“I’ve never really needed a lawyer. I didn’t even know how to go about getting a lawyer,” Quentin explains about trying to find legal help.

When he moved into his apartment on a six-month lease, he didn’t expect issues with his landlord. But soon, he was trying to defend himself against eviction. It was clear immediately he would need help from a legal professional.

“They were threatening me with eviction because I had my emotional support animal here,” says Quentin. “His name is Cuddles, and he’s a senior cat. I’ve had him for about five years so since before I lived here.”

Quentin started by walking into the law firm across the street from his apartment. He told them what was going on and says they agreed with him that it didn’t sound right. The firm directed him to Legal Aid of WV, where he applied for help.

“I actually worked with two staff at Legal Aid, Tricia and Ed,” he says. Tricia, a paralegal, and Ed, an attorney, specialize in helping clients with housing cases. “Working with them was great. I feel like they really went to bat for me. I feel like they did everything they could for me not to lose my place.”

Together, they worked on the concern the landlord had about the proper paperwork for Cuddles. Tricia and Ed had extensive back and forth with Quentin’s landlord, including a conference call where Ed had to walk through every aspect of Cuddles’ legitimacy. Finally, Quentin’s landlord dropped the eviction.

Quentin didn’t have to find new housing quickly—a tremendous relief for him. And, of course, he didn’t have to worry about losing Cuddles.

“I just knew when Quentin came in that we had to help him,” says his Legal Aid of WV legal assistant. “He was a great client, and our office loves the story of Cuddles the cat.”