Does your dog own you or dog you own your dog? Answer the following questions below and by the time you get to the end, the answer will be obvious. Let me know.

1. If you are cold, you put a sweater on your dog.
2. You have a picture of your dog in your wallet, but not one of your kids.
3. You often claim that it was love at first sight with you and your dog.
4. You can’t fully enjoy yourself without your dog.
5. No matter how large your bed is, it is not large enough for you and your dog(s).
6. You spend more on clothes and food for your dog than you do for yourself.
7. You have no reservations about kissing your dog on the lips, even when you know where his lips have been.
8. You let the neighbor dog sleep over.
9. You believe there is no such thing as a naughty dog.
10. Your vet and grooming bills exceed your rent.
11. When you need someone to talk to, your dog is your first choice.
12. You sit on the floor if the dog gets in the chair first.
13. You talk to your dog when you are driving. He answers.
14. Your dog taught you to fetch and roll over.

So… who owns who?

In October of 2007, George Kerr, angry and upset over an impending divorce, took matters of vengeance into his own hands when he slit the throat of his soon-to-be ex-wife’s dog and buried the body in the back yard.

Guess the viciousness and cruelty of the unprovoked crime on an innocent and defenseless dog didn’t make much of an impression on State Superior Court by Judge Roger F. Mahon. On Friday Mahon sentenced Kerr to two years probation, 30 days community service and seven days in Hunterdon County Jail. Wow, that’s tough!

Kerr’s attorney cited lack of criminal history, the anomaly of the crime, the circumstance of the crime and a “low risk of anti-social behavior” from Kerr in the future and I guess the Judge was feeling mellow and basically let him off. Annie, the dog he killed was viciously killed and her killer walked!

Kerr was initially accepted into a Pre-Trail Intervention program, but the Hunterdon County Prosecutor’s Office reversed the decision, citing objections from law enforcement officials and the Society For the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Mading called the reversal an abuse that showed “a clear error in judgment,” but Mahon ruled that the decision should stand.

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