Canine walker who refuses to go back puppy to proprietor faces legal fees

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A Windsor canine walker who has refused to go back a former consumer’s puppy for 3 years — regardless of repeated losses in a peculiar custody fight — is now going through legal fees.

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A justice of the peace on Tuesday issued a summons for Samantha Roberts to seem in courtroom subsequent month on fees of robbery below $5,000 and disobeying a courtroom order. If she doesn’t display up, a bench warrant can be issued.

It’s the most recent twist within the combat for custody of a Newfoundland canine named Lemmy, which has dragged on since 2019.

Greg Marentette purchased the pet from his sister in 2016 and named it after the lead singer of Motorhead, considered one of his favorite bands. After operating as Marentette’s canine walker for approximately 3 years, Roberts made up our minds in the future in Aug. 2019 that she wasn’t giving Lemmy again.

Marentette received a 3rd victory overdue ultimate month when Ontario’s perfect courtroom rejected Roberts’ bid to overturn earlier judgments in opposition to her in a drawn-out civil go well with.

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However Roberts nonetheless hasn’t returned the canine, so Marentette filed a “non-public prosecution” ultimate week. He went to courtroom Tuesday to present testimony in reinforce of submitting the fees.

Inside mins, a justice of the peace issued a summons for Roberts to seem in courtroom in September. It used to be some other victory for Marentette.

However after years of courtroom battles, $20,000 in criminal charges, and lacking out on a lot of Lemmy’s lifestyles, his pleasure used to be tempered.

Marentette and his legal professional have additionally reached out to the sheriff, a central authority legitimate who executes and enforces courtroom orders, to clutch the canine this week. That can price Marentette $40 for each and every try.

“I’m attempting to not get my hopes up an excessive amount of,” he mentioned out of doors the courthouse. “No longer till that canine is laying on my flooring, as a result of I’ve been let down too repeatedly already. I am getting just right information and simply get deflated in all places once more and it’s some other six months sooner than I listen one thing that’s just right information.”

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Marentette purchased Lemmy in 2016 within the hopes it could assist with PTSD and despair caused by a motorbike crash 3 years previous. He suffered 3 damaged vertebrae, a dislocated hip, concussion and damaged femur.

After returning to paintings, Marentette sought after a canine sitter so Lemmy wouldn’t be caged up and by myself all day. He employed Roberts for $30 an afternoon.

Roberts’ legal professional, Andrew Colautti, couldn’t be reached for touch upon Tuesday.

However previous this yr, he instructed the Megastar the connection developed in order that Lemmy stayed at Roberts’ space for a number of nights per week. He additionally prior to now mentioned that Marentette may just now not have enough money to pay for Roberts’ services and products and introduced to “percentage” or “co-parent” the canine.

The connection started to fray through the years, till Aug. 2019, when it got here to a halt. Marentette known as Roberts to mention he used to be taking Lemmy on a shuttle. Roberts refused to go back the canine, instructed Marentette she had taken him to an undisclosed location and used to be in quest of criminal custody.

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Marentette introduced a small claims lawsuit in opposition to Roberts. He received. Roberts appealed in divisional courtroom. Marentette received once more. In March, Roberts filed a movement to the Ontario Courtroom of Appeals. Remaining month, that courtroom dominated it could no longer listen her arguments.

In spite of his repeated wins, Marentette has most effective observed Lemmy as soon as since Aug. 2019, in a court docket at the first day of the small claims trial. Every time Roberts introduced an attraction of the rulings in opposition to her, a pass judgement on ordered that Lemmy would keep together with her till the case used to be made up our minds.

“It’s past irritating,” mentioned Marentette. “It’s must be so easy. You received the case, you get the canine. If she desires to combat it, let her combat it. However within the intervening time, the canine is going to the one that has been confirmed that it’s his. Anything doesn’t appear honest. She can have stored combating the attraction and stored dropping, however a minimum of I might have had my canine for the ultimate 2 ½ years.”

In spite of the courts many times confirming he’s the rightful proprietor of Lemmy, Marentette mentioned he appears like he has been “ripped off for 3 years of that canine’s lifestyles.”

“How do I am getting that again?” he mentioned. “What’s the fee tag on part of a canine’s lifestyles? How do you equate that?”

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