Ant McPartlin and his ex-wife Lisa Armstrong made the headlines earlier this month, as they fought for access to Hurley, their much loved Labrador. Our own experience and research by the animal welfare charity Blue Cross show that it is not uncommon for there to be an emotional battle about who gets to keep the family pet, with 1 in 4 divorces including a dispute over pets. So, how are these disputes settled and what are the rules?

In some jurisdictions, such as Alaska and California, judges have the authority to decide who gets 'custody' of the family pet in divorce cases. But in England and Wales the law is not as straightforwa...