Dogs are the new kids in celeb custody battles

Celebrity divorces are usually an expensive and messy affair. But just like any other divorce, deciding who gets custody of the kids becomes the hardest part of the negotiation. But what happens if the couple has no children and has pets instead? Who gets the pets?

Johnny Depp and Amber Heard, who are in the midst of a nasty split, are now fighting it out over who gets to keep their furry friends, Pistol and Boo.Pistol and Boo, who were in the news not too long ago for being illegally imported into Australia (remember the bizarre 'apology' video Depp and Heard posted online after the incident?), are probably going to be separated from each other, as Heard wants to keep Pistol, who was given to her by her ex-girlfriend. Depp, who's against separating the pooches, wants custody of both of them. Here's a few more cases where pooches became collateral damage after a couple split.

Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon
It seems that in spite of their prenuptial arrangement, this couple failed to include their treasured pets, which left them in a messy custody battle for their dogs. The dogs ' The Good Reverend Pow Jackson, Jill E Beans, Pipitty Jackson, Jackie Lambchops, and Speak E Beans ' are said to be now spending time with both parties.

Britney Spears and Kevin Federline
In 2007, the Toxic singer was in the limelight over her divorce from dancer Kevin Federline and the custody battle for her kids, which went in favour of Federline. Federline also got custody of their pets, as animal rights groups were worried about their safety had they continued to live with the then troubled singer.

Tiger Woods and Elin Nordegren
Nordegren took possession of the couple's dogs after Woods' November 2009 car accident exposed his infidelity to the world. During their divorce proceedings, Woods and Nordegren each fought for custody of the pooches.