Service dog company 'bamboozled' Virginia Tech student, judge says
CHRISTIANSBURG — A Madison County service dog company took advantage of a Virginia Tech student who volunteered to raise one of its puppies, and it must pay her expenses for dog food, vet bills — and legal defense, a Montgomery County judge ruled Wednesday.
But Tech junior Brianna Burch doesn’t get to keep the Labrador retriever named Lesley, General District Court Judge Randal Duncan ruled.
“I know you’re heartbroken by this, but they’re the owner of the dog,” Duncan said.
Burch was sued after she refused to return Lesley to Service Dogs by Warren Retrievers, a company that is itself being sued by the commonwealth for what the attorney general has called dishonest business practices. Burch filed a counterclaim seeking to keep the dog and recoup her costs.
Read more: https://www.roanoke.com/news/local/montgomery_county/service-dog-company-bamboozled-virginia-tech-student-judge-says/article_13c347d1-ecc1-5658-9bde-d48713963cf6.html
