“I don’t care what I signed”: 20-year-old college student sues her entitled 23-year-old roommate when "emotional support dog" chews up expensive personal possession

What has this world come to where 20-year-olds are suing each other, fam? Not to sound like a dinosaur, but back when we were 20, we were too obsessed with uploading picture albums to Facebook and popping our Abercrombie collars than we were with suing each other. We can safely say that our college experience was far different from than the person in the story below, as "emotional support dogs" weren't really a thing back then. Especially not for students who are supposed to be learning how to function as an adult in the "real world".

This young woman is taking her 23-year-old roommate to court after their emotional support dog ate her retainer, which cost over $1,300. Emotional support dogs are not service animals, and have not received any of the pawsitively rigorous training that service dogs go through to do their jobs. A service dog wouldn't eat her expensive retainer, and so, she's seeking justice. And justice will be served!

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Author image for Blake Seidel Blake Seidel
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    Suing my dorm roommate because of her fake emotional support animal

    'She signed a contract to keep the dog on campus saying she is "liable for all personal property damages"
    via Ian Dyball

    This image is for illustration only, and the subjects are models; the image does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

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    Hi, I'm (20/F) going to school in AZ suing my dorm roommate (23/F) because her "emotional support animal" ate and destroyed my retainers and my night guard retainer. I have no legal experience and am going to school out of state so I've
    via @
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    been dealing with this all on my own. The replacement fees are $1300 and she told me she would only pay for half because I'm half responsible because I left them on my nightstand and he jumped up on my nightstand
    via @

  • We don't know if we would consider you “half responsible”. Maybe you're one-eighth responsible. It's your living space, you should be able to put your retainer where you want without thinking “Is this going to get eaten or not?” That's not a normal concern. A service dog wouldn't eat your retainer.

  • 04
    and ate them when I was not home. Which is so ridiculous, the dog is not my responsibility. She signed a contract to keep the dog on campus saying she is "liable for all personal property damages" I brought this up to her and she said "I
    via @
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  • 05
    don't care what I signed" so I filed my small claims yesterday and she is being served tomorrow. I'm super nervous about the whole thing and it has been causing me so much stress. Any advice would help of
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    what I should bring to court etc...I'm already bringing my ruined retainers, the contract she had to sign to keep the dog on property, and the treatment plan for my new retainers.
    via @
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    Cheezburger Image 10532355840
    via SDI Productions

    This image is for illustration only, and the subjects are models; the image does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

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    AngryPolock40 Sounds like you've got it under control! If you have any thing documented like texts our emails between the 2 of you regarding the situation at hand print up copies and bring those as well
    via @
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    MochaStriped Kitten As a side note you may want to let your RA know what's going on. If you are almost at the end of the semester and not rooming over summer, I'd still recommend letting them know in case there's retaliation.
    via @
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    DefiantOnion Something else I'd suggest doing is taking photos/video of your room and any common areas you share with this girl. I like video better, since you can point to things and narrate while the camera's running.
    via @
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    This establishes two things - that you own X and Y, and that the dorm room is in Z condition. This covers your bases if she decides the appropriate response to being served is to toss your stuff or cause damages to your dorm
    via @
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    room. If you have expensive or otherwise valuable stuff, make sure you can prove ownership (e.g. TV, computer, aircon unit, jewelry, electronics, etc) - the most common method is via receipt, but you can also prove it with photos - especially if they're from before you moved in with her.
    via @

  • How the times have changed. Are emotional support animals in college a thing now? Back in our day, we brought along a stuffed animal and hid it from everyone as our “emotional support animal”. And with that statement, we have officially become our parents.

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    Since it sounds like you're a traditional college student, check to see if your parents' property or renter's insurance covers the contents of your dorm room. If not, consider getting your own insurance policy or paying for an add-on
    via @
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    for that peace of mind. Hopefully none of these will be necessary and she'll just pay for your retainer and never speak to you again, but sometimes crazy multiplies. Good luck, OP!
    via @
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    Cheezburger Image 10532388864
    via Aflo Images

    This image is for illustration only, and the subjects are models; the image does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

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    makatakz Before you go to small claims court, organize your evidence so that the judge can quickly understand the story you're telling. For example, you could put the text messages in a notebook in chronological
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    order. For the audio file, bring something that you can use to play the file in court (eg an iPod and Bluetooth speaker). The better organized your evidence is, the greater the likelihood that the judge will
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    understand your side of the case and rule in your favor. Also, there's probably some great stuff on the web about how to win in small claims court.
    via @
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    Notori... IAAL, but not my practice area. You asked what to bring...here's what I would bring:
    via @
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    1. Recording - Transcript of phone call(s) and usb flash drive backup in format suggested by court clerk ahead of hearing date 2. Printed copies of any relevant text messages (screenshots) and phone they are on? I'd ask clerk about how to present those as well.
    via @
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    Also bring the stuff you already mentioned you're bringing: 3) Copy of liability acceptance form signed by RM 4) Copy of quote(s) from orthodontist(s) to replace each item destroyed
    via @
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    5) Actual destroyed items (in plastic bags for hygiene) I wouldn't even get into the issue of whether or not her ESA is "fake." First and foremost, it isn't relevant--RM's animal destroyed OP's property = RM is responsible for OP's losses caused by RM's animal, a possibility that was underscored by the liability acceptance contract RM signed in the first place.
    via @
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    Second, ESAs are hard to challenge. RM likely had to produce medical documentation with her application to dorms to have the ESA/dog, and challenging it would involve diving into RM's medical records and doesn't matter to this judgement anyway. Don't waste
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    your energy or the judge's time on the validity of RM's need for the animal; not germane to your damages claim and risks making you look petty at best/wrong at worst, if RM has sufficient documentation to justify ESA.
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    Edit to echo post by ilielayinginmylair: Try to deal with it through your university first (higher than your RA, perhaps director of campus life, etc.) and get them to pay you, and let them extract it from RM via
    via @
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    transcript or registration freeze. Small claims still takes your time, and you always run the risk of losing something, no matter how 'slam dunk' your case seems to be.
    via @
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    ProbablyAnxiolytic "I don't care what I signed" is going to go over really well in small claims court, lol. Keep calm, keep everything factual and verifiable information and you'll do great.
    via ProbablyAnxiolytic

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