Dancing With The Stars Alum Cheryl Burke Fought For Dog Custody Amid Matthew Lawrence Divorce

Dancing With The Stars (DWTS) alum Cheryl Burke battled over her divorce from Matthew Lawrence. But in the end, it came down to one very important item. And that involved Cheryl’s beloved dog.

Find out about the war over the dog. And learn if Cheryl or Matthew got dog custody. Get all the details below.

Dancing With The Stars – Alum Cheryl Burke Wants To Keep Dog Amid Divorce

Divorces often come down to one or two key points. For instance, Kim Kardashian and Kanye West famously fought over the custody of their kids. And Angelina Jolie battled Brad Pitt over a winery. But for Cheryl Burke, her divorce from Matthew Lawrence lingered over custody of the dog, according to Us magazine.

However, the DWTS alum finally achieved a settlement in their dog custody war. And Cheryl, 38, received all ownership rights for her French bulldog Ysabella. As a result, Lawrence, 42, must hand over documents related to the dog. 

And the pet custody agreement marks the end of a lengthy battle. Burke and her now ex-husband did settle their divorce. But the DWTS alum explained her emotional pain over the possibility of losing her beloved pet. 

Cheryl Burke and Matthew Lawrence have come to an arrangement regarding pet custody of their dog.https://t.co/5SfWZWoVjS

— Us Weekly (@usweekly) January 15, 2023

Dancing With The Stars – Cheryl Burke Refers To Her Dog As Her Daughter

The DWTS alum admitted that she felt “really hurt by the whole situation. Because that is my dog. Ysabella is my daughter; I am a dog mom,” added Cheryl. And she confessed, “I couldn’t even imagine my life without her. I could just cry right now.”

Lawrence had given Ysabella to Burke after they tied the knot in May 2019. And during their marriage as well as the divorce, Burke cared for the little dog. But she also shared just what her pup meant to her. 

“I have to give credit to my dog Ysabella for keeping me going a lot of the time,” revealed Cheryl. And the winner of the Dancing With The Stars trophy on two occasions called herself a “dog mom.” But Burke also shared the challenges during her divorce in the public spotlight. 

Dancing With The Stars – Alum Needs Dog For Emotional Support Amid Public Divorce

“Yep, I’m a full-blown ‘dog mom’ and not ashamed to say it! Going through a public divorce, there have been days where I wanted to just stay in bed and hide,” noted the DWTS alum. “And the idea of numbing my emotions with a vodka soda can sound pretty appealing. But Ysabella has tons of energy and gets me outside to go for walks multiple times a day, she loves me to play with her,” added Cheryl. “And I honestly can’t imagine life without her by my side 24/7.”

Both Burke and Lawrence have moved on since the divorce. For instance, Lawrence reportedly has become involved with TLC’s Chilli. “Chilli has this permanent smile on her face, she’s so happy and telling everyone she really likes Matthew,” said an insider. “He’s equally smitten and it’s very clear to everyone around them that what they have together has a huge amount of potential.”

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And although Cheryl remains single, she appreciates her independence. “I’ve realized that whenever I am at a point in my life where I have some big emotions to process, the best thing for me to do is to spend some time alone,” she shared on social media. “Other than being with [my dog] Ysa of course,” added the DWTS alum. “But I truly feel like she is a part of me, so she doesn’t count. If I’m being honest, really feeling my feelings is new to me.”

Tell us what you think. How do you feel about Cheryl Burke describing her dog as her daughter? And after you share your views, check back on our site for more Dancing With The Stars news.