Ha! Yes, if you see two woman fighting over an adorable dog on Judge Judy, you can assume one of the women is me.
I'll keep everyone posted as to what happens. I think I'm going to wait until after she comes back from New York, because if she can't find a pet-friendly apartment, that will be the end of it.
As for the legal issues: again, I don't think either of us would let it get that far, but I think technically I relinquished ownership. Stupid me, when she said she might want the dog back, I said, oh, I'm so sad, let me know what you decide. So I think any oral contract is negated.
Again, at the time, I was envisioning a scenario where we worked twenty feet away from each other for years and there was horrible tension every day. If I'd known she was going to be gone in a month, I could have simply said, sorry, I can't give the dog back. Maybe I should have said that anyway.
In retrospect, I would have negotiated better too. I was just so thrilled that she was going to give up this wonderful little dog that price seemed immaterial. I offered to get the dental work done to sweeten the deal. I am not sure when she was going to get it done, but I thought she'd feel better about giving me the dog if she knew he'd be getting important surgery in my care. FYI, yes, they are puppy teeth extractions, and they are rotting. They're green! It's the only thing not cute about this dog. He is 2 1/2 years old.
Healthcare - an important issue for both humans and our furry friends! |