In case of divorce, who will get the ownership of the animals?

Decisions regarding divorce and separation in Spain will now legally take into account the welfare of pets.

The law will strengthen the couple's case for joint custody in case of separation.

who actually owns the animals?

Similar judgments have been handed down in France and Portugal before, where judges were required to view pets emotionally and not just as a property.

Lawyer Lola Garcia says: "Animals are part of the family and when partners decide to separate, the rights of domestic animals should be taken into account, just like the rest of the family. ''

In October last year, a Madrid judge ruled in favor of the joint custody of a dog. When an unmarried couple divorced, they asked the court for joint custody of the dog. The dog now lives with both of them for a month, and both are legally responsible for the dog.

Garcia, whose rights and animal firm took the case to court, sees the reforms as an important step.

The problem of pet ownership is very high in European countries Spain. The left-wing coalition government intends to legislate further. Such as protecting the rights of animals, including wildlife. Also, stop selling pets in circuses and shops.

However, the Spanish nation does not have the same views on all animals, especially the sport of bullfighting. Animal rights activists want to end the game, but the popular game does not seem to have a solution in the near future.

According to Garcia, in the event of separation, even if a couple has children, pet ownership becomes more important. Children are familiar with pets and separation from them can have emotional effects on children.

Madrid-based psychologist Rodrigo Castovilas says of the law: "This will help animals that are either kept very badly in case of separation or divorce or are left helpless."