Court says death too extreme for dog bites

ALPENA, Mich. (AP) — The Michigan appeals court has taken Bruiser off death row.

A judge had ordered that the German shepherd be euthanized after attacking a jogger in Alpena County in 2017. While Bruiser might be considered dangerous under Michigan law, the appeals court says the man’s injuries weren’t serious.

The court says it was the first time that the dog had attacked anyone. The court says there wasn’t enough evidence to show that Bruiser was likely to cause death or serious injury in the future.

Bruiser had lunged at Joshua Henderson, biting his left bicep and left forearm. Henderson received three stitches.

The 3-0 decision by judges Jonathan Tukel, Deborah Servitto and Michael Riordan was released Tuesday.