A San Diego woman’s cat, Malik, was mauled to death by a dog and now a Clairemont rescue group where she adopted the cat is suing her for the tragedy.
The rescue group, The Rescue House, took Margaret McLean to small-claims court on Thursday because the group claims McLean violated terms of the adoption contract. The group is seeking $1,000.
The Rescue House wanted the cat to remain indoors, which they said was laid out in the contract.
An avid animal lover, McLean said she tried her best.
“I tried my best to keep this cat indoors with screens, chicken wires, doors,” McLean said. “At what point do I let an animal express his true individuality?”
After months of fighting it, McLean trusted her instincts and started letting the cat out of the house. She said Malik was happy, even following her on walks.
It was on walk that a freak accident killed the cat. A dog across the street escaped its leash and attacked Malik.
U.S. & World
News from around the country and around the globe
When The Rescue House found out about Malik’s death, the group’s founder, Joan Star, said it felt like a betrayal.
“That’s the point of doing that – saying we’re really, really serious about this,” Star said. “If this isn’t something that you feel you can commit, please don’t commit.”
Rescue House workers said it’s not about the money, and in 15 years, they’ve only taken legal action a handful of times. They say McLean should have just given the cat back.
McLean said the legal action felt “punitive.”
“A thousand dollars seemed punitive to me,” McLean said. “It didn’t seem like something I was paying them back for.”
The small-claims court judge on Thursday took the case under advisement and will make a decision in 30 days.
