RALEIGH, N.C.-- Custody case are nothing new for the North Carolina Court of Appeals. However, they usually involve children.
On Wednesday, the state's second-highest court ruled on a dog dispute after a couple on the coast broke up. At issue was who got to keep a Great Dane named Roxy that was acquired while the couple was still together.
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Niels Moore appealed a lower court's ruling in Dare County that awarded custody of Roxy to Laura Volastro.
According to the ruling, Moore and Volastro decided to get a dog in December of 2023. After visiting a breeder, Moore put down a $500 security deposit. When they picked up Roxy the next month, Moore was listed as the buyer. He paid the remaining $500 balance.
However, a social media posting by Volastro and her actions after they got the dog, eventually tipped the scales in her favor.
First, there was a Facebook post on Christmas, where Volastro thanked Moore for buying the puppy as a Christmas gift. Testimony also showed Volastro was the main caregiver for Roxy.
The judges upheld a District Court ruling that Roxy was, in fact, a Christmas gift from Moore to Volastro and awarded her full custody of the dog.