Who will get custody of Bubbles? Sofia Vergara and Joe Manganiello may BATTLE it out over senior dog during divorce… after celebrating canine’s 10th birthday

Sofia Vergara and Joe Manganiello announced their divorce on Monday after seven years of marriage.

The two have no children together who will go through the divorce proceedings (Sofia’s son Manolo was from her first marriage).

But they do share custody of a fur child.

That bark is their older dog Bubbles who recently turned 10 years old.

The pair have famously argued over the dog on social media, often joking that the dog likes Joe more.

Under California law, a judge can determine who should have pets.

In January 2019, a new California law changed the way pet custody is handled in divorce cases.

This new law empowers judges to consider the care and best interests of the pet (or companion animal) when making decisions in separation or divorce cases.

Prior to 2019, courts in California treated pets as other physical, inanimate property such as furniture. The family’s dog, cat, or other pet would be considered part of the property to be divided when the marriage ended.

Judges often based their decision on the party purchasing or adopting the animal. Judges had a lot to say about who got the dog and who would come.

Pets are still technically classified as personal property, but this new law takes more into account.

There is an Animal Legal Defense Fund that can guide Sofia and Joe on animal protection laws.

In 2021, Sofia said her dream of adopting a dog went horribly wrong when she brought Bubbles home and she immediately preferred Manganiello.

The actress joked that the Chihuahua “stole everything that was hers” after moving into the LA apartment she shared with Joe.

Sofia discussed her pet — whom she called an “idiot” — during a recent appearance on The Ellen Show, when she revealed the dog has taken over her bed and husband.

When questioned about her dog Bubbles, Sofia said “I don’t have a dog, it’s not mine, it’s Joe’s dog,” despite revealing that she originally bought the Chihuahua for herself.

When Ellen showed the audience a picture of the pup, Sofia said, “Look at her, idiot.

“It doesn’t even look like a chihuahua, it looks like some sort of teddy bear. The dog was for me, I got the dog, but she arrived and completely ignored me. Went straight to Joe. She took everything that was mine.’

Joking about how Bubbles has made it clear who her favorite is, she said, “It’s not funny – it’s horrible, she took my husband, my bed.”

“She sleeps in bed with Joe, they sleep together and then I sleep on the other side. It’s gotten so weird.

“But I have to say it’s not Joe’s fault, it’s her, she’s obsessed with him.”

Ellen then admitted that she can understand why anyone would be obsessed with Joe, but Sofia joked back, “Yeah, but not to that level.” She hates me.

“When he has to leave for work and she knows she has to stay at my house and knows she’s dealing with me but doesn’t want to make eye contact.

“She always looks out, every little sound she looks for, she can’t enjoy the time with me. It’s like she knows she has to sit with me because I’m the only other person in the house.

Ellen said, “I have that with my three dogs, they prefer Portia.”

While Sofia joked, “Oh so you must be worse than me!”

“So I thought maybe I’d get another dog, but they might fall in love with him too and not me.”

Sofia then told Ellen that she hated that she had renamed her rescue dogs and that she and Joe kept Bubbles’ rescue name.

On Monday, Vergara, 51, and Manganiello, 46, released a statement.

We have made the difficult decision to divorce. As two people who love and care for each other very much, we politely ask that our privacy be respected at this time as we navigate this new phase of our lives.”

A source added: “Sofía and Joe have been growing apart for a while and are taking some distance from each other to think about their future.”

The couple married in Florida in 2015 and have no children together.

The split announcement comes just four days after Manganiello’s birthday tribute to Vergara drew widespread attention from fans who labeled it “cold,” leading many fans to question their relationship status.

The hunk took to his Instagram last Monday to share a low-resolution photo of him and his wife cuddling for her 51st birthday as she celebrated her big day in Italy.

The Magic Mike actor kept the caption simple for his 2.7 million fans when he wrote, “¡¡¡Feliz Cumpleaños Sofía!!!”

The comment section of the post was filled with concerned fans as someone wrote, “Joe, I hope you are well, that was a very different (cold) happy birthday wish to your wife, compared to previous ones!.” [sad face emoji]’

Another said, “There’s definitely something going on. He has not commented on her pictures she posted. hmm…….’

Others questioned how the mail had come off, as it said little more than a heartfelt greeting.

One follower posted, ‘Am I the only one who doesn’t like the way it sounds? ‘Sofia’…not even ‘My dear, my beloved wife’…. [woman facepalming emoji]’

It is interesting to note that Sofia has not responded to the post.

Entertainment tonight claimed that the divorce had been going on for a long time.

“They have spent time apart and focused on themselves, their careers and their loved ones,” the insider claimed.

“Sofia has given her all to her new beauty brand, toty, and is very involved and excited about it.

She hosted an event to celebrate the launch at her Los Angeles home in late June, and Joe wasn’t there. She still had a framed photo of the two kissing in a room in her house.’

It is not yet known who will get custody of their beloved dog Bubbles. They both shared tributes to the dog on social media on July 10 when he turned 10.

The Modern Family star has also made it happen as she’s currently celebrating in Capri, Italy and it remains unclear if Joe is on the trip as he hasn’t been featured in any of her social media posts from the trip.