Time was, Zack Goldberg lived in Park Slope, with his then-girlfriend McKayla Kingston, with his then-dog Rufus. Goldberg and Kingston's relationship changed, they broke up, and he moved to Washington, DC, while she remained in New York. One thing that didn't change? His love for Rufus, for whom Goldberg is willing to battle Beltway traffic in order to see on weekends and every other Tuesday. If that's not love, we don't know what is. Only someone doesn't want to allow that to happen and that someone is Rufus's mom, who claims this is all just an elaborate scam for Goldberg to see her.

Her computer-freelancer ex, Zack Goldberg, never even liked Rufus when they lived togeth­er, McKayla Kingston alleges in a Brooklyn federal-court counter-lawsuit she filed Thursday. He’s claiming that he wants to spend time with the dog now — a year ­after their breakup and his move to Washington, DC — only as a pretext to remain in her life, she complains. “Mr. Goldberg does not share Ms. Kingston’s deep, abiding love and commitment to ­Rufus,” says her suit, which seeks a judge’s protection order barring Goldberg from contact with her or the canine.

According to Goldberg, this has exactly zero to do with wanting anything to do with Kingston, and everything to do with wanting to see his son/dog, which is his right.

Goldberg counters that he’s not trying to get back at — or with — his ex at all. “This is just her spiting me,” he told The Post. “Just to be clear, I broke up with her and this is her way of getting back at me. I just want to see the dog.”

This fight will surely get worse before it gets better. We'll keep you posted, but for now, pray that Rufus's parents can work this out civilly, for his sake.

Man wants visitation with dog just to see ex-girlfriend: suit [NYP via Matt Levine]