Cheryl Burke Says Dog Custody Battle with Ex Matthew Lawrence Is 'Cruel': 'She's My Dog'

Cheryl Burke is opening up about the ongoing legal drama between herself and her ex-husband Matthew Lawrence over their dog.

Though the Dancing with the Stars pro's divorce from Lawrence, 42, was finalized in September, there's one looming asset that has divided them: who will keep their shared dog, Ysabella.

Burke, 38, spoke candidly about the emotional turmoil the custody battle has brought. "Oh, I'm gonna cry," she told Entertainment Tonight while speaking about their dog. "It's just really sad, you know."

"It sucks because, for me, it's just cruel," she said. "She's my dog, and it was a gift from my ex, and I hope that this soon, you know, dies down, and he calls it off. Because you're taking, like, my daughter away from me."

Burke also addressed the custody battle during a recent episode of her podcast, Burke in the Game.

"We are going to go to trial — unless he all of a sudden calls it off, but that would happen… and that will happen in January," Burke said on the episode. "I'm just still really hurt by the whole situation. You know, that's my dog. Ysabella is my daughter."

"I'm a dog mom. And that's it. I can't even imagine my life. I mean, I could just cry right now but, like, couldn't imagine my life without her."

In a statement to PEOPLE at the time, Burke's attorney Scott Klopert said, "The firm does not comment on pending litigation."

An attorney for Lawrence could not immediately be reached by PEOPLE for comment.

It appears Burke has had Ysabella in her possession since the split. In the days following their divorce announcement, Burke and the pup took a healing getaway to the venue where she and Lawrence were married in 2019.

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Besides being focused on her dog, Burke has been busy competing on Dancing with the Stars alongside Sam Champion. The duo were eliminated last night in week four after landing in the bottom two for the second consecutive week.