My 1-year-old dog is probably as immature as me. But, he’s a puppy at heart, just like his owner, who will always be a kid at heart.

Yes, he gets on my nerves quite frequently.

Yes, he has accidents on the carpet or coughs up the occasional fur ball laced with Puppy Chow.

But never, ever, have I thought of harming him for these simple acts that most decent people would presume to be accidents.

Animal cruelty? What’s wrong with you?

A Florida man was released on 19 counts — count them, 19 — of animal cruelty. Apparently, he must have some anger management issues or just a straight-up hatred toward cats.

Granted, cats drive me up a wall. One cat, specifically, hisses at me every time she sees me, and I have been around her for almost 10 years now. She knows me, yet she still hates me.

But, personal experience aside, killing any kind of animal — even a fish — is wrong.

They released the 18 year old after a psychiatric evaluation showed that he was mentally all there and not a danger to himself or others. However, a mentally competent person would not partially skin a cat and leave it in the owner’s yard practically dead, which is what the Miami man did.

Organizations like The Humane Society of the United States work to combat the abuse of animals all over. Going as far as to offer rewards and help investigate cases, The Humane Society offers love and care for the animals they have rescued until they can find a better, more loving home for them.

“While animal abuse is often hidden behind the scenes, it remains shockingly prevalent, despite the fact that it is illegal everywhere and is a felony in 43 states,” according to their Web site, (www.hsus.org).

The Florida man could possibly be charged with 19 counts of animal cruelty, which could lead to 158 years in prison if convicted on all counts.

This is an easy lesson to learn: Animals, while they may not be humans, are living creatures.

Now, I’m not vowing to be one of those no-fur-wearing, I-have-23-cats type people, all I’m saying is animals are special.

They say dogs are man’s best friends. And I can personally swear to that, because I talk more to Webster (my dog) than I do my actual best friend.

Looking to help out an animal that’s been neglected or is from an abusive home? Check out the PetSmart out in Hamburg on Saturday beginning at 9 a.m. If you can’t find an animal you love there, you’ll probably never find one.