Walking into Judge Judy’s courtroom, Ms. McGill and Ms. Brunette looked like two former friends whose relationship had gone south. But the reason for their falling out wasn’t a typical landlord-tenant dispute—it involved a non-neutered Shih Tzu and a side hustle that neither woman would ever forget.

A Friendship Based on Favors

Ms. McGill was a property owner who thought she was doing a good deed. When her friend and dog groomer, Ms. Brunette, fell on hard times, McGill allowed her to move into her apartment building. Their arrangement was “loose,” to say the least. If Brunette was short on rent, she’d make up for it by doing chores or taking care of McGill’s beloved Shih Tzu.

For over two years, the arrangement worked—until a chance encounter turned McGill’s world upside down.

The Serendipitous Reveal

One day, McGill met a stranger who dropped a bombshell. During a casual conversation about their dogs, the stranger remarked, “Our dogs are actually related! Your dog is my dog’s… Puppy Daddy.”

McGill was stunned. She had never authorized her dog to be put out for stud. It turned out that while McGill was away visiting her mother, Brunette—who was babysitting the dog—had allegedly used the pet to turn a profit.

“Story! Give Me a Story!”
In the courtroom, Ms. Brunette didn’t deny the act, but she certainly denied the theft. “It was her idea!” Brunette claimed, insisting she had permission.

Judge Judy, never one for vague excuses, demanded specifics. “I don’t want to know what was in her head. I want to know what she said to you!”

Brunette’s story was that she was short on rent and McGill had agreed to let her stud the dog for $350 to cover the balance. McGill’s response was a flat, cold “No.” The landlord insisted she had tried to help Brunette become self-sufficient, but pimping out her pet was never part of the deal.

The Aftermath

The “Puppy Daddy” scandal was the final straw. An argument ensued, and Brunette was given three days to pack her things and leave. But according to McGill, the betrayal didn’t end with the dog. When she walked into the vacated apartment, she found a disaster zone.

Brunette attempted a weak defense for the mess: “I only had three days! I can’t clean an apartment and move all my stuff in three days!”

Judge Judy was unmoved. The law doesn’t care how fast you have to move; it cares about the condition in which you leave someone else’s property.

The Verdict

The math was simple for the court. Judge Judy ordered Ms. Brunette to pay back the $350 she pocketed from the unauthorized stud fee, plus $2,000 for the extensive cleaning and repairs needed to fix the trashed apartment.

Ms. McGill walked away with a judgment in her favor, and Ms. Brunette left with a very expensive lesson: never treat a friend’s pet—or their property—like a personal ATM.