based their research on a method economists developed to estimate the
value of a human life. Their study was complicated, and I admit that I did not
understand the math. Based on a survey of a representative sample of 5,000
dog owners, the researchers reported that the “statistical value” of a dog’s life
in the United States was $10,000 – almost exactly Kirk’s average amount.
In comparison, the "statistical value" of a human life in the United States is
about 10 million dollars.
How Does the Law Explain the Value of Pets?
The legal system offers another window into the monetary value of pets.
Consider the case of Vern, a Chesapeake Bay retriever owned by Michael
Reeves of Glen Burnie, Maryland. In 2014, police officer Rodney Price was
investigating a burglary in Reeve’s neighborhood, when he was barked at by
Vern. Feeling threatened by the big dog, Price pulled out his gun and shot
him. Officer Price claimed the dog was going to attack him, and he was
exonerated by an internal police investigation.
The Reeves family disputed Price’s account. They said Vern was not
aggressive and did not endanger officer Price – that he was just barking at a
stranger in his yard. They filed a wrongful death lawsuit. The jury agreed with
them and awarded Reeves $1.26 million in damages for Vern’s death --
$500,000 in monetary damages and $760,000 damages due to emotional
distress to Reeves.
While $1,200,000 is on the high side, other legal cases have also
put premiums on the lives of pets.
• A Connecticut jury awarded $202,000 to a man and his daughter whose
115 pound mild-mannered St. Bernard was shot by Hartford police during
an illegal search.
• In a civil lawsuit, a Franklin County, Washington jury awarded $100,000 to
Jim Anderson, whose springer spaniel Chucky was shot and killed by his
neighbor. (An expert testified that, as a highly trained hunting dog, Chucky
was worth $10,500)
• In 2013, a $110,000 settlement was reached in Buffalo, New York when a
detective shot Adam Arryo’s best friend – a Staffordshire terrier named
Cindy.