Plano Couple Sued Over Yelp Review Now Seeking Six Figures

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PLANO (CBSDFW.COM) - The Plano couple sued by a pet sitting company after they left a negative review on Yelp, is seeking a six-figure award.

Michelle and Robert Duchouquette are asking the judge to award more than $178,000 in legal fees and an additional $200,000 to deter future lawsuits.

In August, the couple got the lawsuit by Prestigious Pets dismissed.

The company sued the couple for up to $1 million for the bad Yelp review, saying it violated the non-disparagement close in their contract.

The review said Michelle Duchouquette did not like the extra $5 fee to walk her dogs, and that the fish bowl's water appeared cloudy with possibly too much food.

"I don't think it was hateful, it didn't have bad intent, it's my opinion of a business," said Michelle Duchouquette in June.

In an email to CBS11 back in February 2016, the owners of Prestigious Pets, David and Kalle McWhorter, explained their side of the story:

We are honest people seeking protection from dishonest individuals, not other honest ones.   Fair and honest feedback is not the issue here.

Keep in mind that JP court costs nothing to either party and is a free public service.  Asking for a judge to help us review any issue is not a charge/overcharge, a scam, a service that wasn't provided, or a refund that is owed.  A judges decision may not even be in our favor.  Or we may even choose not to follow through.

Being dog walkers, we definitely do not have legal degrees, and had to seek assistance from professionals for a service agreement. We typically spend up to, and even more than an hour sometimes, meeting and going over questions/concerns with any new potential customers in person. Just as a customer is free to choose if they'd like to use our service, we also choose if we feel comfortable being able to provide it, and reserve the right to refuse. We may not be the right fit for everyone, and so are extremely upfront to ensure that expectations align. There are no tricks. And we will never "sell" or force our services upon anyone. If for any reason there isn't a good fit, we would much rather help one find another service that might be better for them. We don't mind assisting anyone with finding the right care for their specifications, even if we aren't the ones providing it. This is how we approach any new relationship. 

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