http://zend-framework-community.634137.n4.nabble.com/Odd-issue-with-retrieving-formatting-and-displaying-dates-td2236470.html

SomeModel.php

<?php

class SomeModel extends Doctrine_Record
{
    public function setTableDefinition()
    {
        // ...
        $this->hasColumn('some_date', 'date', null, array('notnull' => true, 'notblank' => true));
        // ...
    }

    // ...

    public function getSomeDate()
    {
        $value = $this->_get('some_date');
        return ($value) ? new Zend_Date($value, 'YYYY-MM-dd') : $value;
    }


    public function setSomeDate($value)
    {
        if ($value instanceof Zend_Date) {
            $value = $value->toString('YYYY-MM-dd');
        } else if (null !== $value && false === Zend_Date::isDate($value, 'YYYY-MM-dd')) {
            throw new App_Exception('Unsupported type or format of some_date');
        }

        $this->_set('some_date', $value);
    }
}