Q: Am I liable for cost of pet damage to carpet at pet-sitters house?
I needed to visit my mom at a hospital away from home where she was staying for ~2 weeks. My friend lives in that town and said I could bring my dog to her apartment. My dog has never caused damage previously to an apartment. He stayed there for two days without any issues. On the third day my friend brought a rabbit to her apartment. She did not have a cage for the rabbit so she left it in a bedroom. She then left the apartment for the weekend days to go camping. I stayed at the apartment overnight and my dog throughout the day during that time. On Sunday I left the dog for 3 hours and when I came home the dog had damaged the carpet next to the door of the room of the rabbit who had pooped all along the door on the other side. A small area of the carpet was damaged but the apartment complex may ask for the entire carpet amount. It also turns out my friend was not allowed to have dogs or an uncaged rabbit in her apartment. Am I the dog owner, responsible for all the damage and fees?
A:
A Minnesota attorney could advise best, but your question remains open for two weeks. It's unlikely the complex will come after you; they will likely come after your friend. It might be seen as much a personal decision involving a friendship as it is a legal one - taking into consideration your friend's generosity in offering her apartment in an arrangement that didn't seem to benefit her. Good luck
Tim Akpinar
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