Michigan court revokes death sentence for bulldog who bit house guest
An American bulldog like this one was spared the death penalty by a Michigan appeals court for biting the nose of a woman who was visiting a friend. (Jennifer_Sharp/Getty Images)
A bulldog named Chance got a second one from a Michigan appeals court that spared him the death penalty for attacking a woman at a friend’s home.
Chance, an 80-pound American bulldog, bit off part of the nose of a woman who was visiting a friend in Port Huron in 2024. The dog’s owner, Pamela Wickings, said Chance was provoked, according to the Detroit Free Press.
The house guest admitted scolding Chance who got near one of her shoes. She said she “got down on the floor, put her face within less than 6 inches of Chance’s face, and sternly scolded him in a loud voice,” according to a summary included with the Michigan Court of Appeals opinion.
Police were called after the woman was bit. An animal control officer told the district court that Chance should be put down as a dangerous animal, court records show. The court agreed. But the Michigan Court of Appeals revoked Chance’s death sentence last week and sent the case back to the district court.
Chance has been held in a kennel by court order since the attack. His owner “is thrilled with the court’s ruling and looking forward to having her dog back,” her attorney, Celeste Dunn, told the Detroit Free Press.
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