If it could work for Jim Morrison, who's to say a pardon from the governor couldn't save a Broward County pooch from doggie death row?
The owners of Husky mix Brandie are appealing to Gov. Charlie Crist to save the dog who is sentenced to die for killing a 3-pound poodle named Jack during a confrontation back in May.
Brandie has been kept in a Sunrise kennel for the past seven months, a victim, according to her owners, of what they consider an unfair "one bite and you're out" law.
Under the ordinance, passed by the county commission in 2008, any dog that kills another domestic animal will be euthanized, even if it's a first offense. Under Florida law, a dog is allowed two offenses before being sentenced to death row.
The arguing hit the Broward County Commission Tuesday night over whether to repeal the county's new law requiring dogs be euthanized after one such incident.
"The intention of this ordinance never contemplated this particular situation,” said an adamant Broward Vice Mayor John Rodstrom, “where a dog on a leash is going to be put to death because its space was violated by another dog that was unleashed."
Newly elected Commissioner Chip LaMarca got commissioners to agree to ask the county attorney to draft more lenient options.
"I don't think the county should be in the dog execution business," he said.
Just in case Brandie can't be saved by the county commission, her family is taking her case all the way to the top in Florida.
Suzanne Citere, a friend of Brandie's owners, sent an e-mail to Crist asking for the pardon.
"Hey, he is doing it for Jim Morrison, and the president pardons the turkeys on Thanksgiving, so I figured it can't hurt to ask!" Citere wrote to the Sun-Sentinel.
Brandie's owner, Lon Lipsky, has been rallying to get the dog freed and the law changed.
"It's been rough,” said Lipsky. “She's a family member of ours. She didn't do anything wrong. And it was very unfortunate as to what happened."
Lipsky says his 10-year-old Husky was being walked on a leash in his neighborhood when the incident occurred. He says Brandie is harmless and that she was provoked when the small poodle came running towards her without a leash on.
Brandie was subsequently deemed dangerous and was set to be euthanized. The Lipskys have been in the appeals process ever since.
Local
Jack's owner sees the incident another way.
"There was no confrontation between the dogs," insists Jack’s distraught owner Niki Salameh. "My dog was just picked up and snapped."
The state clemency board meets Thursday. Lipsky said he just wants a resolution for Brandie.
"I'm just tired. I'm tired. I just want my dog home, and I don't have the energy to put into it anymore," Lipsky told the Sun-Sentinel. "It's not that I've given up. But I'm just waiting."
