Before John Rodriguez went on a week's vacation, he left Chopper--his eight-month-old Rottweiler--with AAA Veterinary Clinic. When he returned, the dog was allegedly "filthy," acted strangely, and was uncontrollable. When Chopper's behavior failed to improve, the animal was later euthanized.
Rodriguez sued the clinic claiming Chopper had been neglected and that an oak table which had been placed inside of the animal's cage had been damaged. The clinic countered that Chopper was walked two to three times a day, and the item was placed in the kennel so that the puppy had something to chew on.
After the New York City Civil Court sided with Rodriguez, and awarded him $900, the clinic appealed and got the Appellate Term, Second Department, to reverse and dismiss the guy's case. The AT2 found Rodriguez's claims to be "speculative," because he didn't present any evidence that the clinic hadn't used reasonable care or had otherwise been negligent.
Not a lucky dog.
To view a copy of the Appellate Tern's decision, please use this link: Rodriguez v. AAA Veterinary Clinic, P.C.