Wis. judge upholds ruling on dispute over cat
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A Wisconsin couple’s bitter cat fight over their beloved pet came to an end Thursday after a judge upheld a ruling on who owns a cat named Dexter.
At least for now.
The Fourth District Court of Appeals upheld a Dodge County circuit judge ruling that Dexter the cat belongs to Roger Kueffer of Columbus and not his ex-girlfriend, Julee Lawler of Watertown.
The appeals court said Lawler, who acquired Dexter in May 2002, had wanted the cat back since the couple broke up in August 2008. Lawler and Kueffer dated on and off for eight years.
Lawler said Kueffer took Dexter from her home without her permission in March 2006. Kueffer would keep Dexter for the next several years, even as the couple dated. He claimed Lawler gave him the cat as a birthday gift when their relationship ended. They later bickered over vet bills.
In January 2009, Kueffer told Lawler that Dexter had died. She found out more than a year later that this was not true.
Lawler filed a lawsuit in small claims court in February 2011 against Kueffer and Rebecca Schoessow of Portage, who was dating Kueffer at the time. Dexter the cat lived with Schoessow for a short time.
Kueffer and Schoessow have since broken up.
The lower court ruled that Lawler had given Dexter to Kueffer and that she had visited his home on several occasions and never involved authorities in efforts to retrieve the cat.
The appeals court upheld that decision.
It’s unclear if Lawler will appeal the ruling. Lawler’s attorney did not immediately return a message Thursday morning. Kueffer did not have an attorney listed and a home number was also not listed.
Feb 10, 2012 at 2:01 p.m.
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ID Idea...http://www.avidid.com/
Feb 10, 2012 at 8:35 a.m.
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Hi - my name is Dexter the cat. I have asked my friend Feduptaxpayer to invite The Mouse over for Tea sometime. Looking forward to Mmmeating you someday.
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Regards,
Dexter/fut
Feb 10, 2012 at 6:31 a.m.
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I know what Solomon would do. Flip a coin, heads gets … heads!
Feb 9, 2012 at 10:40 p.m.
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there are days when both my husband and I would agree that we are staying together for the cat's sake. Not too many, but some days.
Feb 9, 2012 at 9:11 p.m.
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Mouse don't get on here or Dexter will eat you.
Feb 9, 2012 at 7:22 p.m.
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The Supreme Court should hear this case. The level of legal analysis is right up Prosser's alley.
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This just in - cats are people too and are allowed to form Super-Cat-PACs.
Feb 9, 2012 at 7:16 p.m.
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If I had a cat and a judge took it away I'd owe the judge a beer.
Feb 9, 2012 at 7:03 p.m.
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/me ponders chipping a CD/DVD or trying to write my name on our cats. My mind boggles ;)
Feb 9, 2012 at 6:45 p.m.
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For anyone else out there who "wants to be friends", and "thinks it will be love forever" ... CHIP YOUR CAT! Put your name on the contact card. Same with your CDs, DVDs and ... Nothing lasts forever...except bickering it seems.
Feb 9, 2012 at 6:41 p.m.
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Wow. What a life for the cat! To get to live in so many places, be loved by so many people, to sit on so many strangers' laps.
Why not ask the cat what he wants. Could be Dexter wants to move on to a new group of folks who don't know these people at all. He might be tired of their bickering, toxic ways. He might not be a "jazz listening cat" in a "jazz listening house"...he might want to listen to country western or Elton John! Speaking of...maybe Elton John needs a new cat. I know he knows fe-lion songs! :) He's coming to Madison.
Feb 9, 2012 at 6:38 p.m.
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Because I have taken care of our family cats for over 40 years I can say that nobody "owns" a cat. A cat is its own person so to speak. Today I was thinking how nice our dog and cat play together. Then out of nowhere the dog coughed up a fur ball. Now I wonder just what are they up to.
Feb 9, 2012 at 6:15 p.m.
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I bet no kitty lic. What a waste of money. Tax payer money do you think??? Could be Rebecca's cat now anyway. Do you think this cat caused all of these breakups?lol
Feb 9, 2012 at 6:13 p.m.
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mccarguy. lol. A gift is a gift. she gave himthe cat then it is his.
Feb 9, 2012 at 6:07 p.m.
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What? No picture of Dexter?
Feb 9, 2012 at 5:33 p.m.
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Who's name is listed on the license for the cat. If there has been no license for the past several years, somebody should pay back fees. Then see who wants little Dexter.
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