$45 000 for dead kitty
2005-05-11 11:49
Los Angeles - A woman whose cat was mauled to death by a neighbour's dog has been awarded $45 000 - about R277 708 000 - by a US judge in Seattle, including $15 000 for emotional distress, hew lawyer said on Tuesday.
The wrongful death lawsuit was filed in November last year by Paula Roemer, whose 12-year-old cat, Yofi, was attacked and killed in her back yard by her neighbour's black chow chow.
In a sworn court deposition, Roemer said she was so upset by the incident that she began having panic attacks, sank into a deep depression and started smoking heavily.
Judge Barbara Linde awarded Roemer $30 000 in compensation and a further $15 000 for her emotional distress.
"For a companion animal, this is the largest sum of money I've heard of," said Roemer's attorney Adam Karp, adding that his client intended to donate the money to animal welfare groups.
In her lawsuit, Roemer charged that her neighbour had allowed his dogs to run loose repeatedly and had not built a fence as promised.