the couple, and judges are barred from granting joint custody if there's a record or risk of domestic violence.

Lawmakers framed the move as catching up with how Brazilians actually live: in a country of 213 million people and roughly 160 million pets, animals are "often considered true family members." Congress members cited a rise in pet-related court fights and said the law reflects social shifts, including couples having fewer children and closer bonds with animals. Brazil now joins countries such as France and Spain, where courts can consider pets as sentient beings and co-caretakers, rather than property—a contrast with places like the UK and Australia, where animals are still largely handled as assets in separation disputes.