AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — A bitter custody battle in Maine focuses not on a child but on a dog.
A woman who’s seeking visitation rights is asking the Maine Supreme Judicial Court to issue an advisory opinion regarding pet ownership when a relationship fizzles.
Arguments are set for Tuesday.
Maine law allows a judge to order married couples to share custody of animals, but that standard doesn’t apply to unmarried couples splitting up.
The appeal by 25-year-old Jessica Sardina challenges the notion that pets should be treated simply as property when a relationship terminates. A judge ruled that her former boyfriend is Honey’s sole owner because his signature appeared on adoption papers.
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