A last-ditch appeal to the Supreme Court wasn’t enough to stave off the euthanization of Bruce, a 3-year-old dog that a California county deemed too “vicious” after multiple biting incidents.
Ventura County Animal Services put Bruce to death Wednesday, even as his owner and an animal shelter were rushing to the high court to ask Justice Elena Kagan, who oversees California, for a stay of execution.
She didn’t immediately act on the petition, and the county carried out the killing.
“On August 12, 2026, Bruce was humanely euthanized in compliance with the Ventura County Superior Court’s April 15, 2026 order determining Bruce to be a vicious dog and finding that releasing Bruce would create a significant threat to public health, safety, and welfare,” the county animal agency said.
Bruce, or Animal ID A842188, gained national attention with the fight over his fate.
He was rescued by Santa Paula Animal Rescue Center and adopted by Claire Birgy.
But he amassed four biting incidents.
In February 2024, he bit a boy on the lips as the child, who was helping his owner move, walked past Bruce. The boy had “severe disfiguring lacerations,” the county animal agency said.
Last September, Bruce, tied to a pole outside a pharmacy, attacked a man walking by. The “unprovoked” attack left the man with bites to the knee, chest and arm.
In November, Bruce attacked a woman walking in her apartment complex. She had to get surgery and skin grafts to repair her arm.
And in February, Bruce, while muzzled, attacked a man pushing his wife in a wheelchair in an apartment complex. The man was knocked to the ground.
A month later, the county determined he was vicious and ordered him euthanized.
A state court agreed in April.
The owner and the rescue center went to federal court seeking a pause and initially won one from a district court, but it was eventually lifted. The judge said the county followed the correct procedures in labeling Bruce too vicious.
Appeals to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals failed, leading the rescue center to the Supreme Court, where it argued it had contractual rights that hadn’t been considered in the lower court proceedings.
The center begged Justice Kagan to delay euthanasia.
“The consequence of inaction is therefore not speculative. Once Bruce is destroyed, no judicial order can restore him,” the center argued.
The high court didn’t act before the killing was carried out Wednesday.
On Thursday, the court announced that Justice Kagan denied the application.
The county animal agency, in a statement this week, acknowledged the thorny issues involved.
“We know there are people who care deeply about Bruce and have advocated passionately on his behalf. We also recognize those whose concerns center on the victims and the safety of the community. It is important that their voices, and the physical and emotional impacts of these dog bite incidents, are not lost in the public discussion surrounding this case,” the agency said.
It said Bruce’s owners had every chance to challenge the viciousness determination.
“We do not take the loss of an animal’s life lightly. We have compassion for Bruce and for those who care about him, just as we have compassion for those who were injured,” the agency said. “Our responsibility is to follow the law, comply with court orders, and fulfill our mandate to protect the community.”
