James King

This is our dog James. We love him to death. Would we spend $60,000 on legal fees to win custody of him? Not a chance.

We wrote a blog post yesterday about a man who's spent more than $60,000 on legal fees in his effort to win custody of a dog from his ex-girlfriend. As we noted yesterday, dropping that much coin on a canine-custody case is insane because, well, it's a fucking dog.

The media's eaten the story up, though -- gushing over how adorable it is that 34-year-old Craig Dershowitz cares so much about about his pooch that he's blown his life savings trying to get him back. Unlike other media outlets, however, we're not fawning over a grown man who's this obsessed with his dog (or using his dog as an excuse to keep in contact with his ex-girlfriend).

Because of our take on the fight for "Knuckles" the puggle, Voice readers have called us "heartless" because we think it's nuts to blow $60,000 on a custody battle over a dog. We're not heartless, we're just not crazy enough to think dropping that much money on a dog is a good idea.

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This is Craig Dershowitz's dog, "Knuckles." He's blown $60,000 trying to win custody of "Knuckles" from his ex-girlfriend -- despite the looming fact that "Knuckles" is a fucking dog.

Craig Dershowitz says he's blown upwards of $60,000 on legal fees in a custody battle with his ex-girlfriend...over a dog. It's gotten him precisely nowhere -- the girlfriend still has custody of the dog (a "puggle" named "Knuckles") and a judge in California ruled today that that's not gonna change anytime soon.

Dershowitz -- after blowing through his life savings -- is in the process of trying to raise even more money to piss away on a canine-custody case.

Craig, we realize you love your dog -- and the media's been gushing over how cute it is that you're fighting to get him back. That said, we're here to put things into perspective and remind you that it's just a fucking dog.

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ASPCA

At the end of February, the Humane Law Enforcement responded to a complaint in the north borough by neighbors who had spotted two frail pups hanging around an apartment building on Webster Avenue. The dogs belonged to Gillian Irving, a 27-year-old woman who reportedly ignored her two seven-month-old pit bulls for weeks on end. More »

The Associated Press reported Friday that the NYPD kept tabs on Muslim-owned businesses based on the religion of owners, second- and third-generation Americans. As this became just one more known element of the NYPD's surveillance, Police Commissioner Ray Kelly met with Muslim leaders in the city. Though NY1 reported that members of the community who met with Kelly said "he assured them that the NYPD was obeying the law," groups gathered outside NYPD headquarters where the meeting was taking place to protest. Meanwhile, though the AP reported that Jews and Christians were excluded from the monitoring, the New York Daily News reported that the NYPD was not always discerning. [AP, NY1, NYDN]

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​A "Dogs Against Romney" protest brought out more reporters sniffing for a story than pups this afternoon.

The animal advocacy group aims to call attention to an infamous incident in which Mitt Romney strapped the family dog in a crate to the roof of the car for a 12-hour drive in the late 1980s. Protester Paul Gestos, a longtime dog owner and Occupy Wall Streeter, said Mutt Romney's story reflects poorly on his owner's character. "It shows he has no empathy," Gestos said of the presidential hopeful. "He made a bad decision and now he won't even own up to it."

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Peter Rousseau

In case you don't happen to be as dog-obsessed as the rest of the Internet or haven't heard about the recent advertising controversy, we're here to tell you that Monday marks the start of this year's Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. An additional six breeds have been made eligible to compete this year and will be making their star turns at the event. One of these unfamiliar faces is the adorable and utterly bizarre Norwegian Lundehund. Sure, this dog looks normal enough from its picture, if not a little fox-like, but, it's got some, shall we say, interesting features. We talked to Colorado-based Peter Rosseau, a breeder and president of the Norwegian Lundehund Association of America, about the breed and what going to Westminster means.

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Because it's Sunday, we bring you this video of a bulldog named Bo with an underbite and expressive eyes. Watch as Bo tries to squeeze into a box that clearly cannot support a bulldog's girth. It's cute, but we have to admit, it isn't very original.

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Uncle Chichi, circa 2000 (via Facebook)

According to the New York Times, there is a sad bit of information to impart today. Uncle Chichi, a West Village toy poodle who may have been 24, 25, or 26 years old, who had been battling cancer (sadface), and who was unquestionably adored and adorable, has passed over to the Rainbow Bridge. Inspiring public figures often generate controversy, and as such, there is some debate over Chichi's age, and whether he was actually the world's oldest living dog.

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This morning we bring you two stories of adorable animals saved from peril. First off, we have a Texan stray cat named Cupid. Cupid, an orange tabby, was shot with an arrow -- hence his new name -- but the arrow was not piercing any of his vital organs, and Cupid could get surgery to have it removed. Now Cupid is "purring and loving on anyone who will give him attention," according to NBC. Aw, Cupid.

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via

This holiday was a good one for adorable animals in trouble. A wolf-dog, a troubled pigeon, and an NYU hawk were all recipients of goodwill from human compatriots. Here, we bring you those stories, in a round-up of the animal stories that have captured our hearts over the past couple of days.

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