A grieving daughter was forced to go to the B.C. Civil Resolution Tribunal in order to force the return of her deceased father鈥檚 dog Cookie.

Brandy Parlett is the executor of the estate of her father, John Michael Parlett.

鈥淢s. Parlett says that the respondent, Trisha Gatfield, offered to care for her father鈥檚 dog, Cookie, while her father was undergoing chemotherapy,鈥� reads the CRT decision. 鈥淢s. Parlett says her father died and Ms. Gatfield refuses to return Cookie to her family. Ms. Parlett asks for an order that Cookie be returned to her and that Ms. Gatfield pay her expenses to retrieve Cookie.鈥�

Gatfield responded that Cookie was given to her by other members of John Parlett鈥檚 family.

鈥淢s. Parlett says that her brother was looking after Cookie while her father was in the hospital receiving chemotherapy,鈥� said the CRT decision. 鈥淐ookie kept running away from her brother鈥檚 home. She says that Ms. Gatfield offered to take care of Cookie until her father left the hospital. After her father died, Ms. Parlett says Ms. Gatfield refused to return Cookie.鈥�

Gatfield gave testimony that John Parlett鈥檚 family encouraged her to keep Cookie.

鈥淢s. Gatfield says that John Parlett鈥檚 family asked her to look after Cookie while he was in the hospital,鈥� said the CRT decision. 鈥淪he says that after John Parlett died, she and Ms. Parlett discussed returning Cookie. However, she says John Parlett鈥檚 other family members told her she should keep Cookie. Ms. Gatfield has provided a letter and text messages from one of John Parlett鈥檚 daughters stating that the family has decided that Cookie should live with Ms. Gatfield.鈥�

For the CRT, the issue is that Cookie is property of the estate of John Parlett and whoever is the administrator of the estate is the one who decides who should have Cookie.

The CRT agreed that Brandy is the administrator and so it has ordered that Cookie be returned by Gatfield, but it did not award costs to reimburse the family.

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