# Woman gets a bloody fortune for "emotional distress" after her cat is mauled by a dog **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 10, 2005, 10:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-gets-a-bloody-fortune-for-emotional-distress-after-her-cat-is-mauled-by-a-dog/303200 "2005-05-10T10:47:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![PinkMarabou](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ec9cab/32.png) [@PinkMarabou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PinkMarabou)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2005, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-gets-a-bloody-fortune-for-emotional-distress-after-her-cat-is-mauled-by-a-dog/303200/21 "2005-05-10T13:07:34Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > Pathology, Gracie? Loving a cat is a mental illness? Both of your posts said exactly what I was thinking. Pet owners are not allowed to love their pets as much as any other family member for some reason. We’re sick or deranged. :rolleyes: Life is life, whether it is the child you brought here or the pets you chose to take care of, you are providing a safe and loving environment for another living being. At least you all have the option of just popping out another kid. I don’t, so I have to live with the life I’ve been given and I choose to fill my life with love via pets. But you know what they say, opinions are like assholes . . . ---
**Author:** ![DeadlyAccurate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ac91a4/32.png) [@DeadlyAccurate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeadlyAccurate)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2005, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-gets-a-bloody-fortune-for-emotional-distress-after-her-cat-is-mauled-by-a-dog/303200/22 "2005-05-10T13:10:06Z")
Not to speak for **Excalibre** , but seems to me he (she?) isn’t saying that loving a pet is a mental illness, but equating the relationship of pet-owner with child-parent is. I love my cats. I worry about them when I haven’t seen them in a while; I don’t let them outside for their own safety; I buy good-quality cat food and make sure they get their yearly vet visits; and their deaths will be very painful for me. As much as they are capable, they do return the feeling, but it’s very much a selfish love. But I will never choose their lives over those of another human, even a stranger. The same could not be said of my child, if I had one. That said, I think the dog owner should’ve been fined, and the woman should’ve been compensated some, but $45K is too much. ---
**Author:** ![Zabali\_Clawbane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecd19e/32.png) [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2005, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-gets-a-bloody-fortune-for-emotional-distress-after-her-cat-is-mauled-by-a-dog/303200/23 "2005-05-10T13:10:08Z")
**Debaser** , only if they forbid him to ever own another dog (or large potentially dangerous animal) again. I do believe this has happened in severe cases of animal hoarding and severe abuse/neglect cases in New York at least, if I recall that Animal Cops show correctly. ---
**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2005, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-gets-a-bloody-fortune-for-emotional-distress-after-her-cat-is-mauled-by-a-dog/303200/24 "2005-05-10T13:10:45Z")
> [@Snakescatlady](#): > > I guess some people just don’t understand that our cats are our children. For that very reason I went to the trouble and expense to construct a “cat suite” for my furbabies - they only go outside (in carriers) for the yearly trip to the vet. If I saw someone’s dog kill one of my cats,[…] I would […] do severe bodily harm to the owner if I knew who he was. I would tear up his garden. I would flatten his tires. I would put used motor oil in his gas tank. […] Ha! This is good stuff. You’re funny. I look forward to reading your other–hopefully equally humorous–posts. “Furbabies”…_priceless_! ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2005, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-gets-a-bloody-fortune-for-emotional-distress-after-her-cat-is-mauled-by-a-dog/303200/25 "2005-05-10T13:12:27Z")
> [@Debaser](#): > > No, but equating a cat with a human child may very well be. I don’t think that “I guess some people just don’t understand that our cats are our children” is actually saying that a cat is biologically indistinguishable from a human. The charge of pathology is unwarranted. [/QUOTE] My $.02: 45,000 is excessive, but a hefty fine was in order for this guy. He clearly was being very irresponsible. More importantly, his dog should be put down. That would solve some of the problem at least. [/QUOTE] Why punish the dog just because it was being a dog? Maybe it’s the owner that should be put down. Or confined. Or at least forced to give up his own furbabies. ---
**Author:** ![Debaser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3da27b/32.png) [@Debaser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Debaser)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2005, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-gets-a-bloody-fortune-for-emotional-distress-after-her-cat-is-mauled-by-a-dog/303200/26 "2005-05-10T13:18:03Z")
Not allowing the owner to get another dog sounds like a good idea to me. **tdn** , shredding a cat is not _just being a dog_. Some dogs are violent and dangerious. These dogs should be killed. ---
**Author:** ![Debaser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3da27b/32.png) [@Debaser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Debaser)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2005, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-gets-a-bloody-fortune-for-emotional-distress-after-her-cat-is-mauled-by-a-dog/303200/27 "2005-05-10T13:22:11Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > I don’t think that “I guess some people just don’t understand that our cats are our children” is actually saying that a cat is biologically indistinguishable from a human. The charge of pathology is unwarranted. I’m sure that nobody here thought you couldn’t tell the difference between a human child and a pet cat. That’s not the point. You equated a cat (small, furry animal that doesn’t care much for humans and makes many of us sneeze) with a child (human offspring of two parents that grows up to be an adult who can read and vote and is intelligent). This is just nuts. I’m sorry, but it is. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2005, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-gets-a-bloody-fortune-for-emotional-distress-after-her-cat-is-mauled-by-a-dog/303200/28 "2005-05-10T13:30:03Z")
> [@Snakescatlady](#): > > Was it a jury trial? If so, the jury probably figured that the guy’s homeowner insurance would cover it, so “let’s make the old lady feel better.” [No, it was a judge:](http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/223447_cat09.html) > [@](#): > > The fact that the judgment in Roemer’s case came from a judge rather than a jury was significant, said Wolcher, the professor. > > “Jurors can be expected to be swayed by emotional factors,” he said. “But you like to think that judges are more sober.” > > Whether the judgment will affect future cases is uncertain, Wolcher said. But it will certainly spark interest in the legal community, he said. The law on the value of pets is in flux now, according to the article: > [@](#): > > Traditionally the law treated pets as personal property, like a car or oven. > > But in recent years, the legal community has debated whether animals should have independent status or be considered something more than property. > > And while common pets – as opposed to show animals – have not had a high economic value, their sentimental value can be very high, Wolcher said. > > Now when damages are awarded for a pet’s destruction, “you keep the legal fiction that it’s property, but you begin to treat it other than something like just a toaster oven,” he said. If you read the full text of that article you’ll discover the factual basis for the judge’s determination that the cat had extraordinary value to its owner. Enough to sustain the decision on appeal? I dunno. If I break one of your possessions what do I owe you? The replacement cost? Okay, if it’s from Wal-Mart, I dig out the spare change. If it’s a Ming Dynasty vase, obviously I owe you a hell of a lot more. But if it’s a simple little stoneware vase, nothing special except to you, that’s been handed down in your family since Colonial days and means a great deal to you; if you’d asked me to be careful about handling it; if I’d ignored your warnings and carelessly flipped it into a stone wall; if you saw me do it, and I blew it off as no big deal – what would I owe you? Should it be the replacement value? How do you replace something like that? I found [this comment](http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/2231327306) from the dog’s owner quite revealing: > [@](#): > > Gray says, “This is absolutely crazy. I’m sorry she lost her cat, but I had no control over it.” Bullshit. He had the ability and the legal duty to be responsible for controlling his dog. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2005, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-gets-a-bloody-fortune-for-emotional-distress-after-her-cat-is-mauled-by-a-dog/303200/29 "2005-05-10T13:36:01Z")
> [@Debaser](#): > > Not allowing the owner to get another dog sounds like a good idea to me. > > **tdn** , shredding a cat is not _just being a dog_. Some dogs are violent and dangerious. These dogs should be killed. The dog in question is a chow. Not a breed of dog for everyone, or even most people. Check out the warnings [here.](http://www.leerburg.com/chows.htm) A dog like that should never be owned by someone with the attitude displayed by the guy in this story, and indeed could easily move on to attacking poeple, in fact I’m amazed it didn’t turn on the woman when she was rescuing her other cat. ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2005, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-gets-a-bloody-fortune-for-emotional-distress-after-her-cat-is-mauled-by-a-dog/303200/30 "2005-05-10T13:42:46Z")
Ah, yes. The my pets are my children argument. Doesn’t wash. I am very attached to my cat and was also attached to the cat I had earlier. I even love my fish–they give me great pleasure, although they don’t know me from Adam. the depth of feeling-visceral, primal, instinctual-felt for kids is exponentially higher than what I feel for any animal, no matter how treasured. And that is how it should be, since I am human. Equating pets to children does the children a disservice and lowers them to the level of a pet. Not a nice thought. No cat, dog or similiar is worth $45K. There are too many cats (and dogs) that need good homes. And while some may call me callous, I am with **Airman** here–yes, of course, you grieve the loss of a beloved pet. But don’t tell me that you cannot (and do not) go down to the Humane Society/breeder and procure yourself another one. Most folks don’t do that when their child dies. Yes, you remember the quirks of personality that each pet had and also the times in your life when that pet helped you thru. But in the end, the pet is replaceable and no child is. The dog owner sounds like a jerk, but I hope the decision is overturned because of the outrageous amount involved. Stray thoughts: the dog should be put down and the owner should not be able to own another dog. Also, he should pay for the removal expenses of both animals and some type of fine–but not 45K. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2005, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-gets-a-bloody-fortune-for-emotional-distress-after-her-cat-is-mauled-by-a-dog/303200/31 "2005-05-10T13:44:38Z")
> [@Debaser](#): > > You equated a cat (small, furry animal that doesn’t care much for humans and makes many of us sneeze) with a child (human offspring of two parents that grows up to be an adult who can read and vote and is intelligent). This is just nuts. I’m sorry, but it is. So is reading and voting the metric by which we judge something as lovable? A child with severe birth defects will be able to do neither. Is it pathological to love such a child as much as one that may someday grow up to be a book-reading voter? Or does it have to do with life span? I know of a woman who dearly loved a daughter who was expected to die by that age of 5. Pathological? What I suspect that what you really mean is that we should love our own species more than other species. This seems intuitive, but who is the final arbiter on this? If someone violates this natural order of who deserves love the most, should I call the Love Police? ---
**Author:** ![Arwin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/51bf81/32.png) [@Arwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arwin)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2005, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-gets-a-bloody-fortune-for-emotional-distress-after-her-cat-is-mauled-by-a-dog/303200/32 "2005-05-10T13:49:46Z")
And I found this comment interesting: Karp said the $45,480 award is significant partly because it’s the first to indicate that feline companions are as valuable as canines. Americans’ tendency to value dogs more than cats “is just completely insane,” he said. Apparently this kind of damages have previously been awarded for dogs, but not for cats … interesting. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2005, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-gets-a-bloody-fortune-for-emotional-distress-after-her-cat-is-mauled-by-a-dog/303200/33 "2005-05-10T13:54:32Z")
> [@eleanorigby](#): > > No cat, dog or similiar is worth $45K. My girlfriend has already spent $18,000 on vet bills for one of her cats, and I know she’d gladly do it again. So to her the cat is worth at least $36,000 to her. At what monetary value is it no longer worth keeping? Is there a given bluebook value for this particular cat? And yes, her cats are her children. They are no less so just because you love your flesh babies. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2005, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-gets-a-bloody-fortune-for-emotional-distress-after-her-cat-is-mauled-by-a-dog/303200/34 "2005-05-10T13:59:57Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > They are no less so just because you love your flesh babies. “_Flesh babies?_” (Tries in vain to resist urge to yell “Band name!”) ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2005, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-gets-a-bloody-fortune-for-emotional-distress-after-her-cat-is-mauled-by-a-dog/303200/35 "2005-05-10T14:01:31Z")
> [@eleanorigby](#): > > But don’t tell me that you cannot (and do not) go down to the Humane Society/breeder and procure yourself another one. > > Most folks don’t do that when their child dies. (terribly un-PC comment that will surely get me in trouble) True, most folks don’t even have to leave the house to get another child, they just have to stop taking birth control. If we’re talking just about the cost of replacement, that is. Let’s also not kid ourselves into thinking that a wrongful death suit for a child is going to net anything remotely as small as $45K. Especially if the defendant already went to jail for his actions and didn’t bother to mount any defense at trial. ---
**Author:** ![Neurotik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/91b2a8/32.png) [@Neurotik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurotik)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2005, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-gets-a-bloody-fortune-for-emotional-distress-after-her-cat-is-mauled-by-a-dog/303200/36 "2005-05-10T14:03:22Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > And yes, her cats are her children. Only if she’s a crazy loner. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2005, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-gets-a-bloody-fortune-for-emotional-distress-after-her-cat-is-mauled-by-a-dog/303200/37 "2005-05-10T14:07:24Z")
> [@Neurotik](#): > > Only if she’s a crazy loner. Before I tell you to eat shit and fuck off, are you calling my girlfriend a crazy loner? I’ll give you one chance to take that back. ---
**Author:** ![lno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a8b319/32.png) [@lno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lno)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2005, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-gets-a-bloody-fortune-for-emotional-distress-after-her-cat-is-mauled-by-a-dog/303200/38 "2005-05-10T14:12:07Z")
> [@eleanorigby](#): > > No cat, dog or similiar is worth $45K. Many dogs are worth $45k or more. You could begin by asking your local police department how much they spend on a K-9 police dog. Not just the initial purchase, but the ongoing training, health care, and equipment over the life of the dog. SAR, drug detection, explosive detection and service dogs often fetch a very high price due to the training they receive. Did you mean to say “no common house pet is worth $45K”? ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2005, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-gets-a-bloody-fortune-for-emotional-distress-after-her-cat-is-mauled-by-a-dog/303200/39 "2005-05-10T14:14:19Z")
> [@Excalibre](#): > > Your cat is not capable of the sort of emotional interchange that a child is, and if you believe you have the same sort of bond with your cat that a parent does with a child, you should realize that this bond is an illusion that exists in your head. But isn’t it the case that all emotional bonds exist in your head, specifically the limbic system? ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2005, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-gets-a-bloody-fortune-for-emotional-distress-after-her-cat-is-mauled-by-a-dog/303200/40 "2005-05-10T14:19:33Z")
> [@This Year's Model](#): > > He knew the dogs were causing trouble and didn’t do anything about it. Maybe in the future, he’ll know better. No, this guy should never be allowed to own another pet, except maybe a goldfish. He has clearly demonstrated that he is not a responsible dog owner. He has also displayed a degree of callousness that is disturbing. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-gets-a-bloody-fortune-for-emotional-distress-after-her-cat-is-mauled-by-a-dog/303200.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-gets-a-bloody-fortune-for-emotional-distress-after-her-cat-is-mauled-by-a-dog/303200.md?page=3)