It is time to change the weak, outdated laws on treating pets as property in medical malpractice claims and give them the level of rights and dignity they are worth and deserve as family members. When a beloved companion is injured, neglected, abused or denied timely medical care by incompetent Veterinarian's and their staff, we are limited in the amount of money we can recover in lawsuits. As is, the law basically says you can only recover the amount you paid for the animal and that is it. No punitive damages for the emotional loss you encounter when your companion dies or needs to be euthanized due to or caused by sub-standard veterinary care. Can you ever really replace a soul with another soul? Just because you can replace the pet with the exact same type, breed and gender of your lost pet you can never truly replace that individual companion. It is impossible to do and the law should define our pets as family members when they live as a family member. 

The law is outdated and does not recognize the level of emotional attachment most people have to their furry family members. My Beautiful Great Dane, Humphrey was a victim of sub-standard care by a local veterinarian and despite my constant complaints that there was something wrong with him for 8 months, 2 Veterinarian's dismissed me as a "crazy pet person". It was only 11 days after the last unsuccessful visit in October 2018 that Humphrey went into congestive heart failure and was rushed to an emergency animal hospital. He was diagnosed with Advanced Dilated Cardiomyopathy and severe life threatening congestive heart failure within the first 45 seconds of his new veterinarian's assessment. This is a progressive disease and did not happen in those 11 days. It happened over the 8-9 months he was seen time and time again by these 2 veterinarians. But there is no recourse for my loss of Humphrey because of the law. 

After spending over $20,000 in medication, vet bills, diagnostic testing and treatments to provide him with some quality of life in his last months, the law states that I am only entitled to the replacement value of him, which was $2500. I don't have to tell any committed pet owner that the law does not properly address the level of commitment, love, dedication and companionship that our furry family members give us. Humphrey was the sweetest dog and had just turned 5 years old. He was loving, gentle and 100% good to everyone that he met. I am deeply affected by the loss of Humphrey on 5/9/19 and want the laws to be changed to reflect the " intrinsic value" of Humphrey to me and to recognize the emotional value of all pets as companions and family members.

Currently, the law in most U.S. states still treats them as personal property.  “Anti–cruelty statutes,” which have been enacted in all 50 states, seem to elevate the status of domestic animals, making them slightly more valuable than an inanimate object, such as a table or a chair.  With scientific studies confirming what nearly all pet owners know to be true—that animals are capable of feeling pain and expressing love—legal attitudes towards animals are also slowly changing. “[A]ll  50 states now have felony provisions for violation of animal cruelty statutes.”

Join me in taking the next step to give our pets the recognition and dignity they deserve from us as family members so if and when you are faced with a medical malpractice situation there is lawful recourse.