The 1 Thing Pet Owning Couples Need To Discuss ASAP

Settling down and bringing a four-legged pal is the suburban dream, but what about when things go sour in the relationship between you and your partner?

What happens to the pet?

57% of people in the UK have a pet and whether you’re a cat person, dog person, or even a fish person, us pet lovers take our relationships with our pets very seriously.

However, according to research from Tesco Bank, despite 61% of pet owners co-owning their pets, many have never discussed who gets the pet if they were to break up. 

Eek.

Who gets the pets in a breakup?

Nobody likes to talk about the potential of their relationship ending but, in the sad instance that it does, knowing what happens with shared pets is essential. 

If you’ve been avoiding this topic, you’re not alone. 73% of pet-owning couples haven’t faced it yet. 

For many pets, this doesn’t end well. Pet charities such as Blue Cross have reported taking in four pets a week as a result of relationship breakdowns and the owners no longer being able to care for their cats and dogs. 

However, some pet owners have been a little more proactive. A pre-emptive 17% of owners say they have discussed it and have arranged a plan for their pet should they go their separate ways, while 10% have gone a step further and put a formal legal agreement - a ‘Pet Nup’ - in place.

Blue Cross advised: “In the UK pets are considered property from a legal standpoint.

“If a decision can’t be mutually reached on custody of your pet and you don’t have proof of ownership in your name, a court could decide on legal ownership and the return of the animal. However, a court won’t have the power to order the legal owner to give access to the dog to the non-legal owner.”

Sounds... messy. Messier than even having pets.

Alex Cross, Insurance Director at Tesco Bank, commented: “Before you get a pet or move in with a partner who has a pet, you should take time to discuss the practicalities of pet ownership such as the day-to-day care, holidays, costs and, of course, who will care for the pet if you decide to break up.”

If you are looking to formalise your post-split plans, Blue Cross have free Pet-Nup resources.