Today, more than two thirds of American households own pets. Annually, they spend more than $50 billion on their care, giving their dogs birthday presents and having professional photographs taken. In fact, according to some studies, many Americans grow more concerned when they see a dog in pain than when they see an adult human suffering. It’s as though household pets have become part of the family. And now, the law is starting to catch up.

Last year, the Illinois state house passed a law that would force divorce courts not just to divvy pets up between their “parents” in a custody battle, but to think about their well being, too. “It sort of starts treating your animal more like children,” saysIllinois State Senator Linda Holmes, the legislation’s sponsor.

Illinois is only the second state to adopt a law that would consider the well being of animals in custody battles. A year ago, Alaska became the first to amend its divorce statutes so that judges are now required to consider it in their judgments. They can also assign joint custody over an animal. And while these state laws may at first seem limited, animal rights lawyers say that they are a step forward in the recent push to recognize the rights of animals — not as property, as they have historically been seen in the eyes of the law, but as sentient individuals, entitled to certain rights of their own.

Read the full article about the rights of animals by Suzanne Monyak at New Republic.