Pets as legal family members

I suppose if the parents die it’s only right Rex will be entitled to a share of the estate.

It will ensure the kennel can’t be sold out from under him.

Yea. This shite doesn't surprise me

I might be wrong about this but my understanding is that in Ireland you can't legally own a cat, they're classed as vermin. Therefore they can't be stolen. A law classifying them as family members would change this. Although I don't think my two would ever agree to being owned by anybody.

I also seem to remember hearing that while your dogs are your property the penalty for stealing them aren't severe because it depends on the value. Mine are mongrels, completely worthless (but priceless, obviously!). Yours might be blue-bloods, so they'd have some value, depending on age, health etc. If they were considered family members the penalties might deter thieves.

There is a proposed law that will have cats declared as "companion animals" (along with dogs)

It's a very good description.

Yep, that's the Idea. And proper sentencing to match.

But the level of thefts last year were no different to previous years and the stupidity about chalk markings and cable ties was laughable, obviously encouraged by those who believe everything on social media without thinking.

I read the title and thought maybe someone wanted to make their hamster their grandad.

The Twitter post and thread title are misleading, Spain did not recognise animals as "family members", they just made provisions in their law to deal with their special status as sentient beings, and that status is nothing new, all EU member states have recognised this status since 2009!

You can own pretty much any animal you want (provided it is not a species forbidden by law).

Ownership in law is a right of possession and control over something, you can indeed have possession and control over cats and many other animals, once you have possession or control of any animal it enjoys the status of a "protected animal".

With regards to theft of animals there is no penalty scale based on animal breed or value, that is completely wrong, theft is theft, it is currently covered under the general principles of theft under the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act 2001 which carries a maximum sentence of 12 months and/or €5,000 fine when tried in the DC, however the Act is to be amended in due course (Bill currently going through the stages) with specific mandatorily sentence of a minimum 10 months imprisonment for any theft of any dog, cat or any other type of animal (except a farm animal) that you keep for companionship.

Dog: he feeds me, keeps me warm, plays with me…..he must be God.

Cat: he feeds me, keeps me warm plays with me…I must be God.

animals are absolutely part of our family. Their comfort, security and well-being have caused many a trip to be cancelled. Unless I have someone to stay with them full-time I will not leave. They sleep with me, protect me and herself, have special powers of giving notice to herself with regards to blood sugar levels.

i have neighbours who have cancelled a six month trip to their brothers mansion in Spain as he wouldn’t fly them and the dog privately. The dog would NOT be left behind. (And I thought mine were spoilt)

anyone who has a dog (not so sure about cats) or other animals that have been brought up in the family home, knows the bonds that develop. I have known separations where one person has taken the dog to get revenge on the partner.

this is a good thing in my mind.

I'm sure this legislation is of little regard to anybody bar Spains divorce lawyers who must be salivating at the money that can now be made out of saddo's fighting over their dressed up 'fur babies'.

On the other hand, I had to hunt the neighbours cat out of my gaff after it shot into the house the second I opened the front door this morning, can I now have abnoxious blighter that craps and pisses on my balcony quite often charged with breaking and entry?

Then teach your family member to stop crapping in public. People won't let children crap in public but will happily let an animal they want to have human rights crap in public, if they are being treated as humans they can act like humans and not crap in public.

WTF are you talking about? Where do you live?

I don't think i've ever smelt dog piss on the street in my life. I've smelt human piss plenty of times.