A fifth of separating couples found deciding who gets the dog “as stressful” as who should care for the children.
In response, more and more dog owners are considering signing prenuptial agreements to avoid custodial battles over their four-legged friends.
In one case, Liam Gallagher, the Oasis singer, and his estranged wife Nicole Appleton went to court over who kept their dogs.
Nigella Lawson was said to be devastated after her ex-husband Charles Saatchi won “custody” of a stuffed mutt they owned dubbed Narles — a mixture of their first names.
The charity Dogs Trust urged couples to think about their pets, especially with January being the most popular month for divorce. A survey for the charity found a quarter of couples believed that their dog would pose the biggest dilemma if they split up.