An Oregon man left feline purrplexed after his cat's disappearance has been awarded $1.4 million after claiming his landlord nicked his pet.
Joshua Smith was left devastated after his furry friend Frank mysteriously went missing.
But the smile was certainly back on his face this week as a Multnomah County Circuit Court jury spent less than two hours deliberating on Thursday (2 November) before they awarded him $1.375 million for the loss of his tabby cat.
Oregon Live reported that Smith had previously sued his landlord, claiming Devon Andrade had 'catnapped' the three-year-old puss.
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"The jury’s message should be loud and clear to landlords,” said attorney Michael Fuller. "You need to respect the rights of tenants, especially when it comes to pets."
Back in 2017, 41-year-old Smith encountered the apparent street cat and eventually welcomed Frank into the room he rented at a drug recovery group home in Portland, court records show.
When Smith returned home one day in April 2019, Frank was nowhere to be seen.
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He subsequently sued Andrade, and the recovery house business, Pinestreet LLC, just days later.
As the dispute reached court, Andrade admitted that he had catnapped Frank, stating it was against Smith's lease agreement to keep any pets in his room.
Andrade said he got his girlfriend to drop Frank off at a local shelter, according to a memo written by Andrade’s attorney.
The whole purpose of the trial was not to determine who stole Frank, but instead whether Smith was due punitive damages and recompense for the emotional stress caused by the catnapping.
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"It turned out that the people on the jury were also animal lovers," Fuller added.
While Smith may be set for life with his massive payment, he was never reunited with his adorable Frank.
Veterinarians found a microchip in the tabby cat, so he was later sent home to his original owner.
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Oregonlive.com states that Smith has had a pretty eventful few years alongside the Frank fiasco, including getting married and moving to the seaside.
He has even started up his own barbershop, though he does remain without a pet for now following Frank's return to his original home.
With his new fortune, Smith plans to support others in the local community and maybe even buy a place of his own where he can welcome as many animal friends as his heart desires.
"The most important thing was that I got my day in court," he said. "I got really lucky because I told the truth, no matter what."
Callum Jones