Divorce can leave your pet with behavioural problems or worse, a broken heart.

Image: ABC. By Kellie Scott.

Breaking up is hard to do, but it is no easy ride for your pet either who can be left with behavioural problems, feeling anxious or used as a pawn in legal proceedings.

Pets Behaving Badly animal behaviourist Kate Mornement said pets suffered during relationship breakdowns.

“I do see quite a few cases of pets with behaviour problems following separation or divorce… most commonly separation anxiety in dogs,” she told the ABC.

“Any big disruption to their normal routine or breaking of attachment bonds affects them a lot.”

But she said it could also be a positive when there was turmoil in the relationship.

“When couples do separate it’s often a positive if there’s been any sort of verbal or physical abuse pets witness, like kids, that can cause some stress and anxiety,” Ms Mornement said.

Flinders University PhD student Zoei Sutton studies human-companion animal relations and said a human-centric view of pet-keeping meant the pet did not always end up in the “right” home after a split.

“We tend to focus on how pets can help humans during times of separation or upheaval,” she said.

“Pets are often kept with the children as they are seen to provide a sense of ontological security to lessen the damage of separation on kids, however, this then can mean pets are shuttled between houses with kids rather than allowed to settle in one residence or can be left with the person not necessarily best suited to care for the animal.”

‘Pets are used as pawns’: lawyer

Tracey Jackson from Couper Geysen Family and Animals Law has seen many cases where pets are used to hurt partners during break-ups.

“One client came to us and the dog had spent all the work days with him while he was outdoors — the dog had a ball socialising with other animals and people,” Ms Jackson said.

“After the break-up there was issues and arguments and this is where we see dogs being used as pawns.

“The ex-wife ended up keeping the dog and the dog didn’t get to enjoy his quality of life he was used to.”

She said other times people might separate pets that were in pairs.

“When dogs are part of a pack, no matter how small, separation from that pack means death to them — you take away their sense of security.”

Ms Jackson said because animals had the legal status of property, it was best separating couples dealt with the pet’s future as soon as possible.

“Our recommendation always is that you make the decision in best interest of animal … there are no provisions of law where couples can share time or be ordered custody [of an animal],” she said.

She said even when a share-time “contract” was drawn up, it rarely succeeded.

Research from Slater and Gordon Lawyers gathered in 2013 shows one in 12 Australians surveyed had lost a pet in a relationship breakdown.

The survey also found 18 per cent mistakenly believed the Family Court would make shared custody arrangements for their pets.

‘The dogs don’t know what the hell is going on’

RSPCA QLD data on 4,690 pet surrenders shows of the 1,337 dogs, 11 per cent were given up due to a relationship split, change of household dynamic and personal reasons or change in circumstance.

Robyne Glegg from English Pointer Rescue Australia said the group often re-homed dogs as a result of divorce or separation.

“There are a lot of times where the wife or husband is leaving and they end up in a living situation unlike what they previously had; renting small places with small yards,” she said.

Ms Glegg said often the wife may have not been working or only working part-time during the relationship, then has to return to full-time work so gives up the dog for its own good.

“Their motivation is often pure, they give the dog to someone who can give it the attention it needs.”

But she said it could be a disruptive time for the animal, especially when they were older.

“There is a lot of confusion with the dogs … if they’ve been in these households for years and then they are re-homed,” she said.

“The dogs don’t know what the hell is going on. No one can talk to them and tell them what’s happening.”

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This post originally appeared on ABC News.