Save The Dog, Save The World

Rolo lives. That's what a judge decided this afternoon.

Assistant Presiding Judge Mike Graber ruled that Rolo the German shepherd can return to his owner, Laura Hagen, who has to continue intense training with Rolo and learn how to better control her dog.

A 90-day jail sentence against Hagen also will be suspended if the dog stays out of trouble for a year[.]

From The Rocky Mountain News.

The judge this afternoon gave Hagan a 90-day suspended jail sentence. He ordered her to have her fence inspected and to obtain $100,000 in liability insurance. She must maintain Rolo's dog-training sessions, and if she moves, her new home must be inspected to ensure it meets the fence conditions.

From The Denver Post.

I was appellate counsel in this case and spent a couple of months driven by the "Save The Dog, Save The World" mantra. Practicing law is basically about trying to achieve a client's goals, one case at a time. Who knew, when I started, that the case would be splashed across Denver's major daily newspapers and television news outlets as front page news?

I'm pleased for my client, her dog, and her trial counsel (Joe Lazarra), to see a good result (which, incidentally, is very close to the plea bargain originally reached in the case). It is also worth noting that restitution has already been paid in the case.