Brazil has a lot of pets. According to the Instituto Pet Brasil — Brazil's national pet industry research body — the country of 213 million people is home to approximately 160 million cats, dogs, and other companion animals. And until now, when couples separated, those animals were treated by the legal system much like a piece of furniture: property to be divided, with the outcome often decided by who had the receipt.
That has changed. Brazil's Congress has passed a bill giving courts the authority to arrange shared custody arrangements for pets when separating couples cannot reach an agreement themselves. If a couple splits without settling who keeps their animal, a judge can now set a living schedule and decide how costs are shared — taking into account each person's home environment, the amount of free time they have, and their financial capacity to care for the animal. Day-to-day expenses like food and grooming would be borne by whoever the pet is staying with, while veterinary and other treatment costs would be divided equally.
There are safeguards. The law applies only if the pet spent the majority of its life with the couple, and shared custody cannot be granted if either party has a criminal record or a history — or risk — of domestic violence. In those cases, the animal's safety comes first.
Lawmakers described the change as a response to shifting values in Brazilian society, with pet custody disputes in courts rising steadily in recent years. The bill still awaits the President's signature before becoming law.