Conflicts over animals are among the toughest to resolve. People form deep emotional bonds with their pets-after all, they're members of the family-so when a dispute involves animals, people get just as angry as if the clash were over their human children. When they've finally had enough, they head to court where the law treats the pet as property-as just a thing.

But there's a better way: mediation. Whether your conflict is over who gets the cat in a divorce, how to deal with a barking dog, or any other issue, a neutral mediator can bring you and the other person together so you can...