Carrie Fisher's Dog Gary Gets A New Forever, But Not With Billie

Carrie Fisher's beloved French bulldog, Gary, was supposed to live with Billie Lourd after Carrie's passing, but it turns out that's NOT the case.

We've learned Carrie's assistant, Corby McCoin, took Gary almost immediately and is now the outright owner.

Days after the actress died in December, Carrie's family said Billie would get the dog for several reasons ... not the least of which was that Gary was best friends with Billie's bulldog, Tina.

As for why things changed, as everyone knows Gary was Carrie's constant companion, and Corby was a fixture in Carrie's life ... always around the dog. It ultimately made more sense for Gary to live with the person -- not the dog -- with whom he felt a connection.

We're told Corby's not cashing in by taking Gary ... she just feels taking Gary is the right thing to do.