Yesterday morning former model and downtown lounge chanteuse Lisa Levy (of Psychotherapy Live! ), Little Man and I were on The People’s Court. I thought to bring my camera to do photography for Wikipedia, but then decided against it. I assumed that the use of any recording devices and cameras is verboten. That doesn’t usually stop me from trying, but I also had Little Man with me and I didn’t want to worry about him, expensive camera equipment and my part on the this reality television show.
The Case – Claire Lieb vs. Waggytail Rescue
Waggytail Rescue is a Chihuahua rescue organization that I fostered and adopted dogs through. It’s run by one of my best friends, Holly DeRito, who is well known in New York City dog circles for tireless and selfless dedication to saving dogs. The dogs Waggytail takes in–mostly Chihuahua mixes–are rescued from kill shelters. There is a flat $250 adoption fee that is a donation. Waggytail barely makes ends meet. They often cover gargantuan medical bills to get animals to a point where they are healthy and can be adopted. One 14 pound dog I fostered had been raped anally by a man. Kill shelters don’t take care of these kinds of medical bills; they just kill the dog.
The dogs are traumatized if not by abuse, then certainly by the experience at the shelter, which reeks of death and sounds of anguish to a dog. When a person adopts a dog, it is not a commercial transaction. Most people get this.
Claire Lieb adopted Waggytail dog Chiquita, and signed an adoption agreement with short, easy to understand representations. One stipulated she was making a donation, not buying a dog. A dog rescue is a place people go to find a pet that somebody else hurt, didn’t love or irretrievably lost. Ms. Lieb and Chiquita didn’t work out, so two weeks later Ms. Lieb returned the dog. Waggytail offered to help find a new dog, but Ms. Lieb apparently discovered a “free” dog through a friend and so she wanted her donation back. Waggytail refused; Ms. Lieb sued.
The People’s Court scene
Ms. Lieb was a sight to behold. I would not have been surprised if she didn’t make it through the night. Her ill-fitting wig was gray and bulbous, like a hair hat. The crackling sparkle of the polyester was jarringly juxtaposed atop a face so chaotically caked with make-up that it didn’t look as if Ms. Lieb applied it, but instead fell face-first into it. The woman she was accompanied with, though, wore none and had the figure of a hockey player.
The most fascinating part of this Anthropology project was her eye-make up. Large swathes both under and over each eye, as if she had taken 1960′s robin’s egg blue eye shadow on the her index finger and thumb and then rubbed at her eyes to smash the make-up into her face. At one point when she looked up quickly, angered, she resembled a celestial baglady raccoon.
Ms. Lieb was also not the only Lady of the People’s Court with an ill-fitting wig. It was a great discovery: People still wear wigs! It was awesome!
Lisa Levy, who is heavily involved in Waggytail, had Holly’s Power of Attorney and represented our side. Little Man was there as a Waggytail dog on behalf of Chiquita (the dog Claire Lieb did not want). I was a witness, but there was no need to call me to testify about the adoption process. It was an open-and-shut case: you can’t expect to receive a charitable donation back. A dog rescue is not a commercial enterprise.
The one dramatic episode in our case was that we didn’t have the signed adoption agreement that she signed – it was at Holly’s mother’s house in Pennsylvania where she stored Waggytail records last month, not thinking she would need any of them urgently. So Judge Marilyn Milian was angry about that. She even called a recess!
When we went back, I told Lisa we have to give them some more theater. “Give them some crazy” and “think Ricki Lake” and “nobody’s watching daytime TV”. It’s supposed to be entertainment as well as arbitration. So Lisa went back and started bang-bang-banging her hand on the podium when she spoke with an emotionally shaky voice! It was excellent. Judge Marilyn told her to “take it down a notch.” It was great.
People in the audience were asking whether Little Man is available for adoption. And the bailiff, Douglas Macintosh was really hot.
Wikipedia photos to be deleted
NYC Wedding March – September 26, 2010
Joaquin Phoenix is a poser
Flushing Meadow Corona Park skate park
East Village Park and Williamsburg Bridge photos
100 People I Photographed for the Creative Commons
Pakistan flood devastation statistics
Cordoba House / Ground Zero mosque protest photos
The void in my blogging (and some photos)
Rihanna video with Eminem about Chris Brown?
I saw your case! I’m so glad you won. That lady was a real piece of work. I thought she looked like Cruella DeVille.
Twitter: davidshankbone
says:
Thanks Hamdinger! If you are in NYC, come out to our victory party and celebrate with us – the most recent post has the details.
I missed the show!
I hope Little Man gave the Plantiffs the same look as he does when you are playing your Bone Game with him.
I just saw the show, and as a worker of non-profit organizations I am throughly disgusted with the attitude of the female waggy tails staff that was representing the organization. I realize that Ms. Leib made a donation, but working in non-profit, or any organization for that matter, you try to treat your donors and/or patrons as well as possible. It’s evident from the attitudes on both sides that Waggy Tails just didn’t give a rats (you know what) after they had the money, and didn’t even offer her a replacement or some sort of compensation or appeasement. Some donors/patrons can be very taxing, but how you deal with it speaks volumes to the business and the character of the staff. I realize others may not share this view, but working in the non-profit field I can say, you are giving us a worse name and hope that your superiors do not hold the same view as the lady that represented. On a side note, this was the first time I have ever been so disgusted that I have gone and searched out a business on the web to leave a negative comment. If I were to live in your state, I could actually see myself boycotting your organization due to the unprofessional nature of the representing staff
Twitter: davidshankbone
says:
Tyler, did you actually watch the People’s Court episode? If so, you would have seen myself at the end making clear that we would have worked with her to find a more suitable dog, but that she had found a “free” dog instead.
The lesson is: if you want a dog that is just cash n’ carry, don’t go to a dog rescue to get one. You won’t be missed. Trust me. Dog rescues simply have no desire to work with people like Claire Leib. You may work for a non-profit, but you don’t work for a dog rescue. Animal rescues do *not* want to just find any home for a dog. Dog rescuers are activists rescuing abused animals and trying to find stable and loving homes. Unfortunately, most people just see them as another pet vendor. That’s where these misunderstandings occur.
It seems like the only thing important to wagytails was to defend thare friggin donation! It was clear to everyone in our household that this case did not have to go to court,had waggytails just took the time to locate a replacenent pet. My gosh the pets are FREE to waggytails anyhow! One would think that it’s only in waggytails best interest to find homes for these needy pets. Well they sure screwed up this one! Only to look selfish on TV.
Twitter: davidshankbone
says:
Matthew, If you are really under the impression that the dogs are “free” to Waggytail, then you clearly have never seen the vet bills to get these abused, beaten and often sick dogs back to health so that they are in a condition to be adopted. Did you know I once fostered a 14 pound dog that had been raped by a man? What do you think it takes to rehabilitate a dog that a human has damaged so greatly both physically and emotionally?
It’s interesting when people form strong opinions because they think they know what they are talking about, when they really have very little idea what it takes to operate a dog rescue. Imagine dealing daily with the dogs who spent lifetimes as the best friends of people who threw them away simply because they are “too old”; or who return dogs the way one returns an outfit; and what it takes to find a foster home, find a permanent home, and the effects all that upheaval has on the poor creatures.
Yes, I suppose when you only look at living creatures as property to be tossed around, used, bought, discarded and dumped like you would a toy that you’ve grown bored with, then yes, I can see where you are coming from. So can Michael Vick.
Mr Shankbone, I totally agree with very valid points regarding animal rescue. Unfortunately, like another commenter mentioned, the lady representing/defending wagytails did not mention anything to the judge about wagytails feeling so strongely that they did not feel Claire Lib was a positive care person for a rescued pet. Instead, the focus was only on the donation defense! Apparently, Mrs Lib was a great candidate when she was making her donation…. Just out curiousity, when did wagytails form there decision that it would just turn there heads on Mrs Lib? Oh, and about wagytails theory that Mrs Lib obtained another pet elsewhere, if that is true,so be it. Thats besides the point, i did clearly pay attention to the closing arguement after the judgement,where Mrs Lib was stating she was only looking for a more compatible pet. I think she deserved a second chance. I dont believe she should have been treated as if she neglected the first pet.Wagytails was quick to that conclusion. NOT ENOUGH EVIDENCE especially. because she already has pets of her own.
Twitter: davidshankbone
says:
Mathew, the point was that Lieb did not ask for another rescue that might work better for her. She wanted to return the dog, and she wanted her money back. As I said in the closing remarks outside the courtroom, Waggytail would have worked with her for another chance. That’s not what she wanted.
I only became aware/involved with this case when it went to People’s Court, so I can’t speak to any specific decision made to not return the donation (I’m just a foster home). I do know, however, it’s a standard “no return donations” policy, particularly because of the veterinary bills the rescue has to cover, amongst other expenses. These are not easy organizations to run, and on a daily basis the people who run Waggytail see head-spinning cruelty that most of us could never stomach to hear. When these already abused dogs get bounced from home-to-home-to-home, it upsets them.
Last point, Claire Lieb made $250 for her appearance on the show, so she broke even. In addition, dog rescues were able to get the message out: only serious people invested in saving a little dog apply, please.
Thanks for your kind explanations, you have made me a believer.