‘Not without my corgi’: divorce in China turns nasty after couple can’t agree on custody of pet dog
- A court has had to mediate between a childless couple seeking a divorce after they could not agree on custody of their pet dog
- After the story was reported, it caused widespread online conversation in China about the fate of pets in a divorce
A divorce settlement in China stalled after the couple were unable to agree on custody of their pet corgi has gone viral on mainland social media.
The couple, surnamed Xu and Li, from Quzhou city in Zhejiang, eastern China, agreed to get divorced in April this year. With the help of a local court, they reached agreement on the disposal of joint assets from their seven-year marriage, with one exception — custody of a pet corgi dog they had raised together.
The couple have no children, but both are enthusiastic animal lovers, video news sharing platform btime.com reported.
The court helped the couple divide up joint assets including property and vehicles quickly as neither party had any objections. However, when it came to their pet dog, the court was surprised that both demanded full custody of the animal.
The woman, Xu, told the court that she deserved ownership of the corgi. She said not only did she buy the dog, but that she raised it by herself. The corgi has become a part of her family and has been by her side ever since, she claimed.
She added that her ex-husband Li didn’t take responsibility for looking after the corgi. She described him as a workaholic, who in his spare time played video games.