you and your five children
were evicted from your home.
That was about nine months ago.
>> We weren't evicted.
We won against the owners.
It was a slum house.
>> Judge Judy: Your complaint
starts out reading as follows,
that you signed:
"Jamie and I were wrongfully
evicted out of our apartment.
We have five kids and a dog."
That's what you wrote
in your complaint.
>> We meant to say they tried
to evict us, but we won,
but we agreed to move out.
I just didn't know
what words to put.
>> Judge Judy:
Just telling you what you wrote
in your complaint.
>> Okay.
>> Judge Judy:
And that was eight or nine
months ago.
You had a dog, this dog,
that you couldn't take with you,
and you put it in a kennel.
Right?
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: Which kennel?
>> Smith Kennels.
It's a very nice
one in Lancaster.
It's a couple of little
old ladies that run it.
>> Judge Judy: Just a second.
You knew the defendants.
The defendants agreed
to take your dog.
She did.
>> She asked us.
>> Judge Judy:
They did take your dog.
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: And she's going
to tell me the story
that I'm going to believe.
It's now nine months later.
Ms. Cruse says that
when the dog came to them,
the dog was
in terrible condition.
Nails hadn't been cut,
so it was limping, matted,
really not in good shape.
How long had
the dog been in a kennel?
>> We had the dog --
>> Judge Judy:
How long had the dog been
in a kennel?
>> A month and a half.
>> Judge Judy:
And how much did you pay
for this kennel?
>> $15 a day.
>> Judge Judy:
Was the bill paid?
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: So the dog
was in a kennel for a month
and a half before it even went
to the defendants.
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy:
Now you want the dog back?
>> This is what happened.
>> Judge Judy:
Now, don't tell me.
That's what the case is about.
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: Since Ms. Cruse
has the dog...
It's actually her daughter.
Is that right?
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: How many times
did you visit with the dog?
>> Only a few.
>> Judge Judy: In what month?
>> I don't remember
dates exactly.
>> Judge Judy: Well, let's try
to remember dates.
That's what you're here for.
>> September-ish, October-ish.
They'd only had him
for about a month when
we went to visit a couple times.
>> Judge Judy:
Dog look pretty good to you?
>> Looked just like we did
when we gave her to...
except the hair was cut.
>> Judge Judy:
You want to describe to me
what the dog looked like
when you got the dog
after a month
and a half in a kennel?
>> So basically,
I got the dog --
>> Judge Judy: Listen to me.
I don't want to hear the word
basically or the word like.
>> Okay.
>> Judge Judy: I want you
to tell me what the dog
looked like
when you got the dog.
>> The dog had two dreads
behind each ear.
He had a jacket of mats
that I had to remove,
and he had overgrown nails.
>> Judge Judy:
Who went to pick up the dog
at the kennel?
>> I'm assuming they did
because I didn't.
>> Judge Judy:
Who volunteered to take the dog?
Would that be you?
>> I did, Your Honor.
>> Judge Judy: How do you know
Mr. and Mrs. Galvan?
>> Your Honor, we lived
in the same apartment
complex for over five years
in Canyon Country.
That's how I began to know them,
through my mom.
She was initially their friend.
>> Judge Judy: Okay.
So that's how you know them?
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: What made you
take the dog?
>> My daughter needed
externship credits for school.
She's in the animal behavior
college, and she needed
hands-on experience.
So we asked them,
could we borrow their dog?
>> Judge Judy:
And that was in what month?
>> That was around May or June.
>> That's not true.
>> I have evidence.
>> Judge Judy: Shh.
>> [ Scoffs ] Wow.
>> Judge Judy:
And that was when they were
still living there?
>> No, not in Canyon Country,
the place
they just got evicted from.
That's where they were living.
>> Judge Judy: Okay.
But they were living there.
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: So you just asked
if your daughter
could have hands-on credit.
>> Yes, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: The dog wasn't
in a kennel at that time.
>> No, Your Honor.
>> Judge Judy: Great.
So the dog was at their house.
Now, when you took the dog
for this hands-on credit,
did you keep the dog
at your house for any particular
period of time?
>> It was just for the weekend
because it was just, like,
you know, a weekend-type
of sleepover.
>> Judge Judy: Okay. Okay.
So you kept the dog
for the weekend,
and then you returned the dog
to Mr. and Mrs. Galvan.
>> Yeah.
>> Judge Judy:
And that was in May or June.
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy:
Don't say yes unless...
>> Because, when he had
the mats,
it was more towards February,
and that's when I was working.
>> Judge Judy: I understand
that's when you got him
from the kennel.
I'm talking about when you got
the dog from the kennel,
when you took the dog
for the weekend,
is that when you're describing
to me that the dog had mats
and long nails?
>> No, that's when he was
staying with them at their home.
>> Judge Judy: And he was okay
when he came to you
for the weekend?
>> Yes. Mm-hmm.
>> Judge Judy: Is that correct?
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: After they got
evicted from their apartment
and the dog was in the kennel,
what happened that
inspired you to take the dog?
>> Can I actually
answer that, Mom?
>> Judge Judy: Yes.
>> Okay, so he was
staying with us
before he was in the shelter
that they put him in.
And I didn't live in LA.
I lived in Palmdale,
so sometimes,
when I'd come to LA,
I would have to leave him.
And he couldn't,
like, eat or use the bathroom
without me being there.
So he had, you know,
used the bathroom
all in the house.
And I didn't have --
>> Judge Judy:
I don't understand
what time period
you're talking about.
So why don't you
let your mother speak?
>> Yeah, okay.
>> Yes, Your Honor.
I can explain more better.
In July, and I have the receipt
right here to show
that I started purchasing
supplies for the dog,
they got evicted, Your Honor,
and the homeless hotel
that they were staying in,
that the county put them up in,
was not pet-friendly.
At that time, I agreed for them
to bring the dog
back to my house
out of the kennel
with an elderly lady.
It wasn't even a kennel.
It was an older lady
and her daughter.
They were keeping the dog
in a little, tiny apartment.
When the dog came to us,
when he was matted,
they sent him with a pack
of hot dogs and sandwich meat.
>>