When Colorado native Giorgio Casini broke up with his girlfriend, he was in danger of losing his fur babies.
“My ex and I had two cats together and my name was registered on one of their chips, but she had filled out the adoption papers,” Casini said. “I tried to take one of the cats in the breakup, but she called the cops on me and he told me I would go to jail if I didn’t give her the cat back. I didn’t have the time or money to take her to court, and my friends and family advised me to just cut my losses. It was honestly a heartbreaking event for me and I still miss him.”
Casini is part of the 10% of American pet owners who lose an animal to a breakup. While millions of Americans consider their pets to be family members, the legal system views them primarily as property, resulting in an increasing demand for specialized animal lawyers who handle everything from pet custody disputes to dog bite cases.
As more couples choose pets over children and annual pet spending exceeds $100 billion, these attorneys find themselves bridging the gap between emotional bonds and legal realities, despite the fact that most pet owners are unaware that such legal experts exist. The Animal Law Firm, or ALF, was founded over ten years ago by Kristina Bergsten in Colorado. As an avid animal lover, she felt there was a gap in the market for animal law. The firm has since added locations in New Jersey, New York and Texas.
“People don’t realize that animal law is even an area of law, even in the legal community,” said Cerridwyn Nordstrom, an associate attorney at the Animal Law Firm in Colorado. She went on to say that many hear “animal law” and consider it “fluff,” but it is vital to the well-being of animals to have people advocating for them when they can’t for themselves.
Cases that a typical animal law firm would handle include dog bite cases, pet custody, aggressive or dangerous animal defense, service animal discrimination and lawsuits when animals are wrongfully harmed. Costs for these cases vary, but any sort of legal proceeding can be very expensive.
Nordstrom stated that some of her favorite cases to take on are dog bite cases. Many people may not realize this, but a dog bite can result in a misdemeanor if the person who was bit presses charges against the owner. Euthanasia is also on the table for the dog. However, many lines of defense can be taken for the owner, such as proving the victim provoked the dog, demonstrating the victim was trespassing or establishing that the victim knew about the dog’s potential danger and willingly assumed the risk.
“Even though a dog bite is just a misdemeanor, it can still be very traumatic,” Nordstrom said. “A lot of these people have never dealt with anything criminal before, but it’s also tough for the people whose lives were impacted by these dogs; it’s a sad situation all around.”
When asked the most rewarding thing about her job, Nordstrom responded with an anecdote about a time she was able to help save a dog from euthanasia.
”In a lucky scenario, they ended up changing prosecutors and they decided not to euthanize the dog, and the dog was able to go home,” Nordstrom said. “I was mentally preparing myself for this dog to be put down, and then suddenly I could tell the owner she could go and pick up her dog.”
Cases dealing with pet custody are the firm’s second most common, behind dog bites. When you hear the term “custody,” you may think of the legal disputes that take place between parents for their children, where they have to prove who’s better fit to be a parent. Well, pet custody cases are completely different.
Pet custody cases typically involve ex-partners (not married) who are having a dispute over who will take their pet. But since the pet is considered property, the judge only considers who owns the animal, not who is a better fit.
“The courts don’t really care about who would be the better caregiver to the pet; they just care about the title owner of the animal,” Nordstrom said. The ownership of the animal is determined by vet records, microchip records and any sort of documentation with an owner listed. “It’s never for the benefit of the pet; it’s more who is the owner,” Nordstrom said.
While some states (like California, Illinois, New Hampshire and New York) are beginning to recognize pets as more than mere property, the majority of Americans facing pet-related legal issues must still navigate a system that reduces their animals to possessions. Animal lawyers like Nordstrom stand at this intersection, fighting not only for their clients but for broader recognition of animal law as a serious and necessary field.
With billions of dollars spent on pets each year and changing cultural attitudes toward pet ownership, the demand for these specialized legal services is likely to increase, even if most pet owners hope they never need them.
As society continues to redefine the role of pets in our lives—from simple property to cherished family members—animal lawyers may prove increasingly vital in helping navigate these complex relationships. Whether reuniting owners with their pets or preventing unnecessary euthanasia, these specialized attorneys are working to ensure that our legal system can better reflect the deep emotional connections we share with our animal companions.
“In a day and age where everybody seems to be fighting and there’s conflict everywhere, Kristina Bergsten brings a calm, experience to any situation,” said a past client of ALF, Charuta. “I hired her because I was being sued by my ex for the custody of our cats. She did not sugarcoat anything or tell me what I wanted to hear; instead, she clearly and kindly explained the law and took a strong stand for me.”