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A
Foreign.
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B
Hello, and welcome to this episode of Kennedy Saves the World. If you are like me, you have a very expensive dog that cost you more than your own children. I have a fat French bulldog. And you know, like other purebred dogs, he's got a number of health ailments. And a good friend of mine once said, if you pay, they will live. So for those of us who, you know, obviously our dogs are a part of our family. They are our mascots. They are the glue that hold us together with their unconditional love. But they are furry money pits. They are very expensive, just like children. However, the IRS says when you have a human baby, well, you know, you can claim that baby is a dependent and ease your tax burden. That is not so with pets. And I think the federal government should be encouraging human beings to adopt, embrace, live with dogs. Because a society that values dogs is a better society. It is a kinder society. But there is nothing more unkind than that tax bill that you get hit with right up the honeyhole every April or October. If you're like me and you're on the double extension. Joining me now is a woman who has taken the fight right to Washington, D.C. she, she is suing the federal government. She is suing the irs because the most beloved member of her family, Finnegan Mary Reynolds, is somehow not good enough for a tax exemption. And she is looking to change that. And as someone who practices legal tax avoidance and who understands taxation is theft, this story has stolen my heart. Amanda Reynolds, welcome to Kennedy Saves the World.
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A
Thank you. Nice to meet you. It's great to be here.
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B
So when did it occur to you that your dog incurs so many expenses that you need a little relief from the government?
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A
You know, when I first got my dog, I noticed that we were treated differently in applying for apartments and in different phases and in different areas. But I never brought any lawsuits because at the time, I was working around the clock.
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B
Are you a lawyer?
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A
Yes, I am. I am a lawyer.
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B
Very good.
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A
And so I had time over the course of the last five years, I've been working on pro bono cases. And this came to my attention as one that I'd really like to start as a labor of love for my dog and also because I just disagree with the fact that dogs are not recognized as dependents, but in some cases they are. So you'll have some dogs who are considered medically qualified to, to be tax exempt, and it really makes no difference because those dogs, many dogs, are easily qualified as medical companion animals such that that Qualification really doesn't have a good justification for exemption in the tax code anymore.
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B
I mean, it's pretty arbitrary because I absolutely agree. Dogs that are used by disabled Americans, you know, everything from. From blindness to epilepsy. Absolutely. There should be a dependency clause for that animal. But, you know, it's like, I got a service dog vest for my dog so I can take them into the grocery store because it's an enrichment activity that makes both of us happier. You know, I get to knock out a wok, and I get to buy some cabbage and whole milk all at the same time with. With my little buddy in tow. And it feels like the federal government is being very arbitrary with these designations.
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A
Yeah, absolutely. And there's really no. No reason why pets should not be considered dependents. They completely are dependents.
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B
What is the threshold, like, what is the criteria for dependency for a human really?
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Has to. It has to be a human, and they have to have a Social Security security number. So that's one of the arguments in rebuttal as well. Dogs would need Social Security numbers.
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B
We get an AKC number.
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A
Yeah, exactly. And it's not really our problem to solve that IRS problem, which, which is their burden. It would be their burden to figure out how to codify dogs and to categorize them as dependents, not ours. One of. One of the responses we're getting from this case is that essentially we can't sue the IRS to allege a problem with the code directly and that it will get dismissed very early on in the case, which. That it's possible that may be the case, but I can argue pretty much out of a shoebox. And I think that one of the things we have to take into consideration is that even this discussion of. Generates conversation and dialogue over what could be a simple congressional fix. So it may be that it has to be taken off with Congress and legislators, but I don't know any legislators. And this was my way of really kind of getting the conversation going as to how we can bring more attention to pet owners and pet needs in the country, especially when, you know, our laws are not really. They're kind of obsolete. They're antiquated. They haven't really recognized dogs as dependents or welcome dogs in many arenas and especially in New York. We just had a case where a judge recognized dogs as legal, legally immediate family members. So you have recognized.
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B
I mean, all you have to do is. I, I don't know if it's possible to measure grief, but when. When someone loses a dog, they. They oftentimes fall into a deeper depression, a longer period of mourning than when they lose certain family members. And for, for many people, they become so emotionally attached to their dogs, rightly so. Dogs don't judge. Dogs are love bundles that elevate our lives. And when that is missing, you know, clearly it has a deep emotional impact on the pet lover. So they are a part of our family. So good for the judge for doing that and recognizing that. And also, you know, hey, federal government taxes are too damn high. I don't believe this. You know, wealthy people need to pay their fair share. Wealthy people pay plenty in taxes. And, you know, we deserve a little bit of a break here and there, seeing as though we're trying to save the world and make it a better place by welcoming these pets into our homes, where the love reverberates into all of our circles, in every aspect of our community.
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A
A million percent. And one other argument we've had in response to this case as well. Pets are luxury. Right. And as you just addressed, it's not just a rich people problem. First of all, homeless people have dogs. Right. It's one of the many heartwarming things that we see on the street. But also they might be a luxury. You can consider them that, but we are not luxuries to them. And so that that relationship is not symbiotic. They need us and we need them. And we need more people to be able to fund dogs, to have dogs in their homes because it's mutually beneficial. So.
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B
Absolutely. And it is not, it is not a luxury. You will find dogs, you will find animals in every class, every section of society, at least where people value social bonds, you know, at least where people have empathy. And last I checked, that is cross cultural. And you know that that reverberates through all the strata of society and therefore it has to be recognized. What is the argument against claiming dogs as dependents because they are expensive and, you know, you, you note that Finnegan Mary Reynolds requires over $5,500 a year in upkeep. And I don't know if that's veterinary bills, grooming. I had to have my dog's eye scraped a couple months ago. Cost me $800.
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A
Right, right. A lot of it is veterinary care, food and shelter. The arguments again, shelter. Right. There's really no good argument for not having a dog as a dependent. It's really the fact that the lawsuit might not be the best conduit to achieve that goal. It could be better done probably congressionally or through legislators, but otherwise there really is no valid arguments to preclude dogs from being dependents. And like I said earlier, there would be just the issue of how to codify that with Social Security numbers or how to identify these animals so that they can be accounted for, but otherwise simply no. Good answer.
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B
I mean, you could get a dog Social Security number, you could have a different designation. And it's like if you need to have them microchipped so, you know, when they die and all that stuff, like, I, I understand it could be rife with fraud, it could be a magnet for corruption and someone could claim like, I've got 15 dogs and just make up numbers even though they don't really. I get all of that.
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Right.
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That is, that is incumbent upon the government to figure out those vetting systems because they've been really bad at that so far. And frankly, a lot of this, a lot of what we're seeing with like the Somali daycare crisis, that's, you know, that's on the government for not having better oversight. That, that is a failure on their part and that again, should not be passed on to legal and caring dog owners who make, you know, America's 250th birthday something so much more special because we've got these four legged patriots running around.
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A
Seriously, don't go anywhere.
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B
More Kennedy Saves the World right after this.
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A
This is Ainsley Earhart. Thank you for joining me for the.
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B
52 episode podcast series, the Life of Jesus. A listening experience that will provide hope.
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A
Comfort and understanding of the greatest story ever told. Listen and follow now@foxnewspodcasts.com or wherever you listen to podcasts.
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B
So let me ask you, Amanda, let's shift to the other lawsuit that you filed against the U.S. navy, because, um, you were kicked out of contention for Officer Candidate School, where you wanted to become a Navy Seal because you had aged out of the process. Why did you file that lawsuit?
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A
Essentially because I was qualified to proceed into the Navy. I was medically cleared and they delayed my paperwork such that the timeline for my age was missed and I wasn't issued a age waiver as I had been promised. So I sued the Navy, along with a veterans organization for age discrimination because I was precluded from serving the military for no other reason other than an alleged age out when I had actually reached and met all the requirements. So I was discriminated against solely on the basis of my age.
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B
Where does that lawsuit stand?
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A
The Assistant U.S. attorney just requested yet another extension of time to file a motion to dismiss. So this is his third extension. Of time, which is really disappointing because I am only getting older as I'm waiting for him to, to file any motion. And unfortunately I've asked him if there's any way that we can resolve this outside of court and have justice or settlement reached, be in negotiation. And according to him, the Navy's position is that they've done nothing wrong. But I filed the amended complaint recently that said basically they promised me and I relied on their representations that this would be achievable and a goal. And I defended a criminal lawsuit for four years on the basis of that reliance. And they completely disregarded everything that they said and their representations to me notwithstanding that I spent a good amount of my time and my career pursuing the military.
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B
Can you fulfill all of the physical requirements to become a Navy seal?
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Yes, I can.
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Like as a, as, as a human being, not as a woman, because I am one of those people. I believe that I, I am all for women in Special Forces, but they have to be able to do what all the guys can do. They can't. There, there's no lowering the bar. There's no, you only have to do 10 pull ups or 15 push ups. Like, you know, you can run a nine minute mile. Like, none of that. You have to be able to do everything the guys can do. Can you do all that?
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A
Yes, I can. And I have done all of that. I've been training, I've been running, I've been swimming. But in the last three years, I have not had any notification from the military that they will let me in. I have been training with the Navy Warrior Challenge program, which is a program that trains seals for that SEAL pipeline with former chiefs of the Navy. And unfortunately.
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B
Are there any other women in that training group?
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A
There are, There were other women in the, in that training group, definitely. And there have been women who have pursued the SEAL pipeline. I believe that one even went through the course, but took another position within the Navy. So they didn't go seal, they went to a different position, but just as rigorous of the training and, and the program. So if all that is precluding me from going through that is my age, then that's not good enough.
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B
So are you, are you suing the, the Training Pipeline organization as well? Is that the veteran organization you're suing?
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A
No, the veterans organization reached out to me after I sued because the article in the New York Post made it national news. And their organization essentially is started by a man named Phil Plank who was in the military and who's not allowed to recommission solely because of his age. But he started a program for other veterans who are capable of working for the military who already were commissioned in the Navy, but who aged out and who would like to reintegrate. And unfortunately, again, solely on the basis of their age, they're being discriminated against as well.
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B
No, I would like to see. I would like to see some grizzled, like older millennials and Gen Xers, like, get back into the service, because, you know, frankly, they have a better work ethic than a lot of people who are already in. And if you have military experience, like, I think that, you know, someone's got to call Pete Hegseth, and that someone might be me.
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A
Absolutely. Absolutely.
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B
The Secretary of War.
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A
Yeah. It's been really disappointing because I was hoping that we could resolve all of these issues without having to take this to a lawsuit. And unfortunately, the US Attorney has not indicated to me that the Navy was willing to discuss it. When I was working with their recruiters, they just kept delaying and pushing the paperwork back. But otherwise, I was set to attend Officer Candidate School in Rhode island back a year ago in February. So I don't know.
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B
Well, I am sleeping with an Army Ranger, and he would say that the Navy is just one big, giant disappointment.
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A
Yeah, I should have gone army, probably.
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B
It's a Ranger. School is a lot tougher than buds.
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A
Yes. Yes. Well, I'm a big, huge fan of Tim Kennedy. I should have followed in his footsteps, but.
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B
Oh, I went and trained with him in Austin. It was very fun.
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A
Oh, are you serious?
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B
Yeah, we did jiu jitsu and we shot a bunch of guns. It was great.
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A
Oh, my God. He is my absolute favorite. And. Yeah, well, I. When I was growing up, my grandfather was Norwegian, and we were always swimming. We were always in the water. And so the water kind of appealed to me when I went to the military. And in 2019 is when I started this process. I swore in even and then was in delayed entry program. So.
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B
So what is your. So you're suing the IRS for the dogs. You sued the Navy. What is your next big lawsuit? It's 2026 new year, new suit.
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A
Oh, sure. Well, actually, I did bring a lawsuit. I went to Our lady of Mercy Academy in Syosset, New York, which was run into the ground by an investment company that kind of usurped and took over the school in order to take over the multimillion dollar 96 acre property in Long Island's Gold Coast. So I sued the investment services company in order to essentially, on behalf of the alumni to get back our high school and to reopen it and to re establish it when we approach the powers that be with that proposition. They told us that no amount of fundraising would bring the school back because they were already set to sell the property. And apparently this is a scheme that they've done throughout the country and every Mercy sister run related school. So there's just an investment services company that's running rampant in the country, taking over Catholic schools and running them to the ground so they can sell.
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Well, I don't think they realize that now we have an American Pope and, and he's. I know I don't speak for him, but I, I will say I there. He's not going to stand for this anti Catholic bias and I, I wouldn't, I wouldn't mess with the Pope who has a direct line to the big man upstairs. So best of luck with that. I hope at some point you become a Navy Seal. And I really hope that I get to claim Lemmy as a dependent this fall.
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A
That would be amazing. And Finnegan, too.
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B
And Finnegan. Mary Reynolds. Amanda Reynolds, thank you so much for your time. I really appreciate it. You are creative, hardworking, and if nothing else, deeply entertaining. So thank you so much for your time.
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A
Thank you. Appreciate it.
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B
All right. Your dog is worth more than you think. This has been Kennedy Saves the World along with Amanda Reynolds. I'm Kennedy. Listen ad free with a Fox News podcast plus subscription on Apple Podcasts and Amazon Prime. Members can listen to this show ad free on the Amazon music app. Oh, go ahead and leave me a review while you're there. I'd love to hear what you have to say. You've been listening to Kennedy Saves the World on the Fox News podcast network.