Family gets $56,400 in dog's death

PORTLAND, Ore. – An Oregon family seeking more than $1 million from a neighbor who ran over their dog was awarded $56,400 by a jury Wednesday.

Raymond Weaver must pay Mark Greenup and his family $50,000 in punitive damages, $6,000 to compensate for their emotional distress and $400 for the value of their 14-year-old dog, Grizz.

"It certainly was short of a million dollars, but oh my God I'm pleased anyway," said Geordie Duckler, Greenup's lawyer. He said the verdict shows the jury wanted to "spank" Weaver, and "$50,000 is a great price to levy on a dog killer."

Weaver was convicted last year of first-degree animal abuse and sentenced to 90 days in the Clackamas County Jail. Weaver's attorney, Larry Dawson, said the incident was an accident. But Greenup and his family said Weaver drove over the dog several times outside their Estacada home and did not stop when they called out to him or when they tried to drag the dog from under the truck.

The family sued Weaver for $1.625 million under a number of claims, including loss of companionship.

Clackamas County Judge Eve Miller threw out the loss of companionship claim but allowed the jury to decide if the family should be paid for punitive damages and intentional infliction of emotional stress.

Miller ruled that loss of animal companionship was not "a viable theory under Oregon law." The decision was consistent with the legal tradition of defining pets as property and measuring their economic worth by market, rather than emotional, value.

Duckler said Weaver has a net worth of $1.4 million, and should have no trouble paying the settlement.

Calls to the Greenup home went unanswered. Weaver referred questions to his attorney.

Dawson said the judge made "pretty significant errors of law," but his client has not decided whether an appeal would be worth it financially.

"He's been convicted of a crime he didn't commit and assessed punitive damages for that same crime, so he's not happy," Dawson said.