CO HB1131

HB 26-1131: Custody of Pet Animals

• Courts must award care and custody of pet animals upon request during dissolution of marriage, legal separation, or property disposition proceedings
• Custody decisions must consider the pet's best interest, including health, safety, comfort, and well-being, along with factors such as who acquired the animal, time spent with it, caregiving responsibilities, expenses incurred, emotional attachments, and any history of abuse or violence
• Courts may award sole or shared custody, with shared arrangements specifying division of time and expenses for food, grooming, training, and veterinary care; parties may file for modification upon substantial change of circumstance
• Pet animals cannot be transferred, concealed, or disposed of without written agreement or court order while custody proceedings are pending
• Emergency protection orders may now include temporary custody and care of a pet animal when risk of physical or psychological harm exists to the pet in the foreseeable future