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00:00It is your claim, her dogs attacked your cat.
00:04Yes.
00:05Do these look like your dogs?
00:07I have two huskies, but they don't really look like my two huskies, to be exact.
00:12That's baloney. These are your two dogs.
00:15That's clear.
00:16This is Judy Justice.
00:36Angelina and Gustavo Cazares are suing their neighbor, Maria Roque, for vet bills after Maria's dogs attacked their cat.
00:46Court coming to order?
00:47All rise.
00:49Have a seat, please.
00:51Judge, case 4036, Cazares versus Roque.
00:54You're welcome.
00:54Mr. and Mrs. Cazares, this is your cat?
00:57Yes.
00:57Yes, Your Honor.
00:58That is an indoor-outdoor cat.
01:00Indoor-outdoor monthly.
01:02So you let it out. You open the door and let it out.
01:05Yes.
01:05And it is your claim that the defendant's two huskies injured your cat, requiring her tail, her?
01:12His.
01:13His tail to be amputated. You want the defendant to pay for the vet bills.
01:18Yes.
01:18I've read your complaint. Now I'd like to hear your testimony.
01:21This incident happened on June 1st of 2024.
01:26Yes. June 1st of 2024 at 3.05 in the morning.
01:313.05 a.m.
01:33Yes. 3.05 a.m.
01:34So the cat had been out all night.
01:36Yes. Out all night.
01:38When was the last time you saw the cat indoors in your house?
01:41The night before.
01:42What time?
01:43Around 10 p.m.
01:44Does the cat go out on its own or do you let the cat out?
01:48We let the cat out.
01:48Okay. So you let it out for the night and you let it back in in the morning.
01:53When he doesn't claw the door.
01:56Okay. Let's understand.
01:56Okay.
01:57If you let the cat out at night, I assume you lock your doors, close your windows, because
02:02everybody does wherever they live. They lock a door, whatever. Does your cat have a cat
02:06door in your house?
02:07Not to outside, no.
02:09It doesn't have a cat door. So it requires you to let the cat out.
02:12Yes.
02:13So you let the cat out the night before and at 3 o'clock in the morning, you were awakened
02:18because you heard...
02:19Our dogs bark in the house. Our three dogs were barking, alerting us that something was
02:25going on outside.
02:27So what did you do?
02:28So I opened the door. I ran out.
02:30Just a second. You got out of bed?
02:31Yes.
02:32Just you or you and your husband?
02:34Just myself.
02:35Now, when you got out of bed, did you have to turn the light on? It's dark at 3 o
02:38'clock
02:38in the morning.
02:39No, I know the house pretty well.
02:40So you got up without turning the light on. You went downstairs and you opened the door.
02:45Yes.
02:46And what did you see when you looked outside?
02:48When I ran outside, I had to turn the corner and I heard the dogs barking, Rex and Lacey.
02:55Just a second. You heard dogs barking?
02:58Yes.
02:58Now, what did you see? What was the first thing that you saw when you walked outside and
03:03you heard the dogs barking?
03:04I have to turn a corner to go in front of my garage. And so when I turned the corner,
03:10I saw two dogs, two husky dogs, and they were trying to get underneath me.
03:15Don't tell me what they were trying to do. You saw two husky dogs. What were they doing?
03:19They were clawing underneath my van.
03:23Underneath your car?
03:24Yes.
03:24So they were under there, moving their paws, trying to do something underneath your car.
03:30Yes.
03:30And what did you do next?
03:31I shooed them away. I started making loud noises and clapping.
03:35And did they go away?
03:36Yes.
03:37Okay. And?
03:38Once they took off, then I kneeled down to see what they were scratching at,
03:44and I saw Chester underneath the car.
03:46Okay. So you didn't see any interaction between Chester and the two huskies?
03:52No.
03:52At that time, at 3 o'clock in the morning, you saw no interaction?
03:56Correct.
03:57And between, I don't know, 10 o'clock at night and 3 o'clock in the morning,
04:01you had no idea where your cat was?
04:03Correct.
04:03Okay. What's next?
04:06So after I kneeled down to see Chester underneath the van,
04:10I reached for him or called him out, and he did not come.
04:15So I had to physically grab him and bring him out and take him inside.
04:21And?
04:22And when I put him down, I could see that he was matted somewhere in the back,
04:28like somebody had, or that he was wet, put him down,
04:31and then observed him hurt, walking strangely than he normally does.
04:38And?
04:39And when I had him there, I called for my husband, who came out of the room.
04:45Um, we started to look at videos.
04:47So we observed the video, we watched the video,
04:51and saw that the two huskies, um, had attacked.
04:55You have, just a second, you have videos of the two huskies attacking your cat?
05:01That I'd like to see.
05:02The only thing that you saw, however, were the two huskies that you identified as the defendants
05:09trying to get under the car to get to your cat and barking.
05:13You didn't see any interaction, so I assume the video shows that.
05:16The video does not show the interaction between the cat and the dogs.
05:20It shows what I, what I saw before, and a little bit before when I...
05:26Well, I'd like to see it, because so far you have no case.
05:28Okay.
05:29Because you don't know where the cat was between 10 o'clock at night and 3 o'clock in the
05:33morning.
05:34Her dogs may have been out, your cat was out.
05:35You don't know who caused that injury to the animal.
05:38I mean, so far, I'm not hearing that.
05:40So let's see the video.
06:09Let's see the video.
06:28Okay, so there's no interaction on the video either.
06:31Is that right?
06:32There's no interaction.
06:34They're clearly going after him underneath the car.
06:36Well, they're barking at him underneath the car.
06:39It's not a growl.
06:40Both tails were up on the huskies.
06:42But bottom line is, you don't know how your cat was injured.
06:48How do I know who injured your cat or what injured your cat?
06:52Well, I do wish that I had the video for my brain.
06:56Well, that's, you know, I don't deal with wishes.
06:59Courts don't deal with wishes.
07:09Angelina and Gustavo Cazares claimed their neighbor, Maria Roque, owes for their bills after her husky dogs attacked their cat,
07:19Chester.
07:20Okay, your cat was out unattended.
07:22The dogs were out unattended, okay?
07:25Let me give you an example.
07:26Because, first of all, the cat looks adorable with an amputated tail.
07:30I'm sure he would prefer to have his tail, but he looks perfectly happy without his tail.
07:35You know, he's probably fine, right?
07:37Mm-hmm.
07:37So, when there are unattended animals, like two huskies, let us assume they are two huskies, okay?
07:44They look like your two dogs, right?
07:46Well, based on the video I saw, I have two huskies, but they don't really look like my two huskies,
07:52to be exact.
07:53It's a dark video.
07:55Do these look like your dogs?
07:56You have pictures of your dogs?
07:58Yes, I have pictures of my dogs.
07:59I'd like to take a look at them, because I saw these two dogs.
08:01Um, I would also like to add, your honor, um, there's also other huskies around the neighborhood?
08:05I don't care.
08:06Okay, yes, your honor.
08:07Not the issue.
08:08It would have been easier if you said, yes, those are my two dogs, then I could move on with
08:12my statement.
08:24Yeah, they're yours.
08:25Could I see the video one more time?
08:28Yeah, that's this dog.
08:35And that's this dog.
08:36So there, those are your two dogs.
08:38Those are not my dogs, because they were in my house, your honor.
08:40That's baloney.
08:41Your honor, I have a picture of the dog in the family.
08:43I just, I'm just telling you, that's baloney.
08:46These are your two dogs.
08:47These.
08:48I'm telling you that I don't believe you when you say your two dogs were in your house.
08:53You understand that?
08:54That doesn't mean you're liable for the vet bills, but these are your two dogs.
08:57And there are two dogs that look so similar to your two dogs.
09:01And they're, one is a husky, one is a, I don't know, there's something else snuck in there.
09:06Correct.
09:07I'm not exactly sure what.
09:09Okay, Mr. Kassaris, let's, let us assume that your cat is out unattended.
09:16That's your choice.
09:18You choose to let the cat out.
09:20Maybe you don't have a litter box in your house.
09:22Do you have a litter box in your house?
09:24Yes.
09:24Then why do you let the cat out at night?
09:26Because he likes to sleep outside and he likes to, you know, be outside.
09:32Well, then that's one of the things that you take, you know, you have no idea what happened
09:36to your cat in that five-hour period.
09:39Your cat could have been under the van.
09:41You show no interaction with the two dogs running, chasing the cat.
09:46All this shows was that the cat's under the van.
09:49And they sniff it out and they're barking at it, not growling.
09:53There's no indication that they chased it.
09:56How do I know who injured your cat or what injured your cat?
09:59How do you know that?
10:00Well, I do wish that I had the video from my brain door camera.
10:04I wish, well, that's, you know.
10:05Yes.
10:06I don't deal with wishes.
10:08Courts don't deal with wishes.
10:09They deal with actuality.
10:10You have to show some nexus between the injury to your animal and the defendant's dogs.
10:16I've just familiarized the defendant with the fact that these are her two dogs and those
10:22are her two dogs.
10:23There's no question.
10:24And dogs should not be unattended.
10:26And if they are, they are responsible.
10:29If an owner lets their dogs out, they are responsible if the dogs cause any injury.
10:34That's clear, right?
10:36That's clear.
10:37Yes, Your Honor.
10:38But you have to be able to prove a nexus between that, just as if one of her unleashed, unattended
10:46dogs was out and was scratched in the cornea by a something.
10:52They say, well, I saw the cat around and it's very possible that the cat scratched my dog.
10:57Also, it's possible that the dog was scratched by a tree branch or by a pebble as it was running
11:04in the street that was thrown off.
11:06So there are lots of possibilities.
11:07The law doesn't deal with possibilities.
11:09There is no proof there that her dogs attacked your cat.
11:13I did see, um, and...
11:15What do I say that you want to argue with?
11:17What am I saying to you as a defendant?
11:20I just wanted to add something, Your Honor, if I have permission.
11:23I did a little research of myself.
11:24This wasn't the only time their cat apparently was attacked.
11:27They had posted, like, on a community page and it seems like there was other evidence that
11:33they leave their cat in the front and they had been attacked before.
11:37And I have that evidence right here.
11:39Who cares?
11:40I mean, aren't you following what I'm saying to you?
11:41What I've said to you was they have no case.
11:43You want to say they have really no, no, no, no, no case?
11:47You let your dogs out.
11:49That's an irresponsible pet owner.
11:52I know that some people let their cats out.
11:54I don't understand that.
11:55If they adore their cats, why they would let them out and maybe get hit by a car.
11:58Some other dog might be out that might not be friendly.
12:02Somebody or something hurt their cat.
12:05But you have these two dogs.
12:06And these two dogs have to be under your control because they can cause damage.
12:10So can a cat.
12:11But dogs especially.
12:13And they can also get hit by a car.
12:15Yes, Your Honor.
12:16And...
12:16Your Honor, there's multiple videos showing the cats returning on...
12:19Or the dogs returning on multiple instances trying to attack our other cats.
12:22And we also have the police report showing...
12:25What does that matter to me?
12:27That her dogs continually came to our yard to attack our animals.
12:30Keep your cat in the house.
12:32This is a one-shot deal.
12:35This alleges that her two dogs are responsible for your cat's injury to his tail.
12:43And there is no proof of that.
12:44There's also the police report where the officer informs her and she acknowledges it.
12:48Acknowledged what?
12:49That her dogs were out.
12:51They were at our yard.
12:51I'm telling you they were out.
12:52I just told her they were out.
12:54So was your cat.
12:55And he informed her that they attacked our cat and they needed to be...
12:58And she...
12:59Nobody was...
12:59But she acknowledged it, Your Honor.
13:01Have you...
13:01Just a second.
13:02Are you not following what I'm saying to you?
13:04I need a witness that can testify or a video or some proof that on that night at 3 o
13:12'clock in the morning, her dogs attacked your cat.
13:16That's not proof.
13:18And the police officer didn't see it.
13:20And you didn't see it.
13:22And she didn't see it.
13:23And she didn't see it.
13:25Because all she saw was that.
13:27Yeah, she acknowledged it, Your Honor.
13:28How could she acknowledge that she wasn't there?
13:31Verbally to the police officer, she, you know...
13:33You know, I don't know that.
13:33I don't know that.
13:34Just a second.
13:34You're not really trying to be vague and fool me, right?
13:37No.
13:38Okay.
13:38She was in her house.
13:40How can she acknowledge that her dogs injured your cat?
13:44She can acknowledge that her dogs were out.
13:47I see they were out.
13:48It doesn't show any attack by her dogs to your cat.
13:52It shows that they were barking at your cat, which was under a car.
13:56Your Honor.
13:57What?
13:57I did fail to mention that during my time reviewing the videos and going through every little second that I
14:05could on a ring camera,
14:07the front door has a ring camera as well.
14:09Although it's set to a very low...
14:12Don't tell me what I could have seen, what I should have seen.
14:15If I don't see it, it's not here.
14:17I did see it.
14:17I was just going to tell you that I reviewed it, but it was such a short, very quick clip
14:23because Chester was sleeping on that walkway that goes back to the house.
14:28And he was curled up in a little ball, and he was sleeping.
14:32And in an instant, you see the husky, the red one, over him.
14:36Don't tell me, madam.
14:38Yes.
14:39If you showed me that, then you bring me the other video.
14:42If I don't see it, it doesn't exist.
14:46The dogs were barking at your cat under the car.
14:51And...
14:51And it's clear that they're attacking our cat.
14:54Oh, no.
14:54It's not clear, sir.
14:55You're being either vague, obtuse, or just thick.
15:07Angelina and Gustavo Cazares have accused their neighbor, Maria Roque, of owing vet bills after her husky dogs injured their
15:17cat, Chester.
15:19Okay, now you tell me that you saw it, and I don't understand why if you saw it, I don't
15:25have it.
15:25This is the same Ring camera.
15:27Oh, it's the same kind of camera.
15:29Why don't I have it?
15:30It's the same type of camera, but...
15:31Why don't I have it?
15:33This doesn't show any attack.
15:34What you're telling me is you have a video of the attack, but you chose not to bring it.
15:39That's not my problem.
15:40It's not that I didn't choose not to bring it, but Ring only keeps the camera footage for so long,
15:46and I didn't take a screenshot.
15:49I didn't, you know, take a picture of that incident.
15:52And this?
15:53So this one I downloaded because this is what I sent a police officer that night.
15:58Well, then you sent them the wrong evidence, madam.
16:00I can't control that.
16:01Your Honor, I spoke with her on Tuesday.
16:04I went to the city's animal control to try to get some reports from the animal control because they keep
16:11a separate system than the police.
16:12And I actually ran into her there, apparently doing the same thing, where she admitted that, you know, she was
16:19coming to the case because she wanted to, she knew this way that we would get our money to recoup
16:26for his injuries.
16:27I'm explaining something to you, sir.
16:29You don't have a case.
16:31A court has to have proof of some nexus between the injury that you are, you are suggesting was her
16:40fault and the claim.
16:42And the only thing that you've produced before me today was this video, which doesn't show her dogs doing any,
16:49her unattended dogs doing anything to your unattended cat except barking at it.
16:55Our unattended cat on our property.
16:57When I saw him laying in a circle.
17:00Just a second.
17:00You're talking about under the car?
17:02Is that not our property, Your Honor?
17:04Just a second.
17:04You're talking about under the car.
17:06Under the car.
17:07The dogs were barking at your cat under the car.
17:11And?
17:12And it's clear that they're attacking our cat.
17:14Oh, no.
17:14The following video.
17:15It's not clear.
17:16You're being, you're being either vague, obtuse, or just thick.
17:20I've tried to explain it to you three times.
17:22There has to be a nexus between the injury that you're suggesting that I see or somebody can relate to
17:29me that they saw and what happened.
17:31And the video that you brought me today, because nobody was there when it happened, the video you brought me
17:37today does not show her dogs causing injury to your cat.
17:42And all three animals were out unattended.
17:46It's not as if her dogs leapt into an open window in your house.
17:51All three animals were outside unattended.
17:55And if you want to know where your cat is all the time, well, you'll have to say, Chester, you
17:59just can't be a roaming outside cat.
18:01You're going to stay inside.
18:02You're going to sleep at the foot of our bed like most cats sleep.
18:05And then I don't have to worry about you.
18:07If you let your cat go outside, your cat can get eaten by an animal.
18:11Where do you live?
18:12We live in Central California, in Fresno area.
18:14In Central California, where there are all kinds of things.
18:17I don't know, creatures, whatever they are, that could attack your cat.
18:21It can run across the street.
18:23It can get hit by a car.
18:25You choose to let that happen.
18:27That makes you irresponsible, as irresponsible as her.
18:30But if you had proof that her unattended dogs attacked your cat, proof, not barked at him, proof,
18:40then I would hear your claim, just as I would if she had a claim that your unattended cat injured
18:47one of her dogs.
18:48I would hear that claim.
18:50But right now, you don't have proof.
18:51And whether or not she chose to come here because she thought that the claim would get paid, that's not
18:56relevant.
18:56That's what we're in a court for.
18:58Am I making myself clear to you?
19:00If not, I've tried very hard.
19:02I can't help you.
19:03Your case is dismissed.
19:04We're done.
19:04Thank you very much.
19:05This court is adjourned.
19:12I don't think it was right.
19:14I think it's very clear to see that the dogs are out of control and they're roaming the neighborhoods, terrorizing
19:20animals.
19:20I feel like Judge Judy made the right decision.
19:23My huskies didn't attack their cat.
19:25I've witnessed Rex and Lacey in the neighborhood multiple times attacking our cats, trying to attack our cats, or attempting
19:33to attack our cats.
19:34My dogs are not the only ones out there in the neighborhood.
19:36First time, she was nice about it.
19:39The other time when my father met her, she started yelling at him and was upset that we had delivered
19:46the bill to her house.
19:47This is the first time I've ever met her.
19:48Yeah.
19:49The only interaction I had, I believe, was with her father, plaintiff's father, but I've never met the actual plaintiff.
19:54I am very happy.
19:55Chester's still alive and he looks like a beautiful bobcat.
19:58So I'm super happy he's here with us.
20:00I'm just happy her cat is okay.
20:04Good reminder that if you have proof, best to bring it, even if you think the quality isn't so great
20:09or if it's a short clip, because we, as the court system, can't make the jump with the nexus, like
20:15you were explaining, from, well, they're scratching at my cat under the van.
20:19We can't leap from that to, oh, those dogs attacked your cat.
20:24So it's a big jump that they're asking us to make, which legally we can't really do.
20:28So maybe if we had some video evidence like she only brought up at the end, which I found interesting,
20:33you would think that would be the first thing that she said.
20:35But she brought it up at the end and it just wasn't enough.
20:38It wasn't enough to draw the conclusion that those dogs attacked the cat, especially, like you said.
20:42I think you sort of beat a dead horse out there.
20:45I don't know what they weren't understanding about not...
20:47He wasn't understanding that he wasn't going to get money for the vet bill.
20:50Yeah.
20:50But, you know, you've made up a scenario that those dogs attacked your cat, causing the injury to the cat's
20:56tail.
20:56But it's just as consistent that the cat was injured and crawled under the car and that the two dogs,
21:04it didn't look as if they were growling.
21:06And their tails were wagging as they were walking around under the car.
21:09There was another injured animal there.
21:11They were barking at it.
21:12I don't know, maybe trying to communicate with...
21:14Who knows?
21:14But that's something we don't speculate about.
21:17Bottom line, if you have an animal and you choose to let that animal roam free, which is always...
21:23You're assuming the risk.
21:24And unless, by a little small chance, you happen to have a ring camera, some sort of video footage of
21:29your animal getting injured by anything,
21:31you assume that risk, that your animal is going to be injured and you're not going to be compensated for
21:35it.
21:36Or that if your animal injures somebody else, well, then you take that risk.
21:43Want justice?
21:44Go to JudyJustice.tv.
22:03Go to JudyOSTIC.com.
22:04Go to JudyLED.com.
22:05Go to Judy pointed at it.
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