What's your pet's market value?

Another disappointing decision by a judge when it comes to the emotional cost of losing a pet comes out of San Francisco.

An article in the San Francisco Chronicle said the judge ruled against a woman who show dog died due to her veterinarian's negligence.

In a ruling Friday on a San Francisco attorney's suit against an Orange County veterinarian, the Fourth District Court of Appeal acknowledged that "the love and loyalty a dog provides creates a strong emotional bond between the owner and his or her dog."

But the court noted that a parent whose child is killed by medical negligence can't sue the doctor for emotional distress or loss of the child's companionship. By the same token, California law allows a pet owner, in some cases, to seek compensation for loss of the animal's "unique economic value" but not for its "sentimental or emotional value," the court said.

If someone breaks your lamp, they only have to reimburse you for the cost of the lamp. So, it seems, a pet, no matter how dear, is the same.

Is it time to revisit some of our laws? And let's not forget the sometimes absurdly mild penalties for animal abuse while we're at it.

Ellen update from Fox Noise*

The attorney for Mutts and Moms, the adoption agency that took Iggy back from Ellen DeGeneres's hairdresser, said on the O'Reilly Factor Thursday that the hairdresser and her family were offered the opportunity to formally apply to keep the dog but refused to do so.

Attorney Keith Fink: "We did offer this family the ability to come in and file adoption papers. But Ellen DeGeneres wants it Ellen DeGeneres' way. She refused, and the family refused to come in and fill out the adoption papers."

This story just keeps getting better and better.

I hope the dog is OK and is happy with his new family.

* Shout-out to Keith Olbermann!