Little Jordan, an 8-month-old lab puppy, disappeared last month from weather reports on KVBC-TV, and now there's a dispute over who took the popular dog off the air.
His owner and on-air partner, animal-loving KVBC weatherman John Fredericks, issued a statement last week saying it was the NBC affiliate's decision to send L.J., as the pup is known, to the doghouse over a contract dispute.
The dog "was removed from the broadcast ... pending the resolution of contractual terms for L.J.," the statement said.
Little Jordan had replaced Jordan, a golden retriever who long shared airtime with Fredericks and died last summer.
The station's general manager, Lisa Howfield, said last month that L.J.'s disappearance was Fredericks' decision.
"It was John's choice to take the dog off the air," she said. "I would have liked us to keep the dog on the air."
Fredericks said he "wants nothing more than for L.J. to return to the broadcast, and believes that the contractual issues resulting in the current situation will soon by resolved."
Howfield and Fredericks did not return requests for comment.
