Case of Dog Shot in Vermont Sparks Movement to Legally Recognize Bond Between People and Pets
Thursday, December 07, 2006
By Hannah Sentenac

The death of a family's beloved canine companion in Vermont has sparked a legal battle over pets' rights and the question of whether they should be recognized family members.

Denis and Sarah Scheele of Annapolis, Md., were moved to push for the courts to give legal recognition to the bond between humans and animals after they lost their "little boy," a mixed-breed adopted dog named Shadow on a family vacation in 2003. Legal recognition would allow people to sue for "loss of companionship" damages when their pets are the victims of animal cruelty.

"Pets give so much to us, unconditionally," Sarah Scheele said. "You can't put a price on that." the rest