Molly in a dog’s breakfast

Gary Park

Petroleum News Calgary correspondent

An Alberta court official declared a draw in the dispute over custody of nine-year-old Molly.

“You want visitation rights — I’ll grant them,” Lionel Alberstat told attorneys representing Canadian Natural Resources chairman Allan Markin and his estranged stepson Zakary Pashak, 23.

Alberstat said conflicting court affidavits prevented him from delivering a conclusive ruling in the bizarre case that has enlivened the dog days of summer in downtown Calgary and set tongues wagging in the oil patch. He turned down Markin’s request that Pashak return Molly and pay C$1 million in damages, or keep Molly and pay C$2 million. As a result, Markin and Pashak will each have custody of Molly for two-week periods.

“I’m not surprised my step dad fought for something like this. It’s how he’s been successful (in the oil business),” said Pashak, who got the dog from Markin as a gift for his 14th birthday.

While conceding the dog was a gift, Markin insists he cared for the pooch himself after his stepson moved out of the family home in 1998 to the extent of leaving the office every day at 3 p.m. to take the Dalmatian for a jog.

His attorney said Pashak’s refusal to relinquish Molly caused Markin, a founder of one of Canada’s top four independent E&P companies, “further humiliation, stress and harm.”

Jacqueline Flanagan, Pashak’s mother, filed for divorce from Markin in June. Both are living in separate houses, living off a court-approved monthly budget of C$15,000 each.