Quote:
Originally Posted by jaypain  Hi,
Thank you all for your responses. To clarify, though Max was abused, I did not obtain him at a rescue shelter. His previous owner (the abuser) bought him from a breeder and knows my mother. She showed up at my mother's home with him because she could not handle him (I guess when you starve a dog he becomes difficult). She dropped him off with her receipt and his registration papers.
Also, I only referred to yorkie prices as a reference point to show what he is worth.
As for a negligence case, Max was leashed and the big dog was not. Personally, an unleashed 50 lb dog owned by a small female measured against a friendly, leashed dog outweighs whatever negligence, if any, was on my end.
And as for my claim that he was a monetary asset, think about this: If someone threw up on your Marc Jacobs bag and ruined it, you would expect the guilty party to offer some type of reimbursement for the item. And no one would claim you were negligent for leaving your bag near the person who threw up on it either.
Just a thought.
please note I do not think of my dogs in the same way I do handbags and shoes. in this instance, it makes it easier to think about without emotions clouding your reasoning. |
If her dog was unleashed, then I would think she was negligent. Not sure how that works in a building, legally speaking. I know that in towns with leash laws, a dog may be unleashed in an open yard. If the unleashed dog leaves the yard at any time, the owner is in violation.
In my opinion, she owes you the cost of the vet bills. If you were to go to court for more, you may be forced to take into consideration that you were in a building where you know other dogs could be in the elevator. How much leash did little Max have and how far from you was he when he went to the elevator doors. These are the tough questions that you will likely be asked.
Any abused or neglected dog, no matter how the dog was obtained, should not be used to breed.