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It’s no secret that most of us consider our pets family. Before my sons arrived, my wife and I raised our chocolate lab and that’s when we started using “mommy” and “daddy” with her so it was natural when the boys were born. She passed 4 years ago this December…and of course it was particularly hard as it is for other folks whose pets are family. Well, in one country, they are looking to acknowledge that grief.
A new bill introduced in Colombia’s House of Representatives would give workers two days of paid time off to mourn the death of a pet. The measure notes the death of exotic pets do not qualify for the bereavement days, and anyone caught lying would be subject to a fine.
The proposal does have a long way to go before it can pass and will be subject to four debates in Columbia’s Senate and House before it can become law.
But politician AlejandroCarlos Chacon, who introduced the law, thinks it’s important.
“Some people do not have children but they do have a much-loved pet with which they develop a deep brotherly bond,” he said, noting that “six out of 10 Colombian households have a domestic animal,” and he’s had family members who experienced “considerable emotional effects” when their furbabies died.
I think that’s kinda cool considering all the bad stuff in the world right now. Not if it will fly with businesses there, let alone here in the USA. But hey, you never know.
Source: New York Post Image © 2021 Getty Images