Britney took Bit-Bit, who she is holding in photos above and at right, to the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas, where master chief Julian Serrano prepared a $180 steak for the dog.

Bit-Bit Spears was her first and most famous chihuahua. At home, Britney provided Bit-Bit with her own room complete with miniature furniture.

After a while Bit-Bit was no longer much seen in public, but for quite some while was reportedly still living a pampered life in Britney's Malibu home.

Alas, trouble was on the horizon when Britney got involved with Kevin Federline, who dislikes little dogs with a passion.

In the photo at bottom, Britney snuggles with another of her crew of wee dogs, Lucky.

She was forced to get rid of Lucky when she married K-Fed, as Lucky hated him and attacked him about the ankles on a regular basis.

Britney couldn't bare never to see Lucky again so gave him to an assistant who'd secretly bring him back for visits whenever K-Fed was away.

Getting rid of Lucky was only Stage One of K-Fed's campaign. After their child was born, he insisted the dogs were apt to gang together and rip the infant to shreds.

Either he was phobic in the mentally ill sense, or more likely manipulative in making her do what he wanted, which was to ditch the doggies.

The marriage break-up is usually blamed on Britney being mad as a hatter, but after banishing Lucky, K-Fed eventually even made her get rid of Bit-Bit and similarly-sized maltese Lacey Loo. So it seems to me there was something seriously wrong with K-fed if he couldn't get along with any of the dogs. Dogs know when someone's a lout.