Earlier this month
Olympic skater Johnny Weir and his husband, ex-lawyer Victor Voronov, officially
called off the divorce. Though the couple is back together, it would be interesting to look back
at one curious aspect of the very public dispute: the custody battle over
their dog, a Japanese Chin named Tema.
The skater purchased the puppy during the marriage. According to Voronov,
Tema was a
‘make-up gift’ for him after he caught his husband ‘sexting’
another man. Weir disagreed, stating Tema was his dog and was not a gift. Voronov
also claimed to be Tema’s exclusive caretaker as Weir’s career
meant that he was never home for more than four days at a time. Voronov
trained the dog, walked it, cared for it, and took it to the vet for the
dog’s frequent medical problems.
A New Jersey judge ordered the pair to share custody and they agreed on
a temporary arrangement. While this seems to be a happy ending for Tema,
it makes one wonder whether Weir, Voronov, or other divorcing pet owners
in Ontario would receive a similar outcome.
According to similar dog-related cases, an Ontario family law court lacks
the power to make custody and access orders for a pet. While people may
love them like their own furry child, dogs are definitely not children.
In Canada, animals are property, thus the rights to a pet dog are governed
by property law in the absence of applicable animal law legislation. Judges
are generally unwilling to order the sale and split of proceeds of a pet
to resolve these disputes.
If Voronov and Weir were divorcing in Ontario, each must prove ownership
to have a right to possess their beloved pet.