In Illinois, a story of love, loss, and legal gaps is pushing a long-overdue conversation to the forefront: what happens when the law treats a living being like property? For Dr. Tameer, a PSYPACT-authorized clinical psychologist with mobility privileges to practice telepsychology across more than 40 participating states, that question isn’t theoretical–it’s personal.
Her connection to the therapeutic presence of animals began early in her training during her 1.5-year externship at a federal healthcare center in North Chicago. Veterans routinely arrived with their service dogs — companions who offered grounding, emotional regulation, and a stabilizing presence that traditional interventions alone could not provide. Witnessing those bonds firsthand profoundly shaped her understanding of how deeply animals support human healing.That early exposure later influenced her caregiving relationship with Rosie, a senior Puggle suffering from severe separation anxiety. For the longest and most stable stretch of Rosie’s life, Dr. Tameer served as her primary caregiver coordinating veterinary care, managing behavior, setting daily routines, and providing the emotional safety Rosie depended on.
But when her engagement ended, during what would have been the couple’s seventh year together, she learned a devastating truth: because they were not legally married, Illinois law did not allow her to argue for custody of the dog she had raised and cared for every day. Under current statutes, courts may consider an animal’s well-being only in divorce cases. Unmarried partners, no matter how deep the caregiving history, are excluded completely.
This gap resulted in Rosie being taken from the only stable caregiver she had truly known.
Over the years, Dr. Tameer had seen countless clients benefit from animal companions. She had written emotional support animal letters, advocated for accommodations, and even had her own service dog letter from her treating psychologist for medical and mental health reasons. Yet in court, none of this mattered. Rosie — despite documented anxiety and long-term attachment — was categorized as “property.”
The experience revealed a painful reality: the legal system has not caught up with what clinicians, behavioral experts, and millions of families already understand — animals are emotional lifelines, not objects.
Now, through public advocacy, policy awareness, and the growing momentum behind Rosie’s Law, Dr. Tameer hopes to create change that will protect countless others from the same heartbreak.
To learn more about Rosie’s Law — and to support this movement for humane pet custody reform — you can read the full story and sign the petition here: https://www.change.org/justice-for-rosie
