If Rosie could have spoken in court, what would she have said?
She never got the chance. But her life — and what happened to her — raised a question Illinois law wasn't ready to answer.
Courts call it property. She would have called it home.
Rosie couldn't speak in that courtroom. But if she could have, she wouldn't have asked for much — just that someone saw her as more than a thing to be divided.
5+ years of love, loyalty, and a life worth fighting for
Rosie and Tameer
Walking every morning. Sleeping curled together. Road trips with the windows down. The routines that built an unbreakable attachment. This is what the law could not see: a living bond, not a piece of property.
A court order I never expected
After a long-term relationship ended, Rosie and I became separated. I believed the court would consider our bond. I learned something surprising.
Why couldn't the court help Rosie?
Because we were never married, the court could not evaluate Rosie's well-being. Not because the judge didn't care — the law didn't allow it.
Give a companion animal a voice in court
Should continuity matter? The care they received? The home they knew? Illinois law needs to start asking these questions.
Rosie Inspired a Law
HB 4540 — the Companion Animal Custody Equity Act — passed both chambers of the Illinois General Assembly. It expands existing Illinois law so courts may consider a companion animal's well-being in custody disputes involving unmarried parties. It does not ask courts to be sentimental. It asks them to apply, in civil disputes, the same consideration that already exists in family court. To let documented patterns of care, bonding, and continuity actually mean something.
This isn't only Rosie's story
The companion animal in the next dispute may belong to a veteran, a child, an older adult, or someone whose emotional stability depends on a service animal. The law as written today treats them all as property.
500+ days separated and counting
Rosie and I remain separated. My hope has always been for her well-being. Whether we are reunited or not, companion animals deserve to have their relationships considered.
What You Can Do
Sign the petition. Read the bill. Share Rosie's story. Learn about companion animal custody in your state.
Every companion animal has a story. Maybe they deserve to have a voice in it.
Rosie's story is one of countless thousands. Your story — and your companion's — can help build the movement that changes Illinois law for good.