Should I go with a small claims court for tenants who have caused damages?

[Dolev Zaharony]

Hi,

I run a short-to-mid-term rental business. I had a couple in one of our properties with dogs for a couple of months. When they left, we discovered that the dogs peed all over the house. We had to replace all of the carpets with wood, costing us over $5K. That is, of course, beyond the security deposit that we have used. They have not responded to my communications since they left. Would you take this to a small claims court to try and retrieve some or all of the funds? The property is in Wake County, NC, and the court will be in Vance County.

Thanks!