A New Jersey judge held Monday that a former couple must share possession of a six-year-old, pedigreed pug they bought for $1,500 when they were engaged and living together.

The ruling, which allows Doreen Houseman and Eric Dare to spend alternating, five-week stretches with the dog, is the aftermath of a groundbreaking appellate decision last March that pets have a subjective value that transcends their monetary costs.