From the land of crazy litigation comes another strange case. A New York couple are suing a dog sitting agency for $1m over the death of their dog.
Bankers Laura Garner and Robert Hardon entrusted their five-year-old French Bulldog Percy to caretakers at agency Doggie Love for one night in July 2009 while they were out of town, their lawsuit claimed. An agency employee drove the dog to the couple’s apartment in the back of an enclosed van, then dropped off the obviously ailing Percy inside the empty apartment – despite the building’s doorman and a federal judge who lives next door asking if they could get the dog water or call a vet, according to the lawsuit.
Percy was discovered dead, splayed out in front of an air conditioner, a few hours later. Vets examined his body that night and found evidence that his body temperature was "notably high" and that he suffered seizures.
"The emptiness that has been left by Percy’s death and the anguish we suffered has not and will never be filled or go away,"
the couple said, laying it on thick, obviously for the benefit of the court. They are seeking at least $1m in damages.
Now I agree that losing your pet is tragic, and also that if the dog sitting agency was at fault they should be compensating you for their negligence. But $1m, come off it – try a new dog and a few thousand dollars maybe!
