Resolving a case that enraged pet lovers around the world, a judge gave the maximum sentence Friday to the man who tossed a dog to its death in a bout of road rage last year.

The courtroom erupted in applause as the twenty-seven year old defendant, was sentenced to three years behind bars for throwing the small bichon frise named Leo into oncoming traffic after a fender-bender with the dog's owner. He was convicted of animal cruelty last month.

The Judge rejected a plea for leniency, saying he feared the defendant could harm someone in the future. "It's a case of rage-induced violence," the judge said. "I believe that prison can send a message and it can deter."

Kick up Those Paws!
The Motown Bow-Wow Boogie had owners and their dogs 'cutting a rug'.
Davisburg, The Detroit News, July, 2001

They're dancing with dogs in Oakland County this weekend, as more than a hundred four-footed dancing fools and their human partners cut a rug at the 4-H Fairgrounds for the first annual Motown Bow Wow Boogie competition. "My border collie prefers rap and hip-hop," deadpanned the founder of the World Canine Freestyle Organization. In fact, the first rule of dancing with dogs is that there are very few rules for dancing with dogs. Participants are free to pick their own music and improvise their own steps, as their dogs twirl, flip and jump at their side.

"If you can picture a pairs ice dancing competition, it's sort of like that," a participant said. "The handler wears an outfit that suits the music, the dog wears a collar and cuffs, and they dance in time to the music." The World Canine Freestyle Organization, which was founded in 1993, now boasts more than 400 members worldwide. About 100 participants and pets from around the country flocked to the competition