July 15, 2010 12:29 PM

Dog Sitters Sued for $1M After French Bulldog Dies, Says Report

By
Naimah Jabali-Nash
Topics
Daily Blotter

Dog Sitters Sued for $1M After French Bulldog Dies, Says Report

Percy (Personal Photo)

NEW YORK (CBS) A New York couple whose dog died has reportedly filed a $1 million lawsuit against a Queens-based pet sitting agency, Doggie Love, after the couple returned home to find their dog unresponsive on their apartment floor.

Laura Garner and Robert Hardon left their 5-year-old French Bulldog named Percy - who they adored - under Doggie Love's care for one night in July 2009, reported The New York Post.

According the lawsuit, a Doggie Love employee drove the couple's French Bulldog to their apartment in an overheated van. Once the employee arrived at the couple's Upper West Side apartment, the lawsuit says that concerned onlookers offered to give the obviously ailing dog water or medical attention, but the employee declined and instead dropped the heat exhausted pooch off inside the couple's empty apartment, the suit said.

Percy was found dead a few hours later sprawled out in front of an air conditioner, said The Post.

"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 grieving couple said.

Though their love for Percy is irreplaceable, the couple wants Doggie Love to fork over $1 million for their loss.

How does Doggie Love feel about allegedly losing someone's pet under their watchful eye?

According to the suit, Doggie Love owner Nilo Mathais told the couple that "sometimes, dogs just die."




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by HeavenMoxie July 17, 2010 7:45 PM EDT
This should set presedence for owners/care givers to find out certain aspects about breeds to avoid negilence.
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by njfeds July 17, 2010 12:45 AM EDT
Nilo has taken care of my dogs for 15 years and I have never met a more honest hard-working person. He is a dog lover and he truly loves what he does. There is more to this story. Nancy on the Upper West Side
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by wetnoseguide July 16, 2010 4:44 PM EDT
Tragedies like this highlight how important it is to know the quality of any agency taking care of your pets. Make sure to get references or feedback of some sort before hiring out to a dog-walker or petsitter!

Wet Nose Guide
wetnoseguide.com
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by doggiedaycare July 16, 2010 2:41 PM EDT
EVER WONDER WHY WE ARE ALL PAYING TOO MUCH FOR INSURANCE, I MEAN ANY KIND OF INSURANCE? INSANE LAWSUIT AMOUNTS LIKE THIS ARE A BIG PROBLEM IN AMERICA. THE ENTITLEMENT DESIRES NEED TO GET A REALITY CHECK!!!

I AM A LONG TIME COMPANION ANIMAL RESCUE VOLUNTEER AND PROFESSIONAL PET SITTER. THIS DOG WAS IN APPARENT DISTRESS AND THE SITTER LOOKS TO HAVE APPARENT RESPONSIBILITY IN THIS.
(REMEMBER THIS MEDIA OUTLET MAY HAVE SOME OF THE FACTS WRONG, IMAGINE THAT).


HOWEVER THIS MILLION DOLLARS FOR THE LOSS OF A DOG, NO MATTER THE CAUSE, IS AN INSANE AMOUNT.
WHAT IF YOU, ACCIDENTALLY HIT A DOG WITH YOUR CAR AND THE DOG DIED.
WOULD YOU WANT TO BE SUED FOR $1 MILLION DOLLARS AND HAVE THE POTENTIAL FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY TO LOOSE EVERYTHING YOU OWN, NOW AND IN THE FUTURE?????

THE REALITY IS THE 'OWNER' OF THE PET SITTING CO. WILL AND SHOULD HAVE TO COMPENSATE THE OWNER OF THE DOG, BUT PUTTING THE POOR OWNER OF THE COMPANY OUT OF BUSINESS BECAUSE OF ONE BAD EMPLOYEE ISN'T FAIR!! IT IS A TOUGH BUSINESS AND MOST OF US ARE NOT GETTING RICH OUT HERE!
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by pugischild July 16, 2010 7:19 AM EDT
This article was so disturbing! 1M is NOT excessive at all if you consider the anguish that the couple must be going through!!!! Although I'm sure they loved their dog so much and 1M isn't going to bring the dog back.
Our 1 year old pug is just like a child...she brings us much joy. It took a lot of hard work to train her but it is well worth it, just like with a human child. If this happened at a daycare with a human child would 1M be excessive? There should be no question that this Doggie Love place should be shut down for stupidity and neglect in hopes to prevent this from ever happening again and the person who dropped the dog off without giving her water should be dropped off in a desert without any water...obviously this person is a worthless member of society which makes an animal account for much more! If this couple needs any help I am willing to help them get their justice!!!!!!
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by doggiedaycare July 16, 2010 2:45 PM EDT
Read doggiedaycares comment
by rositameyer July 16, 2010 12:32 AM EDT
What an aweful comment to make that sometimes dogs die what kind of heartless responce was that. And why in the world did the sitter not see that the dog was overheated when others could see. And even if he wasnt overheated why would you leave a dog and not make sure theres water. What kind of business is this? I hope they are not allowed to continue business if their gona be so irresponcable. My heart goes out to the owners. The Meyer family in Alaska
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by chelleye July 15, 2010 11:07 PM EDT
I am so sad to read this. We have a Frenchie and they are such good buddies. I feel for Percy's people. At first I thought 1 million seemed like a lot, then I got to the bottom of the article and saw the company owner's response to the pet owners.....they need to run him out of business by winning this lawsuit. He has no business caring for animals. Frenchies and English bulldogs are highly sensitive to heat and overheat very quickly. Poor Percy. :(
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by Shotgungal July 15, 2010 10:47 PM EDT
Just when I thought I had heard shocking "Animal crulety"stories before,another worse one pops up. I know just how the parents of the French Bulldog feel. I was once in a similar situation,only my story is;Christmas 2008" I was walking my puppy in my neighborhood as we had done before,and we got attacked from behind by a Pitbull.We had never seen or heard of a bad dog period being in our neighborhood. The Pitbull ran me over and chewed up my hands and arms pretty good,fractured a bone in my hand.He ended up killing my pup,and I couldn't work for over a month. So my pup was dead and I had major medical bills because of the attack,and being out of work for a month because of the attack. At this time I was also a first time new homeowner,which of course brings mortgage and other large bills. A year later this went thru court, and the judge's ruleing was;For the owner of the Pitbull to pay me restitution for my medical bills and loss time of work. During this whole procedure, I found out that the Pitbull had done the same type of attacks on other people and their pets many times before. Oh by the way,the Pitbull had to be put down as well so they could send his brain off for rabies testing.I had to go thru a series of very expensive and painfull rabies shots. To many people,their pets are so very much their children. And that is a big loss in their family. So I deeply sympathize with the French Bulldog's owners. And it sounds like that pet sitting company is so very incompetent,extremely rude and insensitive,and very ignorant,lazy and careless.They definitely deserve to be shutdown,and should have to pay some kind of restitution.
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by Pupuplater July 15, 2010 10:20 PM EDT
I hope the owner wins too, this is negligence, things like are total disregard for small defenseless pets.
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by Pupuplater July 15, 2010 10:29 PM EDT
I hope the owner wins,(the pet sitters) should have known better it goes to show that since its not theirs who cares.
by Doberluv July 15, 2010 8:29 PM EDT
For everyone saying "They should just buy them a new dog." That's stupid. Even if you don't like animals. Dogs are like children to some people. If a babysitter killed your child, would you want them to just buy you a new child? No. I think 1 million is totally fair.
Reply to this comment
by doggiedaycare July 16, 2010 2:48 PM EDT
where does the million dollars come from???? The owner of the company has one bad employee and their entire business is ruined......read doggiedaycares comment
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