Planning for Every Possibility — PetPact and Relationship Changes

Life changes — relationships evolve, homes shift, families grow or separate. Through it all, one constant remains: our pets depend on us completely.

They don’t understand divorce papers or new addresses — only love, routine, and the people who care for them. That’s why planning ahead for their care isn’t just responsible — it’s kind.

With PetPact, created by Roche Legal, you can make sure your pet’s security never changes, even if everything else does.

💚 Why Pets Need a Plan When Life Changes

When relationships change, pets can sometimes become the silent victims of uncertainty.

Who keeps them? How are costs shared? Can they still see both owners?

Unlike children, pets aren’t legally recognised as dependants. Under UK law, they’re still considered property — which means decisions about their future can be uncertain.

That’s why PetPact exists: to protect your pet from falling through the cracks when life takes a turn.

🐕 How PetPact Brings Stability Through Change

PetPact gives you a simple, clear, and compassionate way to record what should happen to your pet in almost any situation.

It allows you to:
✅ Agree who your pet should live with if a relationship ends.
✅ Set out shared care or contribution arrangements if both owners want to stay involved.
✅ Record who steps in if you temporarily can’t care for your pet due to illness, travel, or loss of capacity.
✅ Appoint a backup guardian if your first choice can’t take over.
✅ Include detailed notes about your pet’s needs, habits, and personality — so their care stays consistent and comforting.

PetPact isn’t just for the end of a relationship — it’s there for every life transition, ensuring your pet is always cared for in the way you intended.

🐕🦺 Protecting Pets in Modern Families

Families today look different than they used to. Some pets have two “mums” or two “dads”, others are shared between ex-partners or blended households.

These relationships may not fit traditional legal categories, but pets still need protection, structure, and stability.

A PetPact gives you that structure — one that reflects real life, not just legal formality. It’s a flexible, affordable tool that grows and adapts with you and your pet over time.

⚖️ Built by Roche Legal — Backed by Experience

At Roche Legal, we’ve seen firsthand how uncertainty over pet care can cause distress — for both humans and animals. That’s why we created PetPact, a compassionate, legally-informed solution that bridges the gap between love and law.

We’re also campaigning for wider change. The UK is beginning to follow the global shift toward recognising pets as family, not property — and cases like FI v DO [2024] show that the courts are starting to take pets’ welfare into account.

Until the law fully catches up, PetPact ensures your pet is already protected, whatever happens next.

🐾 The Smartest Way to Show You Care

No one can predict the future — but we can prepare for it.

Creating a PetPact takes just a few minutes, and it gives you (and your pet) the reassurance that their care will always be clear, stable, and full of love.