you are suing the defendant
for the return of your
Great Dane
or the value of the dog.
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy:
I have a counterclaim
in the event you are awarded
custody of the dog
for the amount of money
that the defendant spent
in caring
for your dog during the time
she had your dog.
So let's start at the beginning.
When and from whom
did you purchase this dog?
>> I bought the dog
from a breeder.
It was in July of 2015.
>> Judge Judy: And how much
did you pay for the dog?
>> I paid $1,200.
>> Judge Judy:
How old was the dog
when you purchased the dog?
>> The dog was two months old
when I took her home.
>> Judge Judy:
And it's a Great Dane?
>> A Harlequin Great Dane.
>> Judge Judy:
I know what they look like.
Have you ever had
a Great Dane before?
>> No, I have not.
>> Judge Judy: Had you ever had
any dogs before?
>> Yes, I have.
>> Judge Judy: What kind?
>> I had a Staffordshire terrier
for 10 years.
>> Judge Judy: Mm-hmm.
>> She passed away in 2016.
And before that I had
a golden retriever for seven
years.
>> Judge Judy: Well, you bought
this dog in 2015,
and so you say the Staffordshire
died in 2016.
So you had the two dogs
at the same time
for a period of time?
>> Yeah, just for a few months.
I knew that my Staffordshire
was ill
and she was going to pass soon.
>> Judge Judy:
And there came a time
when you had to
leave your property.
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: You had to leave
your property because?
>> Because my dad had recently
died
and I was getting a settlement
as soon as his case closed,
but the case did not close...
>> Judge Judy: Whatever.
You moved in with your
boyfriend, and your boyfriend
had a pit bull, and the pit bull
didn't like other dogs.
When was that?
>> That was September of 2015.
>> Judge Judy: So at that
point you had had the dog
for approximately between six
and eight weeks.
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: And that's
the time that Ms. Pedroni
took custody of your dog...
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy:
...with your permission.
>> Right.
>> Judge Judy:
And it would be fair to say that
from September of 2015 up
through March of 2017,
Ms. Pedroni
has had physical custody
of your dog continuously.
>> Yes, she has.
But not by choice...
>> Judge Judy: I don't care
whether by choice or not.
Would it be a fair statement
from September of 2015
until the end of March 2017,
Ms. Pedroni
had physical custody of a dog
that you had in your custody
between six and eight weeks
two years ago?
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy:
That a fair statement?
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: Do you understand
where I'm going?
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: Great.
Now, while the dog was in
Ms. Pedroni's custody,
she took care of the dog.
She fed the dog.
And in addition
to everything else,
she had the dog spayed.
The dog had gone into heat,
and at that point,
she says in her answer
she couldn't have a 110-pound
Great Dane walking
around her house in heat,
so she had the dog spayed.
You were unhappy with that,
so as part of your lawsuit,
you're also saying not only
do you want the dog back,
but you want punitive damages
for her spaying the dog --
for having an unnecessary
medical procedure.
I'm just laying
out what your lawsuit is.
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: Is that right?
>> That's correct.
>> Judge Judy: You understand
that this is
an unsympathetic face to you?
You understand that?
>> Yes.
I've been trying to get the dog
back the entire time.
And I have --
>> Judge Judy:
Well, that's not true because
you've managed to find your way
to a small-claims court
two years later.
>> Yes, I --
>> Judge Judy:
So if you could find your way
to a small-claims
court two years later,
you can find yourself to small-
claims court four months later.
>> At four months later,
she was still telling me
that I could have my dog back.
>> Judge Judy: What do you mean
she's been telling you
you can get your dog back?
>> Well, every time I went
to her house to visit the dog,
she said...she would say,
"No problem."
I could have the dog back
as soon as I get my house.
>> Judge Judy:
When did you get your house?
>> I got my house late
June of 2016.
>> Judge Judy: So she'd had
the dog
at that point almost 10 months?
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: In the 10 months
that she had the dog,
Ms. Hirsch, how much money
did you give her
to take care of the dog?
>> I didn't give her any money.
>> Judge Judy:
So the answer is zero.
And I'd like to see the receipts
for food that you brought
during the two years
that Ms. Pedroni
has had your dog.
>> I do not have the receipts.
I paid cash for that.
But Ms. Pedroni does not deny
that I brought her dog food.
>> Judge Judy: Just a second.
There's a difference
between bringing dog food
and coming every week
and supplying
a 110-pound dog with food.
There's a difference.
>> I did bring the food.
>> Judge Judy:
It's time to get another dog.
>> She doesn't deny that
I brought her food.
>> Judge Judy: Listen to me.
It's time to get another dog.
>> I was in constant
communication with her.
>> Judge Judy: Ms. Hirsch...
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy:
...listen to me very carefully.
You've abandoned the dog.
Two years!
You had the puppy for six weeks
two years ago.
And she's had the dog
in her continual custody
for two years.
>> I came over to her house
and visited the dog.
And the dog would come up to me.
She knows that I'm her mother.
She came up to me,
and she kissed me,
and I spent time with her.
Even though she has not been
in my possession,
she's still my dog.
>> Judge Judy:
No, she's not your dog.
How many times a week
for the last two years did you
go and visit the dog
at Ms. Pedroni's?
>> Sometim Judge Judy: How many.
Listen to me.
I have a question.
There's a question out there.
How many times a week?
If one of my children...
You say, "I'm her mother" --
>> I am her mother.
>> Judge Judy:
Just listen to me.
You're not her mother.
If one of my children was
staying with my cousin Bonnie
because I lost my home,
I would go and visit
that child every day.
So what I want to know is,
how many times did you go
and visit the dog every week
for the last two years?
>> I would go ever couple weeks.
Probably every two weeks.