Splitting up in Massachusetts: Who Keeps the Pet?
Who gets custody of “Teddy Bear”? That question was answered in recent decision of the Massachusetts Appeals Court regarding the ownership of Teddy Bear, a Pomeranian dog. Lyman v. Lanser, 103 Mass. App. Ct. 787 (2024). In its ruling, which granted joint custody of Teddy Bear to an unmarried couple who had split up, the court relied upon important principles of contract law which extend far beyond the specific facts of the case.
