Publication Date: September 22, 2026
Meet Layla and Franklin Bishop. They’re a married Los Angeles pair in their late thirties whose twelve-year relationship began like a house on fire-but now all that’s left are the dying embers. When a maddening incident involving a fender bender, a gushing Hydro Flask, and their back-seated dog, Betty, becomes the last straw for the teetering spouses, they impulsively separate.
Money, work matters, and property issues quickly complicate things. But when Layla and Franklin each demand full custody of Betty, the road to divorce gets impossibly bumpy, even with the help of a tough-love mediator. Parents, friends, and potential new romantic partners are along for the twisty ride, as Layla and Franklin navigate their way apart. Meanwhile, Betty works in her mysterious canine way to reunite her humans. But is she barking up the wrong tree?
Told from the alternating viewpoints of Layla, Franklin, and Betty, Canine Custody is a funny, candid, sexy, at times bittersweet look at what draws lovers to each other, how those same things can send them packing, and the surprising role our pets can play in life’s major decisions.
A Springer spaniel named Betty must navigate marital issues involving her human parents in a heartfelt story about the messiness of life.
Author Gary Goldstein uses three perspectives in Canine Custody. Franklin and Layla Bishop, while married for 12 years, appear to have grown apart right about the time Betty arrived.
With her humans at odds and headed for divorce, Betty finds herself stuck in the middle, where she is being claimed by both parties.
Underneath the lighthearted humor is a poignant story about canine companions and the way they manage to steal your heart. Adding Betty’s perspective makes this story unforgettable.
Canine Custody highlights the importance of second chances with a bit of help from man’s best friend.
GARY GOLDSTEIN is an award-winning writer for film, TV, and the theatre, with more than 30 produced screen and stage credits. His first novel, the romantic comedy The Last Birthday Party, won an IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award for Excellence in Fiction. Gary’s second novel, the family drama The Mother I Never Had, was named one of the “Must-Read Books of Fall 2022” by Town & Country Magazine. His latest book, the coming-of-age campus romance Please Come to Boston, will be published Sept. 10, 2024. Gary has also been a contributing arts writer for the L.A. Times since 2007. A New York native, he lives in Los Angeles.
