Onalaska family fighting courts over its dog’s cash value

Family’s lawyer says dogs shouldn’t be treated like cars

The lawyer for a family at the center of a pet damage suit says the case is definitely headed for the state supreme court.  

Thomas Horvath represents the owners of Ella, a West Highland White Terrier from Onalaska, Wis. 

Ella was mauled by a neighbor’s dog and ran up $12,000 in vet bills because of the attack.  

An appeals court, however, has sided with a La Crosse judge limiting damages to the dog’s replacement cost, saying pets have a fair market value. Kind of like cars, which is just bad reasoning, says Horvath.

“Dogs and cats, are really different species,” Horvath said. “We ought to treat them differently than a used car.”

“If these things actually have a fair market value, the humane society would be a for-profit outfit all across the country. If these things really have the value that everyone says they do. But, they’re giving away dogs left and right.”

Horvath says a number of states already treat family pets as something that has value beyond that of a piece of property.  

A state supreme court ruling could clarify that in Wisconsin.