Swedish law firm launches campaign to stop pets from being treated as furniture in divorces

Under Swedish law, pets are equal to furniture, meaning they are included in the property division in the event of a divorce. However, only one person can be registered as the pet’s owner, meaning the other half of a couple stands to lose the pet entirely during the split.

Now, TBWA Stockholm and a Swedish law firm are addressing this by creating a legal agreement making both parties co-owners—and launching artful ads (collected in a photo book) showing pets with similar-looking furniture.

Also read: Petco knows everything about pets, except why they’re so weird

“Pets are family members, and they should be treated as such,” said Ellen Marklund, copywriter at TBWA Stockholm. “In this campaign, we did not just make people aware of the problem—we also provided them with a solution.”

Familjens Jurist is Sweden’s largest law firm, specializing in family law. The ownership agreement and photo book seek to raise awareness about the importance of considering pets in legal discussions, and to make pet owners act proactive.

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