I just finished a consultation with Cooper McKenna, my lawyer for the class action lawsuit and he is not happy with me. It appears that I may have compromised my position as I could now be considered as using undue influence over some of the plaintiffs in the case. I’m staying with Val right now, and she is the Ziggy and Bella’s owner. I didn’t consider this when I needed a place to stay. I knew she was looking for a housemate and we got along well, so I asked and she said, fine, bring your stuff over.
Well, I now see Ziggy and Bella every day and pet them and talk to them, and Cooper thinks that could be interpreted as trying to influence either their participation in the suit, or the content of any testimony they might give. He also asked me if I had done anything that could be considered abusive to either of them. Of course I haven’t abused them! They are lovely little dogs, and I told him that, describing them to him – Ziggy, the enthusiastic although probably not too bright Maltese and Bella, the sausage shaped Chihuahua. Cooper informed me that just how I’d described the dogs could be considered as verbal abuse, as I could be trying to demean or shame the dogs since I’ve said that in front of them. I think those two things are mutually exclusive! Either I’m being nice to them, or I’m verbally abusing them, right? Perhaps a sharp lawyer might make the case that I could be systematically trying to break them down, and so am doing both.
There’s no additional news on the lawsuit, other than some other dogs who have signed on as plaintiffs. Cooper hasn’t said anything more about how he will handle the case, and we haven’t even been assigned a judge, much less a court date. I’m not in a hurry to take this to court, as I’m not sure how I’m going to handle all the lawyer and court fees. It’s not as though I can file a counter-suit against dogs for my court costs. I’d probably just get paid in Milk Bones, and although Cooper might enjoy them, the bills I’ve received are for U.S. currency, and not dog goodies.
I’m not going to change my behavior with Ziggy and Bella just because of this suit. I won’t ignore them because I’d consider that emotional neglect, and I’m not leaving here on the say-so of a poodle, even if he is my lawyer.
Well, I now see Ziggy and Bella every day and pet them and talk to them, and Cooper thinks that could be interpreted as trying to influence either their participation in the suit, or the content of any testimony they might give. He also asked me if I had done anything that could be considered abusive to either of them. Of course I haven’t abused them! They are lovely little dogs, and I told him that, describing them to him – Ziggy, the enthusiastic although probably not too bright Maltese and Bella, the sausage shaped Chihuahua. Cooper informed me that just how I’d described the dogs could be considered as verbal abuse, as I could be trying to demean or shame the dogs since I’ve said that in front of them. I think those two things are mutually exclusive! Either I’m being nice to them, or I’m verbally abusing them, right? Perhaps a sharp lawyer might make the case that I could be systematically trying to break them down, and so am doing both.
There’s no additional news on the lawsuit, other than some other dogs who have signed on as plaintiffs. Cooper hasn’t said anything more about how he will handle the case, and we haven’t even been assigned a judge, much less a court date. I’m not in a hurry to take this to court, as I’m not sure how I’m going to handle all the lawyer and court fees. It’s not as though I can file a counter-suit against dogs for my court costs. I’d probably just get paid in Milk Bones, and although Cooper might enjoy them, the bills I’ve received are for U.S. currency, and not dog goodies.
I’m not going to change my behavior with Ziggy and Bella just because of this suit. I won’t ignore them because I’d consider that emotional neglect, and I’m not leaving here on the say-so of a poodle, even if he is my lawyer.
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