Lawsuit hopes to halt euthanasia for Ventura County dog that attacked 4 people
The Santa Paula Animal Rescue Center filed an emergency motion to halt the euthanasia of a dog that attacked several people.
A judge ordered the dog, whose name is Bruce, to be euthanized after it attacked four people between 2024 and 2026, according to Ventura County Animal Services. County staff scheduled the euthanasia on Aug. 12, 2026.
"Decisions involving the humane euthanasia of an animal are difficult and complex," Ventura County Animal Services wrote in a statement. "They require us to balance compassion for animals with our responsibility to protect people and ensure public safety.
The first of the attacks happened on Feb. 1, 2024, when Bruce bit a minor who was helping the dog's owners move. The next happened on Sept. 16, 2025, when a man walked by the 3-year-old great pyrenees, German shepherd mix while it was tied to a pole outside of a local pharmacy. Ventura County Animal Services said the man sustained multiple bite wounds to his knee, chest and forearm.
Two months later, Bruce attacked a woman who walked by him and his owner in their apartment complex. The final attack happened on Feb. 7, 2026, when the dog attacked a man who was pushing his wife around in a wheelchair around their building. Ventura County Animal Services said Bruce, who was muzzled at the time, knocked the man to the ground.
County staff said the owners have challenged the judge's decision several times, but four judges "have either upheld the underlying decisions, or declined to overturn, modify, or otherwise interfere with the decision."
"We do not take the loss of an animal's life lightly," Ventura County Animal Services wrote. "We have compassion for Bruce and for those who care about him, just as we have compassion for those who were injured. Our responsibility is to follow the law, comply with court orders, and fulfill our mandate to protect the community."
Santa Paula Animal Rescue Center's emergency motion with the federal appeals court asked the panel to halt the euthanasia until further consideration.
