They kept my dog. So I went to court.

738 days apart, a jury trial, and $58,532.76 in legal bills later, a unanimous jury ruled for me and the court declared Nunu mine.

Watch the film 90 sec Read the story

Erick holding Nunu, a white West Highland Terrier — Nunu & me

days apart

hours of legal work

in legal bills

6 of 6

jurors ruled for me

The film · 90 seconds

Bringing Nunu Home

Built from the court record · Captions on screen · Download

The story

Six moments, 738 days.

March 2019
Finding Nunu
I found Nunu through a breeder in Arkansas and bought him myself. His registration and microchip are in my name.
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I was a student at LSU in Baton Rouge when I found the breeder on PuppyFind and texted her (below). Six days later, on March 10, I sent $800 from a Walmart in Baton Rouge.
Nunu’s first vet visit was March 19, 2019, in Baton Rouge, under my name. He weighed five and a quarter pounds. From the start, I paid for his food, his toys, his grooming, and his vet care.
After college, my girlfriend, Natalie Enriquez, and I moved in with her family in Montgomery County, Texas, including her father, Erwin. Nunu came with us.
Breeder · Arkansas
Mon, Mar 4, 2019
Hello
Do you still have the westie male? I found you on puppyfind.com
Yes he is available
My first text to Nunu’s breeder
REGISTRATION
Registered name
Nunu III
Breed
West Highland White Terrier
Born
January 16, 2019
Owner of record
Erick Ho
March 2024
The breakup
Natalie and I broke up. Nunu stayed to comfort her while I found a new place. It was supposed to be temporary.
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The breakup was hard on her, hard enough that I was genuinely worried about her. I didn’t want to take everything from her at once, so I left Nunu with her for a while, to comfort her. Before I left, I told Erwin it was temporary.
That summer, I paid to replace the backyard fence at the house so Nunu couldn’t slip out.
2024 – 2025
Asking for him back
I kept asking. In January 2025, Erwin texted back: “Sorry.. we cant have you get Nunu at this point..”
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I gave Natalie space while I got settled, but I kept checking in on Nunu. She sent me photos and updates, and I told her I wanted him back. By the fall we were messaging on Snapchat about me getting him back. Snapchat deletes messages unless you save them, so those are gone.
In December I asked to bring Nunu home. The answer was no. In January I asked to take him, even just for two weeks. This was the reply.
Later in 2025, I found out Nunu’s veterinary records had been changed out of my name. I had them changed back.
Erwin
Fri, Jan 24, 2025
What’s the decision?
Sorry.. we cant have you get Nunu at this point.. focus on your stuff..
We have already lost so much.. cant keep bleeding at this point
Given the circumstances, we feel it’s best for Nunu to remain here with us, where he’s safe and cared for. We hope you can understand and respect our decision. This isn’t about withholding Nunu from you but about what’s best for him and ensuring his stability. Thank you for understanding
Wow
My texts with Erwin Enriquez, Trial Exhibit P-13
Fall 2025
Going to court
After a formal demand letter, I sued on November 5, 2025. Their defense: I had abandoned him.
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A formal demand letter went out on October 6, 2025. On November 5, I sued Natalie and Erwin Enriquez in the 284th District Court in Montgomery County, Texas.
Over the winter, both sides exchanged evidence and gave sworn depositions. Her lawyers called my leaving Nunu with her abandonment. Their own filing said I chose to leave him behind “to comfort Natalie.”
March 9 – 12, 2026
The verdict
A jury of six ruled for me, unanimously. The court declared me Nunu’s true and sole owner.
“Plaintiff, ERICK HO, is determined as the true and sole owner of the personal property Canine, Nunu.”
Final Judgment, March 12, 2026
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The case was tried over two days, March 9 and 10. I brought the registration, the microchip record, the purchase receipt, the vet records, and our photos.
Asked whether Nunu had been converted (wrongfully kept from his owner), all six jurors answered yes as to both Natalie and Erwin. On March 12 the court signed its Final Judgment, ordering Nunu returned by 5:00 p.m. on March 17.
March 13 – 19, 2026
One last fight
They moved to delay the judgment and said they would appeal. On March 19, 2026, after 738 days apart, Nunu came home.
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1. March 11, 2026
  Their lawyer approves the judgment
  Natalie and Erwin’s counsel signed off on the wording of the Final Judgment: “approved as to form only.”
2. March 12, 2026
  The court sets a hard deadline
  Nunu was to be returned by 5:00 p.m. on March 17, and the judgment said no motion or appeal could push that back.
  …shall not effect, abate, truncate, nor postpone the effective date of this judgment and the strict deadline of turnover of the Canine, Nunu, on or before March 17, 2026.
3. March 13, 2026
  An emergency motion to delay
  The next morning they filed an emergency motion to put the judgment on hold while they challenged the verdict, arguing the jury “did not award possession of the canine” to me. My lawyer opposed it the same day and asked the court to sanction them.
4. March 16, 2026
  A bond, and the courthouse steps
  The court allowed them to suspend the judgment during an appeal by posting a $10,000 bond. Its order would have had Nunu handed back and forth between us at noon every Friday, a week at a time, on the front steps of the Montgomery County Courthouse, until the appeals were over. It never came to that.
5. March 17, 2026 · 4:20 p.m.
  Forty minutes before the deadline
  They filed notice that they had deposited a $10,000 cashier’s check with the court and that they “intend to appeal the trial court’s final judgment.”
6. +$4,720in post-judgment legal work (11.8 hours)

The case

They said. We showed.

Every defense they raised, in their own words, and the evidence that answered it.

Whose dog was he?
They said
“Natalie Enriquez is the owner.”
Erwin Enriquez, deposition 17:16
We showed
- Natalie admitted under oath that I bought Nunu and put no money toward him. Natalie deposition 38:20–39:2
- His kennel-club registration and microchip both list me as the owner. Exhibits P-1, P-2
- Erwin testified it didn’t surprise him that Natalie’s name wasn’t on the registration. Erwin deposition 18:6–13
Did I abandon him?
They said
“Plaintiff voluntarily relinquished and/or abandoned possession and ownership of the dog…”
Defendants’ First Amended Answer
“Leaving for nine months.”
Natalie’s definition of abandonment, deposition 137:15–18
We showed
- Abandonment requires the present intent to permanently give up ownership, shown by clear and satisfactory evidence. Charge of the Court, Question 1
- Before I left, I told Erwin it was temporary. Erick deposition 40:13–14
- That summer I paid for a new fence at their house so Nunu couldn’t escape. Erick deposition 51:1–4
- In January 2025, Erwin texted that “the custody battle should be you/nat against me and mama.” No one fights for custody of a dog that was abandoned. Erwin’s text, Jan 20, 2025 (P-13)
Did I agree to let them keep him?
They said
“Plaintiff expressly consented to Defendants retaining possession of the dog.”
Defendants’ First Amended Answer
We showed
- I agreed to a temporary stay while I found a new place, not to giving him away. Erick deposition 37:20–22, 40:13–14
- When I asked to take him, Erwin answered: “Sorry.. we cant have you get Nunu at this point..” Erwin’s text, Jan 24, 2025 (P-13)
- The jury was told conversion includes refusing “to return property after a demand for return is made by one entitled to possession.” Charge of the Court, Question 1
Did I ever ask for him back?
They said
“Plaintiff failed to retrieve the dog when repeatedly able to do so…”
Defendants’ First Amended Answer
We showed
- We messaged about getting him back on Snapchat, which deletes messages unless you save them. Erick deposition 43:6–16
- Erwin testified he deleted his own texts with me: “I probably, you know, deleted all the messages.” Erwin deposition 74:1–7
- In 2025 I raised it every time I visited, and the texts that survived show them refusing. Erick deposition 99:21–24; P-13

CHARGE OF THE COURT · QUESTION 1

Did Defendants convert Erick Ho’s canine?

Natalie Enriquez:Yes

Erwin Enriquez:Yes

UNANIMOUS

Six jurors. One answer.

I left Nunu with her so she wouldn’t lose everything at once. Her lawyers called that abandonment; their own filing said I chose to leave him behind “to comfort Natalie.” A jury disagreed, 6–0, and the court declared me his true and sole owner.

Read the deposition excerpts

Whose dog was he?

Natalie and Erwin claimed Nunu as theirs. Under oath, this is what they said about how he came to be.

Natalie Enriquez · January 12, 202638:14–16, 38:20–39:2designated for trial

Q.: And so whose idea was it to purchase Nunu?
A.: Erick’s.
Q.: And -- and who purchased Nunu?
A.: Erick.
Q.: Were you involved with any of the discussions between Mr. Ho and the breeder?
A.: No.
Q.: Did you tender any funds towards the purchase of Nunu?
A.: No.

Natalie Enriquez · January 12, 202640:6–9designated for trial

Q.: When you say “Erick took care of the expenses,” are you saying he took care of all the expenses or some of the expenses?
A.: All of them in that time we were in Louisiana.

Erwin Enriquez · January 19, 202618:6–13designated for trial

Q.: When you saw this registration certificate, was it surprising to you that Natalie’s name was not included as an owner alongside Erick’s name?
A.: No.
Q.: Okay. And why was that -- why was that not surprising to you?
A.: Once again, I -- I didn’t pay too much attention towards this form entailed.

Erwin Enriquez · January 19, 202619:6–18designated for trial

Q.: Are you aware of what the purchase price for Nunu was at the time of -- that they acquired the animal in 2019?
A.: No.
Q.: Was there any discussion between you and Natalie as to how Nunu was purchased?
A.: No.
Q.: And was there any discussion between you and Natalie as to whether she spent any monies trying to purchase the animal?
A.: No.

Erick Ho · December 29, 202585:10–20

Q.: Did you and Natalie have any discussions prior to purchasing Nunu?
A.: No, I decided to buy Nunu myself.
Q.: When Natalie came to discover that you purchased Nunu, what was her reaction?
A.: She initially felt like Nunu was going to replace her, and that’s why she didn’t want me to get the dog. And she actually told me that before verbally. But over time, I do believe that she became more open about it -- about me having the dog.

Temporary, not abandoned

Their whole defense was that I abandoned Nunu when I moved out in March 2024. I left him there so Natalie wouldn’t lose everything at once, and I never stopped trying to get him back.

Erick Ho · December 29, 202540:7–16

Q.: Sitting here today, do you have any recollection of when you first decided that you wanted to go ahead and take Nunu back?
A.: I’ve always wanted to take Nunu back.
Q.: Okay. When did you first verbalize that to my clients?
A.: That would be before I even left to Erwin Enriquez that it was meant to be temporary.
Q.: That was a verbal conversation?
A.: Correct.

Erick Ho · December 29, 202541:4–7, 43:6–9, 43:14–16

A.: I would have conversations checking up on Nunu with Natalie, and she would send me photos back and forth and give me a general update of Nunu.
A.: But we would exchange text messages through Snapchat about me getting him back as well probably around, I believe, like either September or October, but I can no longer find those text messages.
A.: Snapchat. And the reason why is that the messages disappear unless you save them. That’s how the app works.

Erwin Enriquez · January 19, 202688:14–20designated for trial

Q.: I’ll read a part of the -- the text message you sent you say, in part, “The custody battle should be you and Natalie against me and mama,” your -- your wife, correct?
A.: Uh-huh.
Q.: And the custody battle is relating to Nunu, correct?
A.: Correct.

They wouldn’t give him back

What Erwin said about our texts, and how they talked about Nunu when I visited.

Erwin Enriquez · January 19, 202673:21–74:7, 74:13–25designated for trial

Q.: I will represent to you, these text messages were produced by Erick Ho, do you still possess any of the text messages exchanged between you and Erick from 2024 to 2025?
A.: No.
Q.: And what happened to those messages?
A.: I think when -- a lot of my text messages gets cleaned up because it’s my work phone, as well, and I think I was looking at my text messages from Erick because, you know, some -- some people in my -- in my -- in my text messaging, I just delete it all time. So this is one of those things where I probably, you know, deleted all the messages.
Q.: And when were these messages between you and Erick deleted?
A.: I don’t know.
Q.: Was it before this lawsuit was filed?
A.: No.
Q.: Was it after this was it was filed?
A.: I -- I don’t remember.
Q.: Okay. But -- but you did delete the messages, correct?
A.: I think it’s not me that deletes it. I think, I -- I do a cleanup. I don’t -- I -- I have been through the clean up that I do. I cleanup storage pictures and stuff like that and it -- it clears up a lot of the stuff.

Erick Ho · December 29, 202599:21–100:6

Q.: Did you have any additional discussions with Erwin or Natalie regarding the return of Nunu in 2025?
A.: Yes. Every time I visited.
Q.: And how did these conversations -- how did these conversations play out when you would visit Nunu and the topic of ownership came up?
A.: They would always still call me dad, I’m the owner. But you know, just with enough time, with enough healing, you know, I will be able to get back Nunu, and so I trusted them in holding up that word.

Natalie Enriquez · January 12, 2026137:15–18, 172:3–8

Q.: How do you define abandonment?
A.: Leaving for nine months.
Q.: And to date you still believe that Mr. Ho abandoned Nunu March of 2024 despite the incidents that have occurred after the fact?
A.: I do believe he abandoned the dog, yes.

Verbatim from the certified transcripts; objections omitted. Testimony about anyone’s health is under the court’s protective order and not reproduced.

The law the jury applied

Defendants converted Erick Ho’s canine if they exercised dominion and control over Erick Ho’s canine without Erick Ho’s consent and to the exclusion of Erick Ho’s right of possession and use.

If the Plaintiff abandoned the personal property, then the Defendants did not convert the canine. Abandonment means the voluntary and intentional relinquishment of all right, title, claim, and interest in property, with the present intent to permanently give up ownership and the right to possession. Intent to abandon must be shown by clear and satisfactory evidence.

Charge of the Court, Question 1

What I brought to court

P-1
Kennel-club registration
Registered owner: Erick Ho
P-2
Microchip registration
Owner: Erick Ho
P-3
Purchase receipts
$800 money transfer, March 10, 2019
P-4 – P-7
Veterinary records
From his first visit in 2019
P-8
Photos
Nunu, and Nunu with me

What it cost

What it takes to bring a dog home in Texas.

Texas law treats dogs as personal property. To get Nunu back, I had to sue for him like any other possession, and pay for every step. I’m sharing my bill because most people could never afford it.

152.1 hours of legal work, from drafting the petition to the day Nunu came home.

No one should have to pay this to bring their dog home. That’s why the Nunu Foundation exists.

Where the money went

Filing suit & first hearing
$7,922.96
Drafting the petition, filing fees, serving the papers, and the emergency hearing in November 2025.
Discovery & depositions
$18,608.40
The protective order, written discovery, three depositions, and the court reporter and videographer.
Pretrial motions
$8,005.22
Answering their motion to strike my amended petition, and the court filing fees that followed.
Trial prep & two-day jury trial
$17,196.18
Exhibit binders, witness preparation, and two days in court on March 9–10, 2026.
After the verdict
$6,800.00
Answering their emergency motion to delay the judgment, and everything until Nunu was home.

Legal costs by phase
Phase	Amount
Filing suit & first hearing	$7,922.96
Discovery & depositions	$18,608.40
Pretrial motions	$8,005.22
Trial prep & two-day jury trial	$17,196.18
After the verdict	$6,800.00

Total$58,532.76

Not counted: the demand letter from my first lawyer. Hover or tap a bar for details.

Nunu is home. What comes next.

The Nunu Foundation

A nonprofit organization founded to help others through dog ownership disputes, so the next person fighting to bring their dog home doesn’t have to do it alone.

“Notwithstanding the powerful bond between dogs and their owners, for over a century, Texas law has classified dogs as personal property.”

From my lawsuit, citing Barlow v. Richardson (Tex. App.—Dallas 2023)

A letter from our Executive Director

In Texas, a dog is property. In the eyes of the law, Nunu was no different from a couch or a laptop that someone refused to give back. That is the law, and I had to live by it: a formal demand, a lawsuit, three depositions, a two-day jury trial, 738 days apart, and $58,532.76 in legal bills, all to prove what everyone who ever met him already knew.

I don’t believe that’s right, and I know I’m not alone. A dog isn’t something you own. He’s family. He’s the one waiting at the door, the one who doesn’t care how your day went, only that you’re home. A dog really is a man’s best friend, and the law should see what every dog owner already knows.

Most people can’t spend two years and tens of thousands of dollars to bring their dog home. They shouldn’t have to. That’s why I started the Nunu Foundation.

Erick Ho

Executive Director, The Nunu Foundation

What we believe

Dogs are family, not furniture.
The bond between a person and their dog deserves more weight than a receipt.
No one should fight alone.
Dog disputes are exhausting, expensive, and lonely. Everyone deserves someone in their corner.
Bringing your dog home shouldn’t take years.
Justice that takes 738 days and $58,000 is justice most people can’t afford.

No donations are accepted at this time.

They kept my dog. So I went to court.

Bringing Nunu Home

Six moments, 738 days.

Finding Nunu

The breakup

Asking for him back

Going to court

The verdict

One last fight

They said. We showed.

Whose dog was he?

Did I abandon him?

Did I agree to let them keep him?

Did I ever ask for him back?

What it takes to bring a dog home in Texas.

The Nunu Foundation