Court Grants Man Divorce From Wife Who Treated Her Pets Like Children And Refused to Look for Job

A Singapore man was granted a divorce from his wife after her increasingly erratic and unreasonable behavior made his life utterly miserable. The man had been married to his wife since 2008, and after years of stress and bizarre behavior, he filed for divorce.

District Judge Michelle Elias ruled in favor of the husband, who says the wife treated their dogs like human children and refused to even look for a job. Here's what happened to make the man file for divorce after 14 years of marriage.

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The couple had been living apart for four years when the man filed for divorce, citing the irretrievable breakdown of the marriage. He said the wife's unreasonable behavior had gotten so out of control he couldn't handle it anymore: she was obsessed with her pet dogs and talked about them as if they were children, she had anger management issues and ridiculous demands, she refused to work or try to become financially independent, she was a compulsive hoarder, and she wouldn't let her husband move on with his life. 

The man produced over 300 texts displaying his wife's erratic behavior. In one exchange, she texts him to say, "My kids are ill. Please help them on Sunday." When he said he was not available, then she replied, "I have to see to doggie. Make time for kids on Sunday." When he again refused, she said, "You will have to make time, the kids need you. I have to see to doggie. He's not doing well."

In another exchange, the wife demands the husband take the dog to the vet. "Doggie needs his injection on Sat will arrange a taxi," she said. When her husband refused, she said, "You will have to take him in for injection… Be responsible and bring him in". Her husband replied with, "I said NO and I am not going to repeat myself. You can ask your sisters or nephews or nieces or whoever to help you." The woman answered: "I have been battling termites and handling kids I am tired please be practical and bring doggie in for his injection."

The texts continued the next day: "Benji is standing at gate waiting for his walk," "Benji has been waiting for you and taxi will be here soon" and "Trust you will be here to take doggie don't let him down." Clearly, at the end of his rope, the man said, "I said I am not free and yet you insist on making the arrangements. You are so used to bullying me. I say this for one last time. I am not free." The woman was undeterred: "Doggie needs you. What bully nonsense."

According to the husband, the woman was so obsessed with the dogs she refused to leave the house for three months and didn't wash her hair the whole time because she didn't want to leave the dogs alone for a second. "The wife had essentially put her life on hold since 2013 due to her care for the dogs and had unreasonably harassed the husband to help her," said the judge.

"She had also unreasonably refused to take steps that could have eased the situation and her obsession with the dogs made it unbearable for the husband to continue in the marriage." The wife would also insist the husband send her takeout food to eat and would go on hunger strikes if he refused.

The judge made it clear the marriage was clearly over. "When meaningful communication breaks down completely over a prolonged period, it affects the functioning of the marital union. In this case, the evidence overwhelmingly pointed to an unhappy pair that had been unable to live as husband and wife for many years," she said.

"The respondent wants to save the marriage … But the petitioner's stand was also clear and the court must not be asked to play the role of trying to put together a marriage that has broken down or try to put a Humpty Dumpty of a marriage together again."