The ruling, handed down by Judge Joe Binkley Jr., prompted an outpouring of support and rally cries of “never give up” that lasted for hours via Facebook for the dog’s owner, Nicole Andree, who has already spent thousands in legal fees and court costs in her plight to rescue Prada from death.
Three Davidson County judges have heard the case, and all reached the same conclusion. Andree said she was in the process of trying to figure out her next steps. Legally, she can appeal the decision in the Court of Appeals, but nothing has been decided.
“This is a horrible time. … Justice was not served,” she said.
In a statement issued after the ruling, Andree’s lawyer, Jean Harrison, also expressed regret.
“I had hoped to be able to send (Prada) to a sanctuary where she would have a second chance,” Harrison wrote. “Unfortunately, that is not one of the options the current law allows.”
Officers had to use a stun gun on Prada after she attacked several neighborhood dogs near her Radnor Lake-area home in January 2011, a police spokeswoman said.
According to Andree, a family friend let Prada outside while she was hiking in some woods behind her home, and she did not learn Prada was gone until she returned about a half-hour later. Prada has remained caged at Metro Animal Control since.
(Tennesseean - Feb 4, 2012)
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