California dog named Bruce, accused of four attacks, is euthanized after months of court battles

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Set us as preferred After months of legal wrangling, Ventura County Animal Services on Wednesday euthanized a 3-year-old dog that they said had attacked and seriously injured four people, including a teen.The latest development comes about a week after a U.S.District Court judge denied an emergency application seeking to prevent the county from euthanizing Bruce, a 100-pound black and tan German shepherd mix.The Santa Paula Animal Rescue Center, a nonprofit that spent months fighting the county in court, filed the emergency application.

An attorney for the nonprofit did not respond to a request for comment.The group, which had rescued the dog before it was adopted three years ago, said on social media it had appealed the court’s ruling to the 9th Circuit and called on the county to delay euthanizing Bruce.“The federal stay was lifted, but that does not require the county to execute Bruce immediately,“ the group wrote on Facebook.

“It does not prevent the County from agreeing to a standstill.It does not prevent the county from returning to court with a stipulated resolution.”But by Wednesday evening, county officials said Bruce had been put down humanely after the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals denied the group’s motion.

“Decisions involving the humane euthanasia of an animal are difficult and complex,” the county agency said in a written statement.“They require us to balance compassion for animals with our responsibility to protect people and ensure public safety.Animal services officials said that before the dog was euthanized, Bruce’s owners had used the courts to challenge their decision.“Their challenges have been considered by multiple courts, and four different judges have either upheld the underlying decisions, or declined to overturn, modify, or otherwise interfere with the decision,” the anima...