Hazel the Dog - home forever.

We like to share our victories.  And today I celebrate an important one.

My clients share a common thread -- the need to access the justice system is thrust upon them.  It is not of their choosing.  While I am typically helping a client navigate the impact of a life-altering injury caused by someone's bad and unreasonable acts, this case was a little different; though the stakes were equally high.

I represented the owner of sweet Hazel the Dog, a small dachshund.  She was gifted Hazel by her sister's then boyfriend, who had the obligation of the dog thrust on him after the death of a friend.  It was clear that he had no interest in caring for Hazel, and he was happy to have found a loving, caring home for her.  All was good in the story, which all sounds ripped from the pages of a Tom Perrotta novel, until the romance hit the rocks.  You can guess what happened next...long after making the gift, he demanded Hazel back. 

When that didn't work, he escalated things -- filing a police report.  When that went nowhere, he hired a lawyer and convinced her to file a Replevin action.  For those of you who are not currently first year law students, a Replevin action is a legal action to recover personal property.  Once served with the Replevin, Hazel's owner found her way to my office.

I heard the story and wanted to help.  We tried and tried...and tried again...to sort this out privately.  Hazel's owner even offered to pay him for her own dog, just to make this go away.  That went nowhere.

Today, after a series of legal motions and (wholly unjustified and unnecessary) legal wrangling, I am happy to report that Hazel is home with her rightful owner, safe and sound.  We secured a complete victory for our client, and her human owner.  The court also awarded 100% of our requested fees.

For me, it's nice that this win comes during the season of Diwali, an Indian holiday that celebrates the triumph of good over evil -- light over darkness. Though there are often starts and stops – and curlicues – good always wins out in the end.

#justice4hazel

Dev.