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In 1921, Dormie went on trial with the highest possible stakes: his life. He was an Airedale dog, and he was on trial for killing 14 cats. There was some suspicion that Dormie was targeted for trial because his owner, Eaton McMillan, was a wealthy automobile dealer. The dog’s aristocratic background may have made him a target: the Chicago Tribune joked that Dormie’s trial would “expose the inner secrets of the upper strata of dogdom.” Ultimately, it didn’t matter. The trial ended with a hung jury, with 11 jurors voting to acquit, while only 1 wanted the dog to go to the pound gas chamber. Dormie walked free