A court action that failed at the B.C. Civil Resolution Tribunal can still serve as a warning about the potential liability of your pet.

A Victoria family was sued by their friends and landlords who accused them and their dog of causing a flea 鈥渋nfestation鈥� at their home. The people who sued were claiming $4,000 for fumigation, Uber fares, laundry, cleaning, vet bills, lost rent and bills, and 鈥渄amages.鈥�

In response, the dog owner said 鈥渢here is no conclusive evidence they brought fleas into the鈥� home.

鈥淭hey say the fact that they contributed to some of the (family鈥檚) veterinary expenses to treat the cats for fleas is not proof they caused the problem,鈥� read the CRT decision.

The people filing the court action said the other family鈥檚 dog transferred the fleas to their cats, which then spread them to their home. The applicants told the respondents about the fleas and said the woman 鈥渂roke down in tears, took responsibility for introducing the fleas鈥� and promised to fix the situation, according to testimony in the CRT decision.

According to the CRT decision, the respondent 鈥渁grees they were upset by the news, but says this was because they knew what it was like to live in a flea-infested home and they did not want to move into an apartment with fleas, not because they believed the flea infestation was their fault.鈥�

The respondent said the family with the cats let them out in the hallway often and that this 鈥渕eans the fleas could reasonably have come from somewhere other than their grandmother鈥檚 home,鈥� said the CRT decision.

In the end, the CRT agreed with the respondent that it was unproven where the fleas came from and dismissed the claims.

鈥淚 find it is equally possible the cats picked up fleas from elsewhere, such as from another animal in the building or from a person visiting with a pet,鈥� said the decision. 鈥淚n short, I find there is nothing to prove (the respondent) was the source of the flea transfer.鈥�

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