Los Angeles Rams star Aaron Donald filed court documents seeking primary custody of his two minor children over concerns about a French bulldog living in the home of his former partner, Jaelynn Blakey, according to court records obtained by TMZ.
The defensive tackle requested the custody modification weeks before the start of the National Football League season, arguing that his children faced immediate danger whenever they encountered the dog at Blakey's residence.
According to the court filing, the French bulldog had bitten both of Donald's children and also bit Blakey's niece, who was 10 years old at the time of the incident. Donald maintained that the animal posed an ongoing threat to the children's safety.
The situation became complicated when Blakey initially told Donald she would remove the dog from her home, the court documents state. However, Donald later discovered the animal had returned after spending several months at another location.
In his declaration, Donald alleged that his children informed him Blakey had instructed them not to "run their mouths" by disclosing to their father that the dog had come back to the home. Blakey disputed this allegation and denied she had ever told the children to lie to Donald, according to TMZ.
Blakey characterized Donald's legal action as an attempt to remove a longtime family pet. She stated the dog had been an emotional support animal for her and was beloved by the children.
"He does this under the guise of protecting the children and their safety but that is not his true intent as evidenced by the fact that the dog has lived in my home over the past several years," Blakey wrote in court documents, according to TMZ.
The former couple reached a resolution on August 3, with Blakey agreeing to permanently remove the dog from her home. The California Post was the first to report the custody dispute.
Donald, a multiple-time All-Pro selection, continues to play for the Los Angeles Rams as one of the league's premier defensive players. The custody matter was resolved ahead of the upcoming football season.