Doggie Love In Queens Sued For $1M For Death Of French Bulldog

Pet sitting agency Doggie Love in Queens has been sued for $1 million after a New York couple returned from a trip to find their pet French bulldog, Percy, dead on their apartment floor, according to CBS News. The incident happened in July 2009, according to court documents cited in the article.

While $1 million is quite a lot of money for the loss of a pet, most dog owners would understand their response to the tragedy. With the help of their New York personal injury lawyer, the couple expressed the impact of their loss in their negligence complaint:

"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."

An article in the New York Post provides a little more detail about the alleged pet neglect and resulting lawsuit.

Plaintiffs Laura Garner and Robert Hardon, both bankers, left Percy in the care of Doggie Love for one evening while they were out of town. The dog, apparently suffering from some kind of health problem, was returned to the couple's home without their knowledge later that evening, according to the suit.

As they brought the visibly distressed pooch into the building, both the doorman and a federal judge who lives next door asked the Doggie Love employee carrying Percy if they could get him some water or call a vet, according to court documents. But the employee reportedly shrugged them off and placed the dog in its owners' apartment.

He was discovered dead in front of an air conditioner a few hours later, when the couple returned home. Vets who examined Percy's body later that evening said his body temperature was "notably high" and that he had suffered seizures before his death.

And to make matters worse, Doggie Love co-owner Nilo Mathias allegedly told the couple that "sometimes, dogs just die." The other owner, Marla Abrams, allegedly asked the grieving couple, "What do you want from us?"

That question was answered recently when the couple filed its million-dollar suit.

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