Divorced couple go to court over disputed dog semen

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A divorced couple brought an intriguing case before Michigan family court Judge Cheryl Matthews this week. Anthony Scully, who remained in Michigan after the couple’s 2002 divorce, and his former wife Karen Scully, now of Florida, appeared in Matthews’ court yesterday over the disputed ownership of dog semen.

Mr. and Ms. Scully, both of whom breed bullmastiffs, divided ownership of the dogs they’d once shared when they divorced: Four stayed with him, and she took the remaining two with her to Florida.

Both say they legitimately own the banked, frozen semen of Cyrus, Regg and Romeo. The Detroit Free Press reports:

‘I asked, ‘Am I being punk’d?’ ‘ Matthews said Wednesday afternoon. ‘I said, ‘Is this a ‘Candid Camera’ thing?’ ‘ ...
Anthony Scully, through his attorney, said the semen is his, and that his ex-wife, in moving to Florida, gave up claim. Karen Scully, who appeared in court via teleconference, claimed she has ownership, since the dogs that provided the semen once belonged to her.

‘I never had to make an argument quite like this,’ Anthony Scully’s attorney, Ryan Mae Steele of Northville, said. ‘I had a genealogy tree, listing who had puppies, who provided the semen. It was a lot to take in.’

Matthews, an admitted dog lover, ruled that it was not a divorce matter and told the couple they would have to fight it out in civil court.

Oakland County Circuit Judge Leo Bowman will take over the case from Matthews.

Bullmastiffs -- large, slobbery and lovable dogs classified in the AKC’s Working Group -- often sell to puppy buyers for $2,000, according to the Detroit Free Press.

--Lindsay Barnett