Ex-Lovers Go To Court Over Custody Of Tiny Dog

A Maltese puppy (Wikipedia)

A couple whose romance went sour took to the court for a custody battle of miniature proportions, arguing over who owns their two-year-old Maltese, named Bubkas.

Adam Le Conte and Kyungmi Lee received the dog as a gift from Le Conte's parents in 2009. When they broke up a year later, Lee took care of the pup for about two months while Le Conte traveled and “sought a suitable home for himself and Bubkas,” according to the papers. But when Le Conte returned, Lee didn't want to give Bubkas up, objecting to Le Conte's decision to sometimes crate the dog. Le Conte promptly sued Lee for the return of the dog, saying that he "never surrendered, conveyed, or abandoned the dog.”

A judge ruled that Bubkas wasn't in any danger from the crate, and therefore, Le Conte was “entitled to the return of his canine companion.” He did also add that “While there is no legal obligation to do so," he hopes the ex-couple can work out a compromise so they can both see the dog.

This isn't the first time a four-legged friend has been at the center of a romance gone awry: earlier this year, a goldendoodle named Lucy was at the center of an ugly Brooklyn divorce battle. Maybe all those dog-less exes should look in to adopting the Brooklyn wolf-dog as a replacement pet instead?

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By Jamie Feldmar in News on December 30, 2011 10:48 AM

Comments [rss]

LCarlissian

That dog is fucking adorable.

Freddi BuBu

I thought only 80 yo Jewish ladies named Beatrice were allowed to own these dogs.....

rfid4dna

It's always the tiny dogs that suffer.

SeasTooFarToReach

I'm dead of cuteness. Dead, I said.

splicernyc

I'd fight for that dog too. Cuteness to the extreme.

Rocknrope

At least these dimwits don't have kids.

Roger_the_Shrubber

Cut the dog in half. Give each one a piece. Problem solved.

felixthecat

adopt don't shop, save a life dont fund puppy mills

Guest

In other words, euthanize puppies at "puppy mills" instead of ones at adoption centers.

Andrew Hess

No, dummy. Reduce the demand from puppy mills.

Guest

No dummy, make sure "puppy mills" are being run correctly instead of vilifying all of them. Next!

S.D.

Um. You're "Hydrogenous Flatulence" Now?!?1?

Guest

I was playing around with Disqus and wondered what would happen if I changed the name in my profile. It was the first thing that popped into my head. If I remove the name, it will go back to HBDC.

S.D.

"It was the first thing that popped into my head."?
Really?!?
;)

Guest

Yeah. My brain is a strange place. I don't deny it.

nicemarmot

There's no correct way to run a puppy mill. It's essentially industrial farming for dogs, though most industrial farmers treat their animals better than millers treat their dogs. The reality is it's not healthy for any animal to be locked in a tiny cage and bred over and over again until it dies.

The only real way to get rid of puppy mills is to ban pet stores from selling dogs, but I doubt that will ever happen. People are too happy to just walk into a store and buy an animal without having to do research or know where it came from. The same kind of people who will then dump the animal at the shelter when it becomes inconvenient for them.

Guest

I think there is a correct way to run a "mill". If it's the cage size, then make bigger cages. If it's mistreatment, then arrest the owners and/or employees. Saying that all of them are wrong or evil or illegal is not only incorrect, but a broad generalization that doesn't address the real problem.
My problem with that, and felix, is the extremism. It's like the horse carriage industry. Most of those horses are well cared for and have owners that love them, mainly because that is how they make a living. Shutting down the entire industry over a few bad apples would put those people out of work and may make them homeless.

felixthecat

the more you comment, the more you prove your own stupidity. Why should animals be breed in cages for your insecurities. You need to BUy an animal because you life is lame or to accessorize your outfit?? shut the fuck up you fucking idiot. your ignorance has cause a lot of harm. on other. Fucking loser. poor carriage horses are passing out in traffic from exhaustion. 5 in less than 6 weeks and you have no issue with that?? horses working in RUSH hOURS in TRAFFIC?? Fucking asshole.

Guest

You always put a smile on my face because I've already thought of your response before you have. Same shit, different day.

nicemarmot

I actually work with a dog rescue and my dog was rescued from a puppy mill in 2008. I'm not an extremist but I've seen a lot of puppy mills over the years. I've never seen or heard of a "good mill." If you can provide evidence that one exists I'd like to see it. Now certainly some are worse than others, but I've never seen one where the dogs weren't mistreated in some way. My dog came from what some might call a "good mill." She had enough cage space to move around and was not forced to live in her own feces. She was not actively abused. However, she received no veterinary care and was bred on every heat from puppyhood. When finally rescued she was near death from an untreated heartworm infestation. She wouldn't have even needed to go to a vet to prevent that from happening - all she needed was a monthly heartworm pill. Yet in a puppy mill it was cheaper to let her die of a treatable illness so that's what was going to happen. The vet who spayed her estimated she'd had at least four or five litters in her 2.5 years of life.

Note that I'm not against dog breeding like Felix. There are good breeders out there and if someone wants to adopt a purebred dog from them I'm fine with that. Good breeders don't just take good care of their animals; they also ensure proper breeding to avoid sick or unhealthy animals. They check out the people who adopt their dogs to make sure they're going to a good home. Puppy mills don't do those things. It's what makes them puppy mills instead of large-scale breeders.