In California, pets will soon be treated like kids in divorce cases

California courts could be going to the dogs – and maybe the cats too — under a new law signed by Gov. Jerry Brown.

The law, signed Thursday, gives judges the discretion of applying rules similar to those in child-custody cases when determining who gets the family pet following a divorce.

Coverage of pet laws on Globalnews.ca:

1:37 Survey finds landlords and renters split on pet laws

• Survey finds landlords and renters split on pet laws
• Pet owners rally to change laws allowing renters to ban pets.

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It takes effect Jan. 1.

Under current law, pets are considered community property like cars and TV sets.

READ MORE: Caring for your animal — is pet insurance worth the cost?

Deciding who gets to keep them hasn’t been easy when both parties say they love and want them.

Under the new law, pets are still considered community property.