25 Apr 2025
More than 4,000 have already signed petition calling for animals to be classed legally distinct from other types of property.
Chris Simpson
Job Title
Image: kobkik / Adobe Stock
Veterinary professionals have been urged to back a new campaign calling for animals to be classed as legally distinct from other types of property.
More than 4,000 people have already signed an online petition which argues the law still needs to “catch up” with public opinion on the issue.
But Cooper and Co Solicitors, a Canterbury-based firm which launched the “Family Not Property” campaign, believes the sector has a critical role in bringing about change.
Solicitor Jack Sullivan said: “Vets and veterinary professionals are uniquely placed to speak on the human-animal bond, and their voice carries significant weight in conversations around welfare and policy reform.
“We’d love to see individuals and organisations within the sector engage with the campaign, sign and share the petition, and add their voices to the growing call for legal change.”
The petition, which is focused on civil and family proceedings, argues legislation should place primary focus on pet welfare during the resolution of ownership and possession disputes.
It also calls for a pet’s worth to be recognised as the value to its owner rather than its open market price, and for cases regarding pets to be expedited.
The firm said it saw a 37.5% rise in pet custody cases during the year to 31 March compared with the previous 12 months, with legal disputes frequently keeping owners separated from their animals for a year or more.
Some legal experts believe the situation is already starting to change – particularly following one recent separation case in which a court ruled that the wife should retain custody of the family dog because who purchased the animal “is not as important as who the dog sees as her carer”.
Victoria Cannon, head of family law for the Hugh James firm which has several offices across the UK, said the law was “slowly starting to soften” around pet welfare amid legal developments and the growing public debate on the issue.
But while recent legislation does recognise most animals as sentient beings, the petition argues that view is still not properly recognised in the civil and family courts, and the growth in cases highlights the need for change.
Mr Sullivan added: “Owners are shocked to learn the law still treats pets as chattels, no different from a table or a waistcoat.
“Most see their pets as family, yet courts are not required to consider their welfare or emotional bonds. It is high time the law caught up with public sentiment.”
The group also warned that owners who are currently engaged in legal proceedings are likely to get little or no compensation if their pets are killed through negligence as damages are usually assessed on open market value.
But a recent study by academics from the University of Kent and London School of Economics suggested pets offer a comparable value to human life satisfaction as marriage or regularly socialising with family and friends.
