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00:00:00,333 --> 00:00:02,100
{\an8}You left the two dogs with her.
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00:00:02,100 --> 00:00:05,433
Within two hours you called her and said,
"I changed my mind."
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00:00:05,433 --> 00:00:08,433
I was little uneasy about giving her
the dog.
4
00:00:08,900 --> 00:00:11,934
She said, "I got offered a lot more money
for this dog.
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00:00:11,934 --> 00:00:13,433
I think you're a scam artist."
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00:00:13,433 --> 00:00:14,667
No, I did not.
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00:00:14,667 --> 00:00:15,667
You made a deal.
8
00:00:15,667 --> 00:00:18,533
- I really just want my dogs.
- Duh!
9
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[announcer] This is Judy Justice.
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00:00:20,900 --> 00:00:22,367
[theme music playing]
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00:00:38,200 --> 00:00:42,633
{\an8}[announcer] Breanna Slanaker is suing
her buyer, Charity Houvener,
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00:00:42,633 --> 00:00:45,967
{\an8}for the cost of a golden retriever puppy.
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[Bailiff] Court come to order.
All rise.
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Have a seat please.
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00:00:53,600 --> 00:00:55,800
Case 2188.
Slanaker versus Houvener.
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00:00:55,800 --> 00:00:57,033
- Thank you.
- You're welcome.
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00:00:58,200 --> 00:01:00,467
Ms. Slanaker, is this your boyfriend?
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00:01:00,467 --> 00:01:05,600
Hi. Yes, this is my, my boyfriend
and the father of our two-year-old child.
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00:01:05,600 --> 00:01:07,200
Okay. You could stand up with her.
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00:01:07,800 --> 00:01:11,433
In addition to a two-year-old child,
you also had two dogs.
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00:01:11,433 --> 00:01:14,000
Where were you living at the time
of this incident?
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00:01:14,000 --> 00:01:16,567
Uh, so we were living in our house.
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00:01:16,567 --> 00:01:18,000
{\an8}[Judy] In your house where?
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00:01:18,533 --> 00:01:20,266
{\an8}In Redford, Michigan.
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00:01:20,266 --> 00:01:22,266
{\an8}[Judy]
Do you own the house or rent it?
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00:01:22,266 --> 00:01:24,200
- We rent it.
- [Judy] Are you still living there?
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00:01:24,200 --> 00:01:25,834
- Yes, we are.
- [Judy] Do you work?
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00:01:26,567 --> 00:01:29,133
- Uh, no. I, uh...
- You're not... the answer is no.
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00:01:29,133 --> 00:01:32,333
I am a writer.
I'm also two months pregnant too, so.
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00:01:32,333 --> 00:01:34,333
The question is,
do you work and make a living?
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00:01:34,333 --> 00:01:36,000
- Yes.
- [Judy] At what?
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00:01:36,000 --> 00:01:37,200
- Writing.
- Okay.
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00:01:37,200 --> 00:01:38,367
Who do you write for?
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00:01:38,367 --> 00:01:40,467
Uh, myself. Self-publishing.
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00:01:40,467 --> 00:01:43,800
{\an8}Well, how much money did you make
last year self-publishing?
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00:01:43,800 --> 00:01:45,300
{\an8}- Zero.
- Zero?
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00:01:45,300 --> 00:01:48,934
So the answer is, you don't work
and you don't make any money.
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00:01:48,934 --> 00:01:50,900
And what about you, boyfriend?
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00:01:50,900 --> 00:01:55,700
{\an8}I currently, at the moment am a custodian
for the [redacted] Hills School District.
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00:01:55,700 --> 00:01:57,467
{\an8}[Judy] Okay.
And how much do you earn?
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00:01:57,567 --> 00:01:59,700
{\an8}Uh, I earn $16.50 an hour.
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00:01:59,700 --> 00:02:03,100
- And what's your rent?
- Uh, it's $1,445.
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00:02:03,200 --> 00:02:05,433
Who pays it?
There's no question, you don't .
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00:02:06,467 --> 00:02:08,367
- Oh, he does.
- I do.
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00:02:08,367 --> 00:02:10,900
Impossible, not at $16 an hour.
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00:02:10,900 --> 00:02:12,667
{\an8}- My Brother currently lives with...
- [Judy] What?
47
00:02:12,667 --> 00:02:15,533
{\an8}My brother lives with us as well.
So we have a roommate.
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00:02:15,533 --> 00:02:17,667
{\an8}- That's how we pay for it.
- And he pays some of the rent?
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00:02:17,667 --> 00:02:18,600
[Kenyin] Yes.
50
00:02:18,600 --> 00:02:19,900
- Is your rent current?
- [Kenyin] Yes.
51
00:02:19,900 --> 00:02:22,233
- And you have a car?
- [Kenyin] I do.
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00:02:22,233 --> 00:02:24,500
So you have car and insurance.
53
00:02:24,500 --> 00:02:27,233
You have a comp...
well, somehow you're very economical.
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00:02:27,233 --> 00:02:29,000
Now, you had two dogs,
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00:02:29,000 --> 00:02:32,367
you had financial hardship
according to your complaint,
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00:02:32,367 --> 00:02:34,734
and you could no longer take care
of the dogs.
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00:02:34,734 --> 00:02:36,033
Is that correct?
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00:02:36,033 --> 00:02:38,734
- Yes, that's correct.
- [Judy] What kind of dogs were they?
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00:02:38,734 --> 00:02:42,367
Our d... one year old dog
named Courage.
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00:02:42,367 --> 00:02:45,367
{\an8}He is a border collie
and Australian shepherd mix.
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00:02:45,367 --> 00:02:47,133
{\an8}- [Judy] He's a border collie?
- Yes.
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00:02:47,133 --> 00:02:48,934
{\an8}[Judy]
Where did you get him from?
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00:02:48,934 --> 00:02:51,767
We got him from a breeder back in 2021.
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00:02:51,767 --> 00:02:56,266
It was probably December 2nd,
of 2021.
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00:02:56,266 --> 00:02:57,633
And what was the other dog?
66
00:02:57,633 --> 00:03:00,100
The other dog, her name was Dani.
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00:03:00,100 --> 00:03:03,333
She was a pure breed
golden retriever puppy
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00:03:03,333 --> 00:03:05,734
that we had bought...
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00:03:05,734 --> 00:03:10,100
purchased October 7th, 2022, yeah.
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00:03:10,200 --> 00:03:11,233
Okay.
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00:03:11,233 --> 00:03:13,700
Now, how much did you pay
for the Border Collie?
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00:03:13,700 --> 00:03:16,233
We paid $500 for the Border Collie.
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00:03:16,233 --> 00:03:18,467
Still figuring out
how you were all budgeting.
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00:03:18,467 --> 00:03:21,000
And how much did you pay
for the Golden Retriever?
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00:03:21,000 --> 00:03:24,166
We also paid $500
for the Golden Retriever.
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00:03:24,166 --> 00:03:26,867
- [Judy] Where did you get the money from?
- A tax return.
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00:03:26,867 --> 00:03:30,567
So let me understand this.
You have a two year old baby?
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00:03:30,567 --> 00:03:33,033
- Yes.
- You have a two year old baby.
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00:03:33,033 --> 00:03:36,767
You've got tax returns
from the only income from the house,
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00:03:36,767 --> 00:03:39,667
which is his,
where you're earn $16 an hour.
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00:03:39,667 --> 00:03:45,066
And what you did was you spent a thousand
dollars of your tax return on two dogs.
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00:03:45,066 --> 00:03:47,667
I just am clarifying that in my own mind.
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00:03:47,667 --> 00:03:48,667
[quietly] Yeah.
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00:03:48,667 --> 00:03:49,934
[Judy] Huh?
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00:03:49,934 --> 00:03:51,300
- Yes.
- That would be a "right."
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00:03:51,300 --> 00:03:52,300
Okey-dokey.
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00:03:52,300 --> 00:03:56,767
When you could no longer either physically
and or financially take care of the dogs,
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00:03:56,767 --> 00:04:00,500
you put an ad on the internet.
What part of the internet?
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00:04:00,500 --> 00:04:04,266
{\an8}Uh, we, we put the ad
on Craigslist and Hoobly.
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00:04:04,266 --> 00:04:05,900
- [Judy] Craigslist and...
- Hoobly.
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00:04:06,433 --> 00:04:08,300
It's like another Craigslist type online.
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00:04:08,300 --> 00:04:10,600
- Do you have a copy of the ad?
- Yes, I do.
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00:04:10,600 --> 00:04:12,000
I'd like to see them.
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00:04:21,800 --> 00:04:25,934
{\an8}Okay.
So you put ads for both dogs.
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00:04:25,934 --> 00:04:31,300
One you said, "Small rehoming fee,
not a breeder,
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00:04:31,300 --> 00:04:34,000
needs a new home, call for details."
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00:04:34,000 --> 00:04:38,934
{\an8}The other is the one year old,
Border Collie, Aussie mix
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00:04:38,934 --> 00:04:42,333
{\an8}and you had rehoming fee of $200.
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00:04:42,333 --> 00:04:43,433
- Yes.
- Okay.
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00:04:43,433 --> 00:04:47,734
This says absolutely nothing
about fostering short term.
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00:04:47,734 --> 00:04:50,734
You get the dogs back, nothing.
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00:04:50,734 --> 00:04:53,100
And no other criteria in here.
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00:04:53,100 --> 00:04:54,467
- Yes.
- Nothing.
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00:04:54,467 --> 00:04:55,967
So this is your complaint.
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00:04:55,967 --> 00:04:58,133
The defendant answered your ads,
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00:04:58,133 --> 00:05:01,200
{\an8}you brought the two dogs over to her.
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00:05:01,200 --> 00:05:02,867
{\an8}She gave you $100.
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00:05:02,867 --> 00:05:05,734
- Yes.
- Yes. You left the two dogs with her.
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00:05:05,734 --> 00:05:10,166
You were on your way back
to wherever you lived, you're in the car,
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00:05:10,166 --> 00:05:12,700
and according to you,
you had a change of heart.
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00:05:13,633 --> 00:05:15,734
Yes.
Uh, yes, your Honor.
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00:05:15,734 --> 00:05:19,100
And you called her and you said to her,
"We're coming back."
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00:05:19,100 --> 00:05:21,967
- Yes.
- How long did that process take you?
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00:05:21,967 --> 00:05:25,033
It was within the two hours we had left.
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00:05:25,033 --> 00:05:28,400
So within two hours you called her
and said, "I changed my mind."
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00:05:28,400 --> 00:05:30,400
- Yes.
- [Judy] And what did she say to you?
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00:05:30,400 --> 00:05:34,667
She had said that she had given
the dog away.
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00:05:34,667 --> 00:05:36,500
- [Judy] One of them?
- One of them. Yeah.
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00:05:36,500 --> 00:05:38,133
Okay.
She said, I gave the dog away.
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00:05:38,133 --> 00:05:41,233
Did she tell you to whom?
Did she tell you what circumstances?
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00:05:41,233 --> 00:05:42,400
Did she tell you?
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00:05:42,400 --> 00:05:45,767
She said that she had given the dog
to a lady named Cindy.
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00:05:45,767 --> 00:05:51,000
And she mentioned that she gave this to...
Dani to...
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00:05:51,000 --> 00:05:54,500
You have text messages?
Is what you're reading from text messages?
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00:05:54,500 --> 00:05:55,433
Yeah. Yeah.
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00:05:55,433 --> 00:05:57,300
- [Judy] I'd like to see it.
- Okay.
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00:05:59,266 --> 00:06:00,467
[Breanna] Yeah.
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00:06:06,433 --> 00:06:09,500
Okay. So this is a text in the evening.
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00:06:09,500 --> 00:06:13,066
And she says to you,
"My friend is traveling back
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00:06:13,066 --> 00:06:15,300
to Tennessee now with my friend Cindy."
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00:06:15,300 --> 00:06:18,600
Now you went back to the house
and you picked up one of the dogs?
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00:06:18,600 --> 00:06:19,667
- Yes.
- Courage.
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00:06:19,667 --> 00:06:22,066
And did you give her back
the hundred dollars?
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00:06:22,066 --> 00:06:24,000
- Uh, no.
- [Judy] It's either yes or no.
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00:06:24,000 --> 00:06:25,734
- No.
- Why not?
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00:06:28,967 --> 00:06:31,000
{\an8}- We want our dog back.
- You made a deal.
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00:06:31,000 --> 00:06:32,533
{\an8}She paid you $100.
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00:06:32,533 --> 00:06:35,667
{\an8}She gave you one back despite the fact
that you didn't give her any money.
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00:06:35,667 --> 00:06:38,033
{\an8}Why do you think that this is a deal
that you can say,
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00:06:38,033 --> 00:06:40,300
{\an8}"Ah, I change my mind."
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00:06:44,967 --> 00:06:47,667
[theme music playing]
142
00:06:51,533 --> 00:06:55,600
{\an8}[announcer] Breanna Slanaker claims
her buyer, Charity Houvener,
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00:06:55,600 --> 00:07:00,967
wrongfully gave away a golden retriever
after promising to keep the puppy.
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00:07:00,967 --> 00:07:04,133
Now, you went back to the house
and you picked up one of the dogs?
145
00:07:04,133 --> 00:07:05,367
- Yes.
- Courage.
146
00:07:05,367 --> 00:07:08,066
And did you give her back
the hundred dollars?
147
00:07:08,066 --> 00:07:09,734
- Uh, no.
- [Judy] It's either yes or no.
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00:07:09,734 --> 00:07:11,400
- No.
- Why not?
149
00:07:11,400 --> 00:07:15,867
{\an8}Because she kept the other dog, uh, Dani
which was a pure breed Golden Retriever.
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00:07:15,867 --> 00:07:20,000
The condition was to have both dogs together.
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00:07:20,000 --> 00:07:21,433
Okay.
Show me where that is.
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00:07:21,433 --> 00:07:24,233
Show me something in writing
where that was a condition.
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00:07:24,233 --> 00:07:26,166
It certainly wasn't in your ad.
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00:07:26,166 --> 00:07:28,433
It certainly wasn't in your ad,
which just said
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00:07:28,433 --> 00:07:30,633
you needed to find new homes
for both your dogs.
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00:07:30,633 --> 00:07:34,433
Did you ever say anything
to the defendant about getting
157
00:07:34,433 --> 00:07:36,500
a better offer for the Golden Retriever?
158
00:07:36,500 --> 00:07:37,734
- [Breanna] No.
- Yes.
159
00:07:37,734 --> 00:07:38,867
Did you ever say...
160
00:07:39,867 --> 00:07:42,633
Did you ever say anything to the defendant
161
00:07:43,166 --> 00:07:46,300
either on the phone or in a text
162
00:07:46,300 --> 00:07:50,734
that you believed that you could get more
for the golden retriever?
163
00:07:50,734 --> 00:07:53,900
Because if you had paid $500
for it as a puppy,
164
00:07:53,900 --> 00:07:56,700
this was just a couple of months later,
it was still a puppy.
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00:07:56,700 --> 00:07:59,533
I'm asking you,
did you say anything to her
166
00:07:59,533 --> 00:08:05,200
about being able to get more money
for her?
167
00:08:05,200 --> 00:08:07,834
Mm-hmm. No No.
No, I did not.
168
00:08:07,834 --> 00:08:11,667
We want our dog back
because of our other dog Courage.
169
00:08:11,667 --> 00:08:12,934
And uh, she...
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00:08:12,934 --> 00:08:15,000
Oh, what makes you think
you can have your dog back?
171
00:08:15,000 --> 00:08:16,633
- Well...
- You made a deal.
172
00:08:16,633 --> 00:08:19,767
She paid you $100.
You took the $100.
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00:08:19,767 --> 00:08:21,867
You didn't return the $100
to her.
174
00:08:21,867 --> 00:08:26,500
One of the dogs was already rehomed
to yet another person.
175
00:08:26,500 --> 00:08:28,033
She gave you the dog back.
176
00:08:28,033 --> 00:08:31,133
She gave you one back despite the fact
that you didn't give her any money.
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00:08:31,133 --> 00:08:33,633
Why do you think that this is a deal
that you can say,
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00:08:33,633 --> 00:08:36,133
"Ah, I change my mind."
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00:08:36,133 --> 00:08:37,467
What makes you...
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00:08:37,467 --> 00:08:42,400
{\an8}Because it was in a verbal condition
to keep the dogs together.
181
00:08:42,400 --> 00:08:44,200
{\an8}- She had...
- Absolutely not.
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00:08:44,200 --> 00:08:45,767
- [Judy shushing]
- Sorry.
183
00:08:45,767 --> 00:08:48,667
It was a verbal condition to keep
the dogs together.
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00:08:48,667 --> 00:08:50,300
They were a bonded pair.
185
00:08:50,300 --> 00:08:53,233
And, um, she said that if we wanted to,
we can...
186
00:08:53,233 --> 00:08:57,834
In what month did you sell the dogs
to the defendant?
187
00:08:57,834 --> 00:09:01,033
It was December 4th, 2022.
188
00:09:01,033 --> 00:09:04,934
Twelve four.
Now you got, according to you,
189
00:09:04,934 --> 00:09:08,734
the Golden Retriever in October of 2022.
190
00:09:08,734 --> 00:09:13,600
So you had at most the dogs together
for two months?
191
00:09:13,600 --> 00:09:14,834
- Yes.
- Yes.
192
00:09:14,834 --> 00:09:17,433
[Judy]
Well, that's not a bonding experience.
193
00:09:17,433 --> 00:09:19,367
How old was the Golden Retriever?
194
00:09:19,367 --> 00:09:22,266
She was two months old
when we got her.
195
00:09:22,266 --> 00:09:24,600
- [Judy] So she was four months old?
- Yes.
196
00:09:24,600 --> 00:09:26,700
Well, you certainly could have gotten more
than $100 for her,
197
00:09:26,700 --> 00:09:29,433
you must have been really desperate
for that hundred bucks.
198
00:09:30,934 --> 00:09:33,266
I really just want my dogs together.
199
00:09:33,266 --> 00:09:34,433
Well, they're not together.
200
00:09:34,433 --> 00:09:37,834
Then you should have thought
of that before you put ads here.
201
00:09:38,667 --> 00:09:40,433
You changed your mind.
That's it.
202
00:09:40,433 --> 00:09:44,166
You changed for whatever reason,
you felt sad in the car going home,
203
00:09:44,166 --> 00:09:47,700
or she's going to tell me
that you had a conversation
204
00:09:47,700 --> 00:09:49,066
with her that involved money.
205
00:09:49,066 --> 00:09:50,233
- No.
- I'm ready.
206
00:09:51,033 --> 00:09:54,200
All I wanna know from you
at this point is,
207
00:09:54,200 --> 00:09:58,467
and it's really not dispositive
of this case, but it was in your answer.
208
00:09:58,467 --> 00:10:03,033
Did you ever have a conversation after
she dropped the dogs off about money?
209
00:10:03,033 --> 00:10:05,133
- Yes.
- Tell me about the conversation.
210
00:10:05,133 --> 00:10:07,567
When was it, was it in the car,
or was it it...
211
00:10:07,567 --> 00:10:10,400
It was by my door.
By my side door.
212
00:10:10,400 --> 00:10:13,000
{\an8}[Judy] When, at what point in this?
When they came back or when...
213
00:10:13,000 --> 00:10:14,233
{\an8}When they came back,
214
00:10:14,233 --> 00:10:17,633
{\an8}she said, "I got offered a lot more money
for this dog.
215
00:10:17,633 --> 00:10:22,633
I think you're a scam artist.
And I want what's due.
216
00:10:22,633 --> 00:10:25,133
I want the rest of my money."
217
00:10:25,133 --> 00:10:26,367
[Judy] What's the rest of your money?
218
00:10:26,367 --> 00:10:27,834
- No.
- [Charity] I don't know.
219
00:10:27,834 --> 00:10:30,433
- No, your Honor. No.
- Never said that.
220
00:10:30,433 --> 00:10:31,467
Yes!
221
00:10:32,533 --> 00:10:35,100
- She got offered more money, your Honor.
- [Judy] She cer... she certain...
222
00:10:35,100 --> 00:10:38,300
She certainly could have gotten more
for this Golden Retriever.
223
00:10:38,300 --> 00:10:41,467
She certainly could have gotten more money
from the Golden Retriever
224
00:10:41,467 --> 00:10:44,200
than the $100
that you gave her
225
00:10:44,200 --> 00:10:45,900
- for both dogs.
- Yes, for both.
226
00:10:45,900 --> 00:10:49,200
But she accepted the $100
and she never returned the $100.
227
00:10:49,200 --> 00:10:51,367
That's it. Finished.
What?
228
00:10:51,467 --> 00:10:54,533
Your Honor, I wanted to keep Courage.
229
00:10:55,066 --> 00:10:59,200
And my friend here, Cindy,
took Dani.
230
00:10:59,200 --> 00:11:01,333
Oh, so she's here.
You have the other dog?
231
00:11:01,333 --> 00:11:03,934
- I do, yes.
- Have the other dog... step up.
232
00:11:05,266 --> 00:11:09,133
- So you were going to Tennessee? Yes?
- Yes, yes, yes.
233
00:11:09,133 --> 00:11:13,133
Okay. Tell me about the conversation
that you had with Miss Houvener?
234
00:11:13,133 --> 00:11:15,066
- Yes.
- On the date
235
00:11:15,066 --> 00:11:16,900
that they dropped the dog off.
236
00:11:16,900 --> 00:11:21,300
{\an8}Okay. Um, she had called me
and let me know that...
237
00:11:21,300 --> 00:11:24,266
- [Judy] Well, first of all...
- Breanna I believe is her name...
238
00:11:24,266 --> 00:11:26,066
...was gonna drop the dogs off.
239
00:11:26,066 --> 00:11:28,300
When did you have this discussion?
240
00:11:29,133 --> 00:11:34,934
That was on the fourth,
on December 4th, 2022.
241
00:11:35,400 --> 00:11:37,000
She called me, um...
242
00:11:38,000 --> 00:11:42,467
I would be guessing, I don't know.
I'm gonna say maybe five in the afternoon.
243
00:11:42,467 --> 00:11:45,767
And, uh, told me that,
I think her name's Breanna,
244
00:11:45,867 --> 00:11:48,700
was going to be dropping the dogs off...
245
00:11:48,700 --> 00:11:50,667
- [Charity] For $100.
- For $100.
246
00:11:50,667 --> 00:11:55,166
And she asked me,
"Do you have, you know, $100?"
247
00:11:55,166 --> 00:11:57,100
And I said, "Well, sure."
248
00:11:57,100 --> 00:12:01,133
- [Judy] So you gave her $100?
- I gave her $100 to give...
249
00:12:01,133 --> 00:12:02,467
- Breanna.
- Yes.
250
00:12:02,467 --> 00:12:07,667
And, um, I was waiting and she was running
just a little late.
251
00:12:07,667 --> 00:12:11,266
We was going to Tennessee,
we had to get diapers and stuff.
252
00:12:11,266 --> 00:12:15,700
So I left $100 with Charity and I said,
"Just in case she comes while I'm gone,
253
00:12:15,700 --> 00:12:18,600
you have the money to give her
and I'll come back
254
00:12:18,600 --> 00:12:21,367
when you know,
we're done shopping to get the dog."
255
00:12:21,367 --> 00:12:26,633
Okay. Now, when had you discussed with her
the hundred dollars for both dogs?
256
00:12:26,633 --> 00:12:28,600
Over the phone, your Honor.
257
00:12:28,600 --> 00:12:30,200
Tell me about the conversation.
258
00:12:30,200 --> 00:12:33,266
[Charity] The conversation went...
we had discussed
259
00:12:33,266 --> 00:12:37,600
- the hundred for both Courage and Dani...
- [Judy] Do you have that in texts?
260
00:12:37,600 --> 00:12:39,367
- Yes.
- [Judy] I'd like to see it.
261
00:12:41,233 --> 00:12:43,033
- Not all of them. Just...
- Not all of it?
262
00:12:43,033 --> 00:12:45,967
- Just the one that she's asking of.
- Yeah.
263
00:12:45,967 --> 00:12:47,266
How is the dog?
264
00:12:47,800 --> 00:12:50,533
She's doing really good.
Yeah, I got her to the vet.
265
00:12:50,533 --> 00:12:52,233
She's... and she's growing.
266
00:12:52,233 --> 00:12:56,533
Oh, she, um, two weeks ago was her
last shots and she's already 41 pounds.
267
00:12:56,533 --> 00:12:57,800
- She's just...
- Growing.
268
00:12:57,800 --> 00:13:00,433
Growing like a weed.
Yes. Yes.
269
00:13:01,633 --> 00:13:03,300
Okay.
I'm gonna read this to you.
270
00:13:03,967 --> 00:13:07,633
"I am trying hard to come up
with a hundred more dollars, dear,
271
00:13:07,633 --> 00:13:09,633
I have 100."
272
00:13:09,633 --> 00:13:12,000
And you respond to her,
273
00:13:12,000 --> 00:13:16,967
"Okay, we're just gonna have to feed them
bread until somebody buys them."
274
00:13:16,967 --> 00:13:19,200
Then she answers you,
"I will come up with the rest."
275
00:13:19,200 --> 00:13:21,633
You we're just feeding
these puppies bread?
276
00:13:24,266 --> 00:13:26,700
{\an8}What's changed in your life financially
277
00:13:26,700 --> 00:13:31,500
{\an8}that you think that you should be able
to stretch your budget
278
00:13:31,500 --> 00:13:35,667
{\an8}to feed so far a 40 pound dog
and the other one?
279
00:13:35,667 --> 00:13:38,033
{\an8}What's changed?
Nothing.
280
00:13:42,633 --> 00:13:45,200
[theme music playing]
281
00:13:49,767 --> 00:13:54,000
{\an8}[announcer] Breanna Slanaker is accusing
her buyer, Charity Houvener,
282
00:13:54,000 --> 00:13:58,600
{\an8}of giving away a golden retriever
hours after purchasing the puppy.
283
00:13:58,600 --> 00:14:01,233
Now, you respond to her,
284
00:14:01,233 --> 00:14:06,033
"Okay, we're just gonna have to feed them
bread until somebody buys them."
285
00:14:06,033 --> 00:14:08,166
You were just feeding
these puppies bread?
286
00:14:08,166 --> 00:14:09,767
That's what you wrote here.
Who wrote this?
287
00:14:09,767 --> 00:14:11,133
- You or him?
- I wrote it.
288
00:14:11,133 --> 00:14:15,333
And I would assume that your life's
circumstance hasn't changed.
289
00:14:15,333 --> 00:14:18,633
You are still not working and he's still
working for $16 an hour.
290
00:14:18,633 --> 00:14:19,600
Sure. Yeah.
291
00:14:19,600 --> 00:14:20,767
- Right?
- Yes.
292
00:14:20,767 --> 00:14:24,333
And at that point, back in December,
what you said was,
293
00:14:24,333 --> 00:14:28,433
"I can only afford," in effect,
"I can only afford to feed them bread
294
00:14:28,533 --> 00:14:31,233
{\an8}until I, until somebody buys them."
295
00:14:31,233 --> 00:14:33,133
{\an8}What's changed in your life?
296
00:14:33,133 --> 00:14:36,333
{\an8}What's changed in your life financially
that you think that...
297
00:14:37,734 --> 00:14:42,967
{\an8}that you think that you should be able
to stretch your budget to feed,
298
00:14:42,967 --> 00:14:47,433
so far, a 40 pound dog
and the other one, what's changed?
299
00:14:47,433 --> 00:14:48,467
Nothing.
300
00:14:48,467 --> 00:14:51,133
- Ridiculous people.
- Both jobless at the time.
301
00:14:51,133 --> 00:14:54,033
Kenyin was jobless at the time,
your Honor, um...
302
00:14:54,033 --> 00:14:55,333
- What?
- Yes.
303
00:14:55,333 --> 00:14:57,667
- He was jobless in December?
- Yes.
304
00:14:57,667 --> 00:15:02,367
You still took your tax returns
and bought a dog for $500.
305
00:15:02,367 --> 00:15:03,567
Duh!
306
00:15:05,767 --> 00:15:10,934
She says to you, "They are both really
fantastic dogs."
307
00:15:10,934 --> 00:15:13,467
And you respond, "Absolutely they are.
308
00:15:13,467 --> 00:15:17,367
It was a nice chapter to have them.
Now their fate's with you
309
00:15:17,367 --> 00:15:20,133
or wherever their life journey takes them.
310
00:15:20,133 --> 00:15:21,834
Glad you have them now."
311
00:15:21,834 --> 00:15:23,433
- That's what you wrote.
- Yeah.
312
00:15:23,433 --> 00:15:24,800
- Yes.
- [Charity] Yeah.
313
00:15:24,800 --> 00:15:27,767
"Yes, you're right,
I'm probably gonna fall madly in love."
314
00:15:27,767 --> 00:15:30,000
Anyway, then you changed your mind
315
00:15:30,000 --> 00:15:33,433
and they reached out
to PAWS organization
316
00:15:33,433 --> 00:15:35,500
and had a chat about last night.
317
00:15:35,500 --> 00:15:39,700
"Your suspected buyer is being rude to us,
and we want our dog back."
318
00:15:39,700 --> 00:15:42,166
What's a PAWS organization?
What is that?
319
00:15:42,166 --> 00:15:44,100
When we had met her at her house,
320
00:15:44,100 --> 00:15:47,033
I was little uneasy
about giving her the dog.
321
00:15:47,033 --> 00:15:50,700
And taking into consideration
the area we live in, in metro Detroit,
322
00:15:50,700 --> 00:15:52,333
it's, there's a lot of dog fighting there.
323
00:15:52,333 --> 00:15:54,834
So I had to be sure that she was trustworthy.
324
00:15:54,834 --> 00:15:57,900
So she had mentioned to me that she was, uh,
325
00:15:57,900 --> 00:16:00,500
is a part of the PAWS organization
326
00:16:00,500 --> 00:16:04,800
{\an8}which is a animal friendly organization
like, uh...
327
00:16:04,800 --> 00:16:05,867
{\an8}- Okay.
- Okay.
328
00:16:05,867 --> 00:16:07,133
Wow... yeah.
329
00:16:07,133 --> 00:16:09,967
You say now you want the dog back
and you say,
330
00:16:09,967 --> 00:16:13,066
"Option A, you pay us our asking price
for the dog."
331
00:16:13,066 --> 00:16:16,433
What was your asking price? This is after
you already got the hundred bucks?
332
00:16:16,433 --> 00:16:17,734
Okay.
333
00:16:17,734 --> 00:16:20,700
So now after you got the hundred bucks,
left the dogs with her,
334
00:16:20,700 --> 00:16:22,367
what was your asking price?
335
00:16:22,934 --> 00:16:24,600
What was your asking price?
336
00:16:24,600 --> 00:16:26,066
The... the value of her.
337
00:16:26,066 --> 00:16:28,200
What was the asking price?
338
00:16:28,200 --> 00:16:29,600
- Uh...
- [Judy] It's your words.
339
00:16:29,600 --> 00:16:31,934
I'm a little confused.
I'm sorry.
340
00:16:31,934 --> 00:16:36,066
"Option A, you give us... you pay us
our asking price for Dani,
341
00:16:36,066 --> 00:16:39,767
or option B, we call our lawyers
and take you to court."
342
00:16:39,767 --> 00:16:45,000
Yes, I, at the time, wanted her to repay,
pay the remaining balance of Dani,
343
00:16:45,000 --> 00:16:47,834
how much we had bought her for, $500.
344
00:16:47,834 --> 00:16:50,734
- So you wanted more money for the dog?
- Yes.
345
00:16:50,734 --> 00:16:53,000
Okay. Well you can't have it.
You've already made your bargain.
346
00:16:53,000 --> 00:16:54,800
Your case is dismissed.
We're done here.
347
00:16:54,800 --> 00:16:57,033
- Thank you very much.
- [Bailiff] This Court is adjourned.
348
00:17:00,300 --> 00:17:02,467
{\an8}I think that there's a lot o of evidence,
349
00:17:02,467 --> 00:17:04,734
{\an8}a lot of things that was left out
and unsaid.
350
00:17:04,734 --> 00:17:07,900
{\an8}I thought the judge's decision
was fantastic.
351
00:17:07,900 --> 00:17:09,734
{\an8}I just feel like everything
wasn't said properly.
352
00:17:09,834 --> 00:17:10,934
{\an8}That's probably on our part.
353
00:17:10,934 --> 00:17:14,266
{\an8}I don't think it was necessarily fair,
but that's what... that's her decision.
354
00:17:14,266 --> 00:17:18,834
{\an8}Cindy and I wanted the best interest
in these dogs.
355
00:17:18,834 --> 00:17:19,934
{\an8}It just didn't feel right.
356
00:17:19,934 --> 00:17:22,367
{\an8}So immediately we went back
to get the dogs
357
00:17:22,367 --> 00:17:24,133
{\an8}and keep them and bring them home.
358
00:17:24,133 --> 00:17:25,266
{\an8}It was about money.
359
00:17:25,266 --> 00:17:27,667
{\an8}Just stick it out next time.
360
00:17:27,667 --> 00:17:29,100
{\an8}You know, don't trust everybody.
361
00:17:29,100 --> 00:17:34,100
{\an8}I just feel as if these dogs
were not taken care of.
362
00:17:34,100 --> 00:17:35,433
{\an8}I hope she does have a good home.
363
00:17:36,967 --> 00:17:40,300
You know the sadness of that whole case
for me Sarah,
364
00:17:40,300 --> 00:17:43,934
is the mindlessness
of these two young people.
365
00:17:43,934 --> 00:17:47,867
I don't know where they got the $500
during that two year period.
366
00:17:47,867 --> 00:17:49,934
- An extra $500...
- A... a thousand.
367
00:17:49,934 --> 00:17:52,934
- ...to pay for each dog.
- Mm-hmm.
368
00:17:52,934 --> 00:17:54,700
I can only speculate.
369
00:17:54,700 --> 00:17:58,934
When I speculate I say to myself
based upon my common sense,
370
00:17:58,934 --> 00:18:01,934
neither one of them look like
they're robbing a store.
371
00:18:01,934 --> 00:18:03,100
No.
372
00:18:03,200 --> 00:18:07,500
So I have to say to myself, you know,
"Who bought them those dogs?"
373
00:18:07,500 --> 00:18:08,834
The president.
374
00:18:11,166 --> 00:18:14,367
'Cause the only time you get
that kind of chunk of money,
375
00:18:14,367 --> 00:18:18,500
was if your stimulus...
or extended something.
376
00:18:18,500 --> 00:18:23,200
But even if it's extended unemployment,
cause he was unemployed,
377
00:18:23,200 --> 00:18:27,367
you have $1,500 a month in rent,
you have a car, you have insurance,
378
00:18:27,367 --> 00:18:29,033
you have a two-year-old baby.
379
00:18:29,033 --> 00:18:33,567
What kind of thought process
goes into buying two expensive dogs?
380
00:18:33,567 --> 00:18:35,400
- And big dogs.
- And big dog...
381
00:18:35,400 --> 00:18:38,467
Well, one of them was a big dog.
One of them is a substantial size dog.
382
00:18:38,467 --> 00:18:41,533
Then you have a two-year-old baby
and you're gonna feed the dog's bread.
383
00:18:41,533 --> 00:18:42,633
So what do you do?
384
00:18:43,133 --> 00:18:44,367
You have another baby.
385
00:18:44,367 --> 00:18:47,133
That makes sense.
Makes perfect sense.
386
00:18:47,133 --> 00:18:52,333
And I guess I get so excited about it,
because based upon my history,
387
00:18:52,333 --> 00:18:55,033
it's always the children
that end up suffering.
388
00:18:55,033 --> 00:18:56,467
I knew you were going there.
389
00:18:56,467 --> 00:18:58,066
- And it's so... and it's true.
- [Judy] Yeah.
390
00:18:58,066 --> 00:19:02,200
You're feeding a dog bread and think
that that's an appropriate way
391
00:19:02,200 --> 00:19:03,567
to take care of an animal.
392
00:19:03,567 --> 00:19:05,667
And trying to get it off your plate.
393
00:19:05,667 --> 00:19:10,066
The first thing I would be doing is making
sure I didn't sign up for another child.
394
00:19:10,066 --> 00:19:12,133
Financially, responsibility-wise.
395
00:19:12,133 --> 00:19:15,100
Yeah, well, what are you gonna do?
Cut the baby's formula with water
396
00:19:15,100 --> 00:19:16,734
so that you can stretch it?
397
00:19:16,734 --> 00:19:19,934
I mean, they both look like they could use
a good meal.
398
00:19:19,934 --> 00:19:22,934
I don't understand, I just don't
understand this thought process.
399
00:19:22,934 --> 00:19:25,166
And it's always the innocents that suffer.
400
00:19:25,166 --> 00:19:27,300
Because even the dogs are innocents.
401
00:19:27,400 --> 00:19:30,767
Clearly the babies, but clearly the dogs
are innocents.
402
00:19:30,767 --> 00:19:33,900
You know, they just wanna be fed
and have a home with...
403
00:19:33,900 --> 00:19:38,333
You're not, a four-month-old puppy
eating bread until they can find somebody
404
00:19:38,333 --> 00:19:40,367
that can give them something
more nourishing.
405
00:19:40,367 --> 00:19:44,567
It's absolutely outrageous
and irresponsible and tragic.
406
00:19:44,567 --> 00:19:46,533
That's what I think.
407
00:19:46,533 --> 00:19:51,133
Life isn't getting any different
from what it was 40 years ago.
408
00:19:51,834 --> 00:19:53,667
- It just stays the same.
- Mm-hmm.
409
00:19:53,667 --> 00:19:58,033
Well, at least the Golden Retriever
is in a good home, goes to the vet.
410
00:19:58,033 --> 00:20:00,100
Hopefully it's getting fed real dog food.
411
00:20:00,100 --> 00:20:04,467
So there's a bright side
or a silver lining in the end of that.
412
00:20:04,467 --> 00:20:05,433
- So...
- Right.
413
00:20:05,433 --> 00:20:07,066
Now, if you could just
find reasonable parents
414
00:20:07,066 --> 00:20:09,734
to take care of these two children
that they created.
415
00:20:11,400 --> 00:20:14,867
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