Full Title Name:  Non-Economic Damages in Pet Litigation: The Serious Need To Preserve a Rational Rule

Summary: For more than two hundred years, the traditional rule in pet law has been to limit damages to the market value of the animal that has been injured or killed.This system has worked well, resulting in low and predictable costs of veterinary services. Yet, some have regarded the system as overly harsh because of the very strong emotions pet owners may feel when a pet is injured or dies because of another’s negligence. As a result, advocates of change to the traditional damage rules in animal cases encourage courts and legislatures to award non-economic damages in pet cases. This article will describe these potential changes and the public policy implications of changing the rules of damages in animal law.