My dogs know what a lawyer is because their Momma is one.
Teddy Bumpkins is a lawyer-in-training as well. Barney's in law enforcement and Daisy wants nothing to do with this boring stuff - she is in the retail doggie item business. All kidding aside --
I'm not an animal lawyer, but wanted to point out that some courts are starting to recognize animals should be deemed to be more than mere property. They seem to suggest a dog/cat is more than mere property but they don't go as far as we pet owners would like them too. It's been a few years since I looked at this issue but I've seen some references in various resources where courts are saying that people should be "guardians" of their animals which implies a relationship more than that of a piece of property as guardians are usually required to act in the best interests of the person for whom they are guardians. In addition, many states allow you to set up (and fund) a trust for the care of your animal when you pass on. This seems to be where courts are finding that pets are "more than mere property."
We still have a long way to go despite these decisions. And Ghandi said it best - we just have to ask ourselves how we measure up.
“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.”
- Mohandas Gandhi