Argentine Divorce court gives final say to who will get the dogs… to the PETS themselves 

Many pet owners would admit the prospect of being separated may be too much to bear. 

For one divorcing couple in Argentina it saw them head to court to resolve who would have custody of their two dogs. 

But in an unlikely resolution, the court apparently left it to the dogs – named Popeye and Kiara – to decide who they wanted to live with. 

Popeye, six, expressed a preference to live with Amorina Bascoy, while Kiara, nine, preferred Emmanuel Medina, Clarin newpaper reported. 

The divorcing couple did not clarify just how the dogs communicated their decision.

Their case has helped establish a legal precedent in Argentina which states they were a ‘multispecies family’ with both humans and animals having their own rights.

 Miss Bascoy told the newspaper: ‘Each of them chose which one of us to live with.’ ‘We didn’t have children, so our dogs are our babies. 

It’s a pure and noble love.’ All four meet at least once a week. Miss Bascoy added: ‘We don’t have a problem seeing each other, in spite of getting divorced. 

‘We forget about each other because just spending time with them makes us smile.’ Judge Diana Sica, who made the ruling, said: ‘Animals, especially domestic animals, are sensitive beings who feel, who miss, who rejoice, who suffer and who acquire habit.’ 

Miss Bascoy added she did not mind if her former partner found another human love in his life, ‘unless the new girlfriend doesn’t like dogs’. 

In Britain, pets are considered chattels to be divided rather than having any specific individual rights. 

So they’ll sympathise with a divorcing couple who headed to court to resolve who would gain custody of their two dogs.

But in this particular case, it was left to the pets to decide. Popeye apparently choose Amorina Bascoy and Kiara opted for Emmanuel Medina. 

Confidentiality rules mean it isn’t known exactly how this was achieved, but canine preferences are easily identified, according to animal experts

Confidentiality rules mean it isn’t known exactly how this was achieved, but canine preferences are easily identified, according to animal experts. 

The case in Argentina has set a legal precedent – that the couple are a ‘multispecies family’ with both humans and animals having rights.

Miss Bascoy said: ‘We didn’t have children, so our dogs are our babies.’ All four meet at least once a week. Judge Diana Sica, who made the ruling, said: ‘Animals are sensitive beings who feel, who miss, who rejoice, who suffer and who acquire habit.’