If Bill 179/2023 Is Approved, Pets Such as Cats, Dogs, and Even Rabbits Will Have Rights to Alimony, Inheritance, and Joint Custody in Case of Separation

Written by Valdemar Medeiros

Published on 16/10/2025 at 17:06

Foto: Se o Projeto de Lei 179/2023 for aprovado, animais de estimação como gato, cachorro e até coelhos passam a ter direito à pensão alimentícia

3 pessoas reagiram a isso.

PL 179/2023 Proposes Custody and Alimony for Pets in Separations, Recognizing Dogs and Cats as Family Members in the Civil Code.

The Bill No. 179/2023, presented in the Chamber of Deputies by deputies Matheus Laiola (União Brasil-PR) and Bruno Lima (PP-SP), could profoundly change how Family Law treats pets in Brazil. The proposal, which has been in progress since March 2023, recognizes that dogs, cats, and other pets are sentient beings capable of feeling emotions and, therefore, should have rights guaranteed in case of separation from their guardians.

If approved, the text authorizes judges to determine shared custody, visitation rights, and alimony for the animal, considering the pet’s well-being and the emotional bond built within the family.

PL 179/2023 Seeks to Recognize Pets as Part of the Family

The proposal amends the Civil Code (Law No. 10.406/2002) to allow judges to decide with whom the animal should stay in cases of divorce, dissolution of stable union, or end of relationship — considering the emotional bond and not ownership, as is done today.

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Justice Has Already Recognized Custody and Alimony for Pets in Isolated Decisions

Even without specific legislation, Brazilian courts have been deciding cases of custody and alimony for pets based on principles such as animal dignity and emotional bonds.

A notable example occurred in 2022, when the Superior Court of Justice (STJ) decided that custody of a dog should be shared between ex-partners, as the animal was part of the couple’s routine and emotional life (REsp 1.713.167/SP).

These decisions, while isolated, have created a jurisprudential basis that strengthens projects like PL 179/2023 by demonstrating that society and the Judiciary already recognize the emotional role of pets.

The project divides opinions in Congress and among experts. Legislators linked to animal welfare and family law argue that the text represents a civilizational advance, aligning Brazil with countries such as Portugal, Spain, and France, which already legally recognize animals as sentient beings.

On the other hand, some criticize the proposal, claiming that creating new legal obligations could lead to complex judicial conflicts, especially in contentious separations. Nevertheless, the project has strong popular support and is set to be debated in the Environment and Constitution and Justice committees before proceeding to the plenary.

Understand the Practical Impact of the Measure

If PL 179/2023 is approved, judges will be able to determine:

Exclusive or shared custody of domestic animals;
Visitation rights for the non-resident guardian;
Alimony, set according to the financial capacity and needs of the animal;
Evaluation of emotional bonds as a central criterion, and not just the ownership of the pet’s registration.

These measures would ensure that even after the end of a relationship, the animal continues to receive care, attention, and emotional stability.

Brazil Could Become a Reference in Legal Protection for Pets

With the advancement of PL 179/2023, Brazil could join the group of countries that legally recognize the rights of domestic animals the most.

In addition to protecting dogs and cats, the text serves as a basis for rethinking the role of affectivity in Civil Law, bringing laws closer to the reality of millions of families that consider their pets true members of the household.

As the project continues to progress, the debate continues to grow on social media and in universities: the love for animals is already a social reality — it now needs to become a legal reality.

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Stan Franecki

#183404

16/10/2025 13:19

helloI really like your writing so a lot share we keep up a correspondence extra approximately your post on AOL I need an expert in this house to unravel my problem May be that is you Taking a look ahead to see you

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André Matos(@andremattos8823gmail-com)

#183402

16/10/2025 13:17

pode ir

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If Bill 179/2023 Is Approved, Pets Such as Cats, Dogs, and Even Rabbits Will Have Rights to Alimony, Inheritance, and Joint Custody in Case of Separation

PL 179/2023 Proposes Custody and Alimony for Pets in Separations, Recognizing Dogs and Cats as Family Members in the Civil Code.

PL 179/2023 Seeks to Recognize Pets as Part of the Family

Justice Has Already Recognized Custody and Alimony for Pets in Isolated Decisions

Understand the Practical Impact of the Measure

Brazil Could Become a Reference in Legal Protection for Pets

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If Bill 179/2023 Is Approved, Pets Such as Cats, Dogs, and Even Rabbits Will Have Rights to Alimony, Inheritance, and Joint Custody in Case of Separation

PL 179/2023 Proposes Custody and Alimony for Pets in Separations, Recognizing Dogs and Cats as Family Members in the Civil Code.

PL 179/2023 Seeks to Recognize Pets as Part of the Family

Justice Has Already Recognized Custody and Alimony for Pets in Isolated Decisions

Debate in Congress: Social Progress or Legal Banalization?

Understand the Practical Impact of the Measure

Brazil Could Become a Reference in Legal Protection for Pets

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Seen from space, an image taken by an astronaut shows an unlikely oasis in the Saudi Arabian desert, protected by a terrain that slows the advance of sand, surrounded by green circles, remnants of an extinct lake and nearly 10,000 years of preserved history.

In Botswana, a salt flat of up to 16,000 km² that was once an African megalake spends months as an absolute white desert, but during the rainy season it transforms into a shallow sea that reappears from nowhere and can be seen from space in the middle of southern Africa.

Bavarian archaeologists unearthed a medieval skeleton that had an articulated iron hand in place of its left arm, and the discovery reveals that doctors were already creating sophisticated prosthetics over 500 years ago.

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