WHEREAS, Lonnie and Sandy Lehrer, legal residents of the Borough of Haworth, in the County of Bergen, State of New Jersey (the "Owners"), are owners of a dog, also known as "Taro", which dog has been ordered destroyed pursuant to N.J.S.A. 4:19-17 to -37; and

WHEREAS, the above-cited statute provides for proceedings in the form of hearings to determine whether a dog meets certain criteria prior to it being destroyed; and

WHEREAS, the proceedings established by the above-cited statute are similar to those established by forfeiture statutes, which apply to personal property; and

WHEREAS, domestic animals may be properly and appropriately characterized as personal property for purposes of forfeiture; and

WHEREAS, Article V of the Constitution of the State of New Jersey provides, among other things, that the Governor may remit forfeitures; and

WHEREAS, N.J.S.A. 2A:167-5 provides that any person who has suffered a forfeiture may make application for the remission of such forfeiture, "which application the governor may grant by order signed by her!"; and

WHEREAS, the Owners have made application to the Governor to remit the forfeiture of Taro and good cause has been shown to warrant the granting of such application;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, CHRISTINE TODD WHITMAN, Governor of the State of New Jersey, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and by the Statutes of this State, do hereby ORDER and DIRECT:

1. The forfeiture of Taro, which would result if said dog were destroyed pursuant to N.J.S.A. 4:19-17 to -37, is hereby remitted so long as the Owners certify and agree to the following within 30 days of the date hereof: (a) that Taro has been physically removed outside of the borders of the State of New Jersey and shall so forever remain; (b) that the new owners shall have had no prior ownership interest, either actual or asserted, in Taro; and (c) that the present and new owners shall accept any and all liability of whatever nature in connection with the ownership of Taro and the dog's future acts, with no legal recourse whatsoever to the State of New Jersey, County of Bergen and Borough of Haworth and all officers, employees and agents of said State, County and Borough.

2. This Order shall take effect immediately.

GIVEN under my hand and seal,
this 28 th day of January in the
Year of Our Lord, one thousand
nine hundred and ninety-four and
of the Independence of the United
States, the two hundred and eighteenth.

/s/Christine Todd Whitman
GOVERNOR

Attest:

/s/Peter Verniero
Chief Counsel to the Governor