Burbank dog spared from euthanasia after attacking woman

An LA County judge ordered a pitbull who attacked a woman in Burbank to be spared from euthanasia and returned to its owners. 

In her ruling, Superior Court Judge Alison MacKenzie ordered the pet’s owners Nelson Grande and Sylvia Franco to fulfill the following to spare their dog, Conan:

• Proof of rabies vaccination and licensing 
• Properly designate him as a vicious animal
• To only remove him from the property while wearing a leash and muzzle
• To secure him in an enclosure or outdoor area where he cannot escape 

“While the court concludes that Conan is a vicious dog, it does not find that the city has established by a preponderance of the evidence that releasing Conan to Grande and Franco would create a significant threat to the public health, safety and welfare such that Conan should be euthanized,” MacKenzie wrote. 

The hearing stemmed from the owner’s Aug. 21 petition against Burbank after it deemed the 8-year-old pitbull and labrador mix dangerous after it attacked Deborah Drissi in July. During the trial, MacKenzie heard testimonies from all three parties. In his statement, Franco alleged that Drissi provoked the attack. However, the judge found that the evidence proved the opposite. She also disagreed that the dog attacked Drissi to protect its owner.

“After a long and arduous fight, everyone who has stood by Conan is filled with profound gratitude,” animal rights activist Shira Scott Astrof said. “His life has been spared, and for that, we are deeply thankful.This victory extends beyond Conan—it represents hope for every dog unjustly targeted by a flawed system in urgent need of reform.”