Peter the Great

In 1926, after appearing in several Hollywood features, Peter was shot and killed during a possible alcohol fueled dispute between his master and another dog fancier. A jury later awarded Peter's owner, who had asked for a quarter of a million dollars, $100,000 plus $25,000 in punitive damages, a record at that time for the slaying of a dog. In 1931 another jury found that "No dog can be considered in the same category as a human" and declared the 1927 damage award as grossly excessive.