Who gets Bubbles? Sofia Vergara and Joe Manganiello brace for dog custody talk

Because Sofia Vergara and Joe Manganiello don’t share any children, they are expected to have a relatively easy time working on their divorce settlement.

But that doesn’t mean they won’t face a potentially emotional discussion about who will get custody of Bubbles, the 10-year-old Chihuahua/Pomeranian mix the “Modern Family” star brought home shortly after their 2015 wedding.

Us Weekly reported that the estranged spouses are “amicably navigating” the end of their seven-year marriage. But they have “a few issues to figure out, like the custody of their dog, Bubbles,” an insider said.

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 https://t.co/AWoeI3ahFg pic.twitter.com/vF573AXqlb

— Daily Mail US (@DailyMail) July 18, 2023

The estranged spouses have famously argued over the canine on social media, often joking that Bubbles likes Manganiello, 46, more.

It’s easy to imagine that Bubbles could end up going to the “True Blood” alum. He’s made of habit of featuring the tiny dog in his social media posts, posing with her often cradled in one arm. On the other hand, Vergara, 51, also has spoken about how Bubbles was meant to be her pet.

The once popular Hollywood couple confirmed earlier this month that they have separated.

“We have made the difficult decision to divorce,” Vergara and Manganiello said in a joint statement on July 17. “As two people that love and care for one another very much, we politely ask for respect of our privacy at this time as we navigate this new phase of our lives.”

The Daily Mail reported that, under California law, a judge can decide who gets the pets when a couple divorces. Pets are still considered property, and a judge can award custody to the spouse who originally adopted the animal. But the judge also has the discretion to decide what’s in the best interest of the pet.

By Vergara’s own admission, Bubbles prefers Manganiello’s company, People reported. She even told host Jimmy Fallon on “The Tonight Show” in 2021 that Bubbles “hates” her.

“She was supposed to be for me,” Vergara said. “She was supposed to be my dog. She arrived to the house, and I don’t know, she thought she was for Joe, and that’s all she wants to do.”

Vergara also described Bubbles as Manganiello’s “little daughter,” or even his “mistress,” because she sleeps with him and gets angry when she walks into a room.

During an appearance on “The Ellen DeGeneres” show, Manganiello told guest hosts Tiffany Haddish and the late tWitch that the relationship between his wife and Bubbles had improved. But he also spoke about the instant connection that he had with the dog when Vergara surprised him by bringing her into their home.

“I went downstairs, went outside, this little head pops up out of her lap and squirms, runs over to me,” Manganiello said, explaining that she was his first ever pet. “I pick her up and she starts growling at everybody else, like ‘Get away from us. This is my man now. That’s it.’”

“I think we have a mutual understanding of each other,” he continued.