Only 3 Northeast States Including NY Consider Dogs Legally Family

Okay, if you're a dog lover or pet lover in general, a law isn't necessary to determine that our pet is absolutely and totally a member of the family.

However, when it comes to the law and all of that legal jargon, the following is quite interesting.

According to Daily Mail, only six states in the country consider our pup a legal family member.

New York, Maine, and New Hampshire are the only other states on the list. Illinois, California, and Alaska also make the list, for a total of six.

WHAT THIS MEANS

According to Daily Mail, when our pets are legally family members, attorneys and judges can make decisions in custody cases just like they do with children. It's all about what's in the best interest of the pet in terms of each person's ability and willingness to care for the family dog and the well-being and safety of the animal.

While the majority of pet owners wholeheartedly consider our dogs a family member, according to Psychology Today, most courts consider them property, which is a bit tough to swallow when put in those terms.

READ ON: Four Reasons Dogs Love Lying in the Sun Even When It's 100 Degrees

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Psychology Today says that around 90% of dog owners not only treat their pets like family members, but we consider them as such versus referring to them as property.

While the legal consensus in most states is that, when all is said and done, a dog is property with no familial rights, we do see this slowly changing because of emotional bonds and a pet's well-being.

I mean, when you put it this way, how can a state not make this a law when we're talking about a living, breathing, beloved animal who should have well-being rights, too?

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Exclusive Photos, Videos, and Interviews on the Set of New Milford Horror Movie

"Candlewood" is a horror film that just finished filming in New Milford, CT. This is how the filmmakers described the project on their Indiegogo:

"Candlewood is the first movie of three in the psychological/horror feature film franchise. A blended family moves from the city to a small town in Connecticut, where a local urban legend adds chaos and terror to an already fragile family dynamic. The staunch patriarch, who desperately wants his family to not see him as a failure but as the father that did everything, he could to keep his family together through difficult times. Candlewood follows a family leaving New York City for a simpler life in the country town of New Milford, CT. The haunting and mysterious true stories of missing hikers near a popular state park, Lover's Leap, coupled with the town of Jerusalem sitting at the bottom of Candlewood Lake gives credibility to our narrative. We bring to life the struggle of good vs evil and what happens when lifelong, outdated traditions are challenged."

A while back I got in touch with the folks behind the movie, invited them on the I-95 Morning Show with Ethan, Lou and Dave and talked about the film, and shooting in New Milford. We spoke with Director Myke Furhman and Writer/Executive Producer Victoria Flores-Argue. During that discussion, I demanded to be in the movie, telling the duo that I have some experience acting on TV shows that never actually made it onto TV. Against all odds, they did invite me to participate and I visited the set on October 20th to shoot a scene that is important. I was extremely nervous and I had zero idea of what I was in for. Below are some insider moments from my day on-set and from others.

Gallery Credit: Lou Milano