I feel so bad for the little girl, too bad things didn't work out for them. I think Bugie loses most in this situation!
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A little Brooklyn girl left court crying yesterday after a custody fight over a fluffy Yorkshire terrier ended with her having to give up her beloved little pooch.
"I'm just very sad they are going to take my dog away," said 10-year-old Katherine Asomoza, wiping tears outside Brooklyn Supreme Court.
As part of a settlement, Katherine's parents agreed to accept a $1,000 payment from their daughter's godfather, Anthony Bruni - the man who accused them of "dognapping" the Yorkie named Bugie.
Yesterday, Bruni gained the dog, but clearly lost a goddaughter.
"I don't want to have any more problems with him," said Katherine.
The Asomozas are tenants in the two-family house in Midwood where Bruni, 44, lives with his mother. The families were close, and Bruni, a mute who suffers from cerebral palsy, was Katherine's godfather at her Baptism.
Francisco and Elsy Asomoza say Bruni gave the Yorkie to his goddaughter for her sixth birthday. He says he bought the pet for himself and offered to share it with Katherine.
The dog proved therapeutic for the handicapped Bruni, who wrote, "Each day he spends with me is greatly beneficial."
But Bruni said things soured six months ago when he complained the dog was unhappy and charged the Asomozas were confining the animal to the kitchen. He said they refused to let him see Bugie.
Last week, he filed a lawsuit asking a judge for visitation rights to the dog.
In an affidavit, Elsy Asomoza denied the Asomozas had confined the dog and said that Bruni had "placed no conditions on the birthday gift."
She said Bruni took the dog without permission to Ohio for two weeks and grabbed him away on other occasions. He then started coming to the apartment "acting very angry and looking menacing ...." and began "deliberately slamming doors and banging on the walls," frightening her children.
Yesterday, the Asomozas came to court ready to fight, but agreed to the offer of $1,000 for the dog after Bruni's mother raised the rent on the apartment they had lived in for 16 years, she said.
As part of the settlement, the Brunis canceled the rent hike and the Asomozas agreed to leave the apartment within six months. They said they would use the money to buy their daughter a new dog.
"We don't want any more problems," Elsy said. "We don't want our daughter to get nervous because of him. She's scared. We want to live in peace. What he did was not right."
http://www.nydailynews.com/front/sto...p-243278c.html