SoCal Dog Euthanized Despite Last-Minute U.S. Supreme Court Appeal: Reports

CAMARILLO, CA — A dog at the center of a closely watched legal battle was euthanized Wednesday by animal authorities in Ventura County despite a last-minute request for the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene, according to reports.

Bruce, a 3-year-old, 100-pound dog who had been legally deemed "vicious" following several biting incidents, was euthanized before Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan could consider an emergency application seeking to keep him alive while a federal appeal continued, ABC News reported.

Bruce's former owner, Claire Birgy, was notified by Ventura County Animal Services Wednesday afternoon that the Great Pyrenees had been put down. Birgy had been waiting at the Camarillo shelter since early that day, the Camarillo Acorn reported.

“It was hard to believe for the first few minutes,” Birgy told the Acorn.

Biting Incidents

Bruce had been ordered euthanized after a judge determined in April that he posed a threat to the public following multiple biting incidents, ABC News reported.

Ventura County Animal Services said Bruce bit a child on the lips in February 2024, causing severe injuries. The agency also described a September 2025 incident in which a man suffered multiple bite wounds across his body while Bruce was tied to a pole outside a CVS. Another incident came in November, when the dog bit a woman on the arm while she was walking past him. She later required skin grafts, according to ABC News.

The euthanasia had initially been ordered to take place by May 15, but a federal court stay temporarily kept Bruce alive before that protection was lifted earlier this month, ABC News reported.

Legal Saga

Attorneys representing Birgy and the Santa Paula Animal Rescue Center had asked Kagan for an administrative stay that would have required Ventura County to keep Bruce in its custody while courts considered the rescue organization's appeal, the Acorn reported.

Attorneys argued that euthanizing him before the appeal was resolved would make any later court victory meaningless, according to the newspaper.

The Supreme Court filing followed two unsuccessful attempts to obtain emergency relief from the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, the Los Angeles Times reported.

The legal dispute centered in part on whether the Santa Paula Animal Rescue Center — which oversaw the original adoption of the dog — had standing to challenge Bruce's euthanasia.

A judge ruled Aug. 6 that Birgy's claims were barred by a doctrine that generally prevents federal district courts from reviewing state court judgments.

The judge found that the same doctrine did not bar the rescue organization's claims because it was not a party to the state proceedings. However, she dismissed the organization after finding it had not sufficiently shown a legally protected interest in Bruce.

The rescue center argued that its adoption agreement with Birgy gave it contractual rights involving Bruce's return, recovery and custody, according to the Times.

Two possible alternatives emerged shortly before Bruce was euthanized, according to the Acorn. Attorney Dan Bolton told the newspaper that dog behaviorist Cesar Millan was willing to take Bruce and that the rescue organization was prepared to add Ventura County to a liability insurance policy worth between $20 million and $30 million.

Those proposals were not part of the emergency request submitted to the Supreme Court, the Acorn reported.

Ventura County Animal Services said Tuesday that euthanasia decisions involving animals are difficult and require officials to weigh compassion for animals against their responsibility to protect public safety, according to ABC News.

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