Irate Judge Rules in Dog Custody Case: Give Puddles Back!

Animal Law

Irate Judge Rules in Dog Custody Case: Give Puddles Back!

Posted Apr 25, 2008, 02:41 pm CDT
By Martha Neil

The judge has ruled in a dog custody case in Texas that attracted international attention. Despite Grace Saenz' claim that Puddles, a Shih Tzu, was in a bad state when a neighbor asked her to care for the pet 10 months ago, the dog must be returned to her original owners.

"The bizarre story of puppy love drew international media attention earlier this year, from the front page of the New York Times to the Geraldo Rivera show, much of it at the expense of the city's image," recounts the San Antonio Express-News. And, by the end of a two-hour trial yesterday, State District Judge Richard Terrell had clearly heard enough about flea infestation and house-breaking issues.

"I can't tell you what a spectacle this has been and the multitude of jokes that I've had to hear," Terrell told lawyers for both sides at the trial. "A lot of this is just plain, flat ridiculous."

The case, however, is not over for Saenz (also known as Grace Saenz-Lopez), who initially told the neighbor that Puddles had died and placed the dog with her sister. She has been criminally charged with tampering with evidence and fabricating a police report, the New York Times noted in a lengthy article earlier this year.

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