It’s a little warped, but Jeffery Ely believes that the Munthe family owes him $1,100 for the damage done to his car by their dog, a dog that he hit with his 1997 Honda Civic. Fester, the miniature pinscher, ran into the street and Ely apparently couldn’t avoid striking the dog. He is now suing for damage to the car, time taken off from work, and court fees. The Munthes have filed a $2,400 countersuit against Ely for the cost to buy the dog, time taken off work, and the cost of a replacement dog in a countermove to Ely’s suit. St. Louis County Court will hear the case on Friday, and we’ll try to find out who wins.

Ely says that he feels sorry for the Munthes’ lost dog, and even owns a dog himself. However, he believes that owners must be responsible for their own dog’s actions, and the accident caused pieces of his car’s bumper to cause radiator issues in his car. He said that “I have complete compassion for them. I know how it feels. I love dogs. But once you get them, they are your responsibility.”

The problem started when Nikki Munthe accidentally let Fester slip by her when she opened her front door for her other dog. She said that “we would have never let him off-leash because we’re so terrified of this road,” but her mistake cost her Fester. The countersuit seems like a revenge move because of Ely’s lawsuit.

We hate to say this, but unless it was clear that Ely should have been able to dodge the dog, he shouldn’t be at fault. However, we don’t know if $1,100 of damages could really be caused by a small dog.

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