While not devoid of its share of drama, Sony Picturesโ€™ Judge David Young isnโ€™t your everyday small-claims circus. And thatโ€™s due to the man holding the gavel. Now into his second season and fast becoming one of the most-loved on-air judges on the block, Young brings campy quick wit, a penchant for bursting into show tunes, and something even more heart-warming to his courtroom: a passion for animal rights. Throughout November, Young, an ardent and long-time supporter of the Humane Society, dedicated a weekly segment called Thank Dog Itโ€™s Friday to the issue of responsible dog ownership. Hereโ€™s what he had to say when we chatted with him.

MD: One of the big differences between being a sitting judge and an on-air judge is you can now voice your opinions. Is that as liberating as it sounds like it would be?
DY: It is incredibly liberating. Being a judge, one of the most frustrating things is yelling to yourself in the car when you see an injustice being done. If I saw someone mistreating an animal, Iโ€™d want to throw something at them, but as a judge you have to remain impartial. You could only show your disdain for what they had done after theyโ€™d been found guilty.
MD: Can you tell us about your friend Maggie?
DY: My partner Scott was running for judge. And he was invited to this event that was a fundraiser for the Humane Society/Adopt-a-Pet. There was a silent auction and I figured weโ€™d bid on an item. You know, dinner at a restaurantโ€ฆ and all of a sudden, my friend walked by with this gorgeous little [dog] and said, โ€œDavid I want you to meet Maggie.โ€ Well, actually, it was Shelley at the time. And I said โ€œHi Shelley,โ€ and she jumped right into my arms.
MD: So she picked you?
DY: Oh, she did. She is just so gorgeous. So I went to Scott and said: โ€œThis is our new dog.โ€ And he said: โ€œWeโ€™re not getting a dog.โ€ I said: โ€œYou hold her and then tell me weโ€™re not getting a dog.โ€ So he held her and it was: โ€œOkay, weโ€™re bringing her home.โ€
The rest was history!
MD: Do you have a response for people who are in the market for a dog who claim they just donโ€™t want to get a rescue?
DY: Yes, I do. Quit being such a snob. We should want to adopt an animal in need. And thatโ€™s the great thing about the Humane Society. We save dogsโ€™ and catsโ€™ lives. They need loving homes.
MD: What frustrates you the most about the law as it pertains to animals?
DY: The fact that they are considered property. Which I think is absurd.
MD: Is there anything that we can do to change that?
DY: There is: lobby the legislators.
MD: The issue of puppy mills is one that plagues us. What do you think needs to be done to stop them?
DY: First of all, we need to cut off the consumers. We need to make consumers aware of what theyโ€™re doing when they go into these pet stores. They say, oh I want a purebred. Well, contact the Humane Society and get on a waiting list.
MD: And thereโ€™s PetFinder.com as well. Itโ€™s amazing.
DY: It is.
MD: So your belief is that puppy mills must be stopped at the consumer level?
DY: Well, thatโ€™s point A. Point B would be to have local law enforcement take animal abuse seriously and launch investigations, to go into these puppy mills to shut them down. Arrest the owners. Make it a felony. And before the business is even open, it should have to meet certain codes and criteria. If the communities in which [these puppy mills] are in say โ€œweโ€™re not going to take this anymore,โ€ they need to re-examine the zoning codes. Thatโ€™s the third way we can deal with it.
MD: And the penalties themselves are currently quite pathetic.
DY: I agree.
MD: What caseโ€”either animal-related or human-relatedโ€”are you most proud of, professionally?
DY: Probably America West pilotsโ€™ case [two pilots were convicted of trying to fly a plane while intoxicated]. That came at a time when peopleโ€™s perception of the judicial system was at an all-time low thanks to OJ [the 1995 acquittal of OJ Simpson]. And by doing that, it helped restore confidence in the judiciary. And thatโ€™s what Iโ€™ve always been about.
MD: Did you ever think, when you were in law school, one day youโ€™d be nominated for an Emmy?
DY: No. I really thought one day Iโ€™d be nominated for a Tony. But I wanted to be nominated for a Heisman Trophy. And that never happened, either.
MD: Whatโ€™s your favourite Broadway musical?
DY: Oh, Gypsy. Without a doubt. Hands down. Patti LuPone was amazing. โ€œI had a dream, a wonderful dream, babyโ€ฆโ€
MD: And you have a dream too.
DY: I do! That all abandoned animals will be adopted into loving homes.