Outcry moves US judge to spare dog on death row
Source: Agencies |
April 18, 2012, Wednesday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
THE life of a mutt that's been on doggy death row for more than a year has been spared by a judge following an outcry from animal lovers and the acceptance of a last-ditch proposal to keep the dog alive.
Now Prada, the 4-year-old pit bull mix that inspired thousands of strangers across the globe to sign a petition to save the dog's life, could be headed to fame on the Animal Planet network.
The dog was declared vicious and ordered to be euthanized after escaping from her home and attacking several dogs in an upscale Nashville neighborhood in January 2011. It usually doesn't take long to carry out such an order, but Prada's owner fought a lengthy legal battle, vowing to never stop until she saved her dog.
Nicole Andree, a 35-year-old real estate agent who rescued Prada when the dog was four weeks old, asked a judge to spare her beloved companion if she agreed to send the animal to the Villalobos Rescue Center in New Orleans. The rescue center is featured in Animal Planet's reality TV show "Pitt Bulls and Parolees," which puts ex-convicts and abused dogs together so both man and animal can be rehabilitated.
Andree said she didn't mind giving her dog up if it meant Prada would be spared. "I just wanted her to live."
She said her dog would be in good hands with Tia Torres, who runs the Villalobos Rescue center.
While she was relieved for her dog, Andree said the toll of endless legal battles and not knowing whether Prada was going to live or die has proven to be devastating for her own family. Andree's father died of a massive heart attack on Easter Sunday.
"The stress from everything killed my father," she said while choking back tears.
Now Prada, the 4-year-old pit bull mix that inspired thousands of strangers across the globe to sign a petition to save the dog's life, could be headed to fame on the Animal Planet network.
The dog was declared vicious and ordered to be euthanized after escaping from her home and attacking several dogs in an upscale Nashville neighborhood in January 2011. It usually doesn't take long to carry out such an order, but Prada's owner fought a lengthy legal battle, vowing to never stop until she saved her dog.
Nicole Andree, a 35-year-old real estate agent who rescued Prada when the dog was four weeks old, asked a judge to spare her beloved companion if she agreed to send the animal to the Villalobos Rescue Center in New Orleans. The rescue center is featured in Animal Planet's reality TV show "Pitt Bulls and Parolees," which puts ex-convicts and abused dogs together so both man and animal can be rehabilitated.
Andree said she didn't mind giving her dog up if it meant Prada would be spared. "I just wanted her to live."
She said her dog would be in good hands with Tia Torres, who runs the Villalobos Rescue center.
While she was relieved for her dog, Andree said the toll of endless legal battles and not knowing whether Prada was going to live or die has proven to be devastating for her own family. Andree's father died of a massive heart attack on Easter Sunday.
"The stress from everything killed my father," she said while choking back tears.
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