Adoptable Georgia Dogs for April 14, 2016

Darby is a young male Coonhound and Labrador Retriever mix who is available for adoption from Inspire Pet Rescue Kennesaw, GA. He’s an adorable Hound mix puppy who loves to play and loves to snuggle.

Darcy is a young female Boxer and Labrador Retriever puppy who is available for adoption from Inspire Pet Rescue Kennesaw, GA. She’s a fun, friendly Boxer mix puppy who loves to play and is always ready for an adventure.

Harper is a 3-year old Terrier mix girl who is available for adoption from Inspire Pet Rescue Kennesaw, GA. She is good with dogs and great with children. Harper aims to please and loves to cuddle. No cats please.She recently completed heartworm treatment and is ready for her forever home.

Claire is a 4-month old female Terrier mix puppy who loves playing with other dogs and who is available for adoption from Inspire Pet Rescue Kennesaw, GA.

The Supreme Court of Georgia may decide whether a family pet has legal value beyond its simple replacement value, according to the Washington Post.

People, it’s clear, increasingly think of  pets as family — or fellow people.

The law, however, sees pets very differently: They are property, like a car or a toaster.

Now the Supreme Court of Georgia is mulling the disconnect between those two views. In a case that could be decided next month, judges are considering whether a rescue mutt whose death was allegedly caused by a kennel’s negligence had the value of a used toaster — zilch — or a value relative to how the dog’s owners felt about her and the $67,000 they spent to save her.

In short: How much is a pet dog worth?

[W]hen it comes to damages for the death of a pet, state supreme courts have usually knocked down trial and appellate court decisions that award emotional or “non-economic” damages, Favre said, because they view it as a slippery slope. (Separately, a small number of states have enacted legislation on recoverable damages in such cases; Tennessee dog or cat owners, for example, can recover up to $5,000 “for the loss of the reasonably expected society, companionship, love and affection of the pet.”)

Courts more often allow juries to award damages for “reasonable” veterinary costs, Favre said, though some are wary of leaving that judgment in juries’ hands.