Let my ex keep our dog in the breakup? Readers give advice.
Dear Carolyn: My partner and I are breaking up after two solid years together. We adopted a 3-year-old German shepherd (rescue) a year ago. My family warned me against adopting a dog with someone I wasn’t married to, but we were both so excited about it.
Now we are both in love with the dog but out of love with each other. He is going to move out to a townhouse where friends of his have an extra room, and he wants to take the dog. I am going to stay in my condo, and I want to keep the dog.
I have been thinking about the logistics of sharing custody. My mom says this is crazy and that it will only make it difficult for me to move on with my life. She says if he won’t just graciously leave the dog with me, I should make a clean break. The thought of doing that makes me so sad I can’t breathe when I think about it.
My mom is not a dog hater; she actually loves dogs and has had a few of them over the years. So, it does feel like I should take her opinion seriously. I am 29, and he is 33, in case that matters. What should I do?
