Mock Trial Cross Examination

Growing up you had experience with show dogs, correct?

My mother was really into dog shows, so I was around them a ton when I was growing up. She wasn’t too great with money, so I was the one who ended up handling our finances, but money comes and goes, not worth it. So, I was very involved in the dog show industry while growing up, yes. 

1. These dogs did not win many shows that they competed in, correct?

1. We entered many small competitions all over the east coast, and we did have some small wins. But it wasn’t about the wins, but rather it was about getting to spend time with our dogs, and meeting others who love to do the same. 

1. So you felt resentful towards your dog Star?

1. Not towards Star himself, he was only a dog. That experience with Star was what I cherished most, and you know how lucky I am, I still love franks and beans to this day. 

1. So is it true your childhood dog's health conditions infuriated you? 

1. I wouldn’t say infuriated, it was stressful because the vet bills were expensive. I Just thought that it was weird that the vet didn't have a christmas tree during the season, I’m not even Christian!

1. But you were angry, am I correct?

1. It was upsetting to see money go to the dogs when we were struggling with bills. I wasn’t going around the house yelling about it, but I did think that it was unfair. 

1. And the costs of your dogs often cut into your gas or electric bills, correct?

1. There were times when the dog expenses made it harder to pay for basic things like electricity but that was not the concern. Rather it was about the dog not being in the best condition he could have been in. It’s not like someone is going to throw a child in jail. 

1. But they did not go “Big in the industry”?

1. My mother believed that they would, so we kept trying. And again, I said it was not all about the money, it was about being with my pet, and spending time with others who love doing the same. 

1. So your mom had a sort of scheme where she hoped to put dogs into competitions to get big in the industry, correct?

1. I wouldn’t call it a scheme, she really did believe that they could win. She wanted the dogs to be the best that they could possibly be. 

1. So, as you just read from your witness statement,  you were not supportive of the dog show industry correct?

1. Haven’t you been listening to what I have been saying this entire time? I loved the industry and everything it did to help dogs, and dog lovers who share that common bond of raising dogs to be the best they could possibly be. 

1. So, to clarify, your expertise stems from a childhood where you did not support the dog show industry ?

1. I had practice from paying the bills related to dog shows, and got familiar with all of the procedures of dog shows by attending so many, and that experience was better than anything that you could have learned in school about the dog show industry. And I never said that I never supported the dog show industry, my family was so invested in it that we spent our family’s inheritance on supporting the dog show industry. 

1. And  you also  felt burdened by dogs during your childhood? 

1. A dog is a man’s best friend, and there is no amount of money that you could have paid me to give the amazing experiences that I got in the industry. 

1. Okay so you felt financially burdened by your dogs during your childhood?

1. I never said I was burdened, it was worth every single penny that my family invested in our dogs.I don’t know how many times I have to say this, but it is never about the money. 

1. And the reason you felt financially burdened was because your dogs were not making almost no monetary profit in competitions correct? 

1. The money that we made was never the issue. EVER. It was just that we wanted our dogs to be the best dogs that they could be, in and outside the industry.  I was just glad that we were getting to spend so much time with them. 

1. So, I’d like to direct you to answer this question with a yes or no: Are you able to fully predict what Sally could have made if she had not passed so young?

1. I absolutely could predict what Sally could have made, based on my expertise in the industry. Her career was over, it was all downhill from the time where Sally won the highest prize. That prize is like a curse and a blessing at the same time. 

1. Wait, So Sally had already made a fifth of Ms. St Claire’s estimate in one singular show, correct?

1. Just because Sally had one big win doesn’t mean that she would keep winning. That was the end of it, there was nothing more to achieve. But she was 2 years old when she won $100,000.