My partner gifted me a dog that became like a child to us. When we broke up, custody of the dog got complicated.

• My boyfriend surprised me with a dog on my birthday.
• Raising the dog in a small apartment was difficult, but he became like a child to us.
• When we broke up, we fought over who should keep the dog; I ultimately gave up custody.

I vividly remember the day Mucho arrived.

My birthday had been unusually low-key, and my boyfriend seemed preoccupied. That evening, I found out why. My boyfriend finally revealed the big surprise: a Saint Bernard puppy lying in a large cardboard box in his car's trunk.