Human Interest Animals Celebrity Pets Cheryl Burke Says Dog Custody Battle with Ex Matthew Lawrence Is 'Cruel': 'She's My Dog' Cheryl Burke and ex-husband Matthew Lawrence are reportedly scheduled to go to court over custody of their dog, Ysabella, in January By Kelly Wynne Kelly Wynne Kelly Wynne has been a TV writer at PEOPLE digital since 2021. Her work has been seen in Newsweek, where she acted as a reality TV and true-crime writer, Atwood Magazine and her mental health blog, The Chronically. People Editorial Guidelines Published on October 11, 2022 12:59PM EDT Matthew Lawrence and Cheryl Burke with their dog. Photo: Crash/Imagespace/Shutterstock; Cheryl Burke/Instagram 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." Cheryl Burke and Matthew Lawrence Finalize Divorce Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty 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. Cheryl Burke May Head to Trial Over Her Dog Though Divorce from Matthew Lawrence Is Finalized 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. Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. 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.