Pleut des Chats et des Chiens: France Updates Civil Code to Give Pets More Protections

Some of us are dog people. Some of us are cat people. Some of us don't care either way, or don't care for pets at all. We can all agree, though, that for most pet owners, their pet is more than an animal, it's a part of their family.

A new bill in France amends their civil code to classify animals as "living beings capable of feelings."  According to an article on the ABA Journal website, French lawmakers moved on this bill after over 700,000 citizens signed an online petition. 

According to this article, the new bill will allow for pet owners to be awarded damages if a pet is killed, and could also affect divorce cases, in the form of custody battles. 

While this bill was clearly aimed at recognizing the close bond between pet owners and their pets, critics of the bill say it is broad enough that this could lead to disruptions in farming, hunting, and scientific research.