From the July 25 decision in Fuhr v. Smith by N.Y. trial court judge Gerald Lebovits:
This action arises from a dispute about who should house a dog and her litter of puppies. Plaintiffs, Kristopher Fuhr and Sara Obstarczyk, are foster parents for rescue pets in New York State. A Good Dog Rescue, a pet-adoption organization, and Lisa Smith, the president of A Good Dog Rescue, are the defendants….
On January 10, 2025, plaintiffs signed a foster agreement with defendants temporarily to foster Lily, an adult dog, and Lily's litter of eight puppies. Plaintiffs allege that Smith was unable to foster Lily and the litter, because Smith's home had recently been contaminated with Parvovirus, a highly contagious canine virus that can be deadly to puppies/unvaccinated dogs. Plaintiffs began fostering Lily and her puppies in their home on January 11, 2025.
On March 8, 2025, Smith texted plaintiffs that she would retrieve Lily and her puppies from plaintiffs' home on March 14, 2025. On March 13, 2025, plaintiffs responded that they would continue to foster Lily and her litter because they believe that Smith's home is still contaminated.
According to plaintiffs, over the next several weeks defendants posted on social media (mainly Facebook) that plaintiffs were housing Lily and Lily's puppies in breach of the foster contract. Defendants' posts contained personal information, including plaintiffs' address and phone numbers. Plaintiffs allege that defendants' social-media posts prompted third parties to send plaintiffs threatening voicemails and emails, which forced plaintiffs to flee their home. Plaintiffs are currently keeping Lily and her puppies at an undisclosed location.
