B.C. judge grants shared custody of family dog in landmark ruling

In a landmark ruling under B.C.’s new pet law, a judge granted shared custody of a Golden Retriever. The case of Stella was the first to be heard in B.C.’s Supreme Court following changes to the Family Law Act in January. Animals are now deemed companions instead of property and in this case, since the ex-partners shared payment for Stella and lived together, the judge ruled for joint custody. Animal lawyer Victoria Shroff says the decision is groundbreaking. “There’s no …