CANADA: Man ordered to pay pet support

More of the ridiculous becomes reality!

Notice it is a MAN who was ordered to pay...

http://edmonton.cbc.ca/regional/servlet/View?filename=ed_petsupport20040809

Web Posted Aug 9 2004 12:57 PM MDT

Man ordered to pay pet support

Edmonton - For the first time in Canada, a court has ordered a man to give his ex-wife monthly support payments for their dog.

An Edmonton truck driver has been ordered to pay $200 a month towards the upkeep of Crunchy the St. Bernard.

Court of Queen's Bench Justice Donald Lee rejected Kenneth Duncan's request to pay $25 a month towards feeding the four year old, arguing a dog the size of a St. Bernard would eat quite a bit more than a small breed.

Had Crunchy been a child, the monthly-support payment would have been $691, based on Duncan's annual salary of $84,000.

The court also ordered Duncan to make a retroactive payment of $2,000, and did not give him visiting rights. Besides food, the money will go toward health bills and general care.

U.S. courts are increasingly ruling pets are akin to children. American judges have begun to rule on joint custody, visitation rights and support payments.

The result is a whole new branch of litigation, and there are legal websites dedicated to fighting for the rights of a pet in the event of a divorce.

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