One of Dallas' most well-known dogs remains at Dallas Animal Services, awaiting her fate.
"Lamb of God," also known as "Lamby," was to be euthanized this week after she bit a child. It's the dog's third biting incident.
After learning of the order, animal advocates, Dallas residents, and attorneys have stepped in to help save her life. Now her owner, Sean Baugh, a homeless man, is working through the court system to try to save her - even if he cannot have the dog back.
"It's not this dog's fault that her owner doesn't have education and knowledge about legal proceedings. It's not her fault that he was forced to represent himself and didn't have the money to hire an attorney. She should get a fair shake just like anyone else," said Lee Jamison, president of Awwdoptable, Inc., an animal rescue organization.
Jamison has power-of-attorney for Baugh.
Baugh and Lamby are well known to residents in downtown Dallas and Deep Ellum. Lamby can often be seen crammed into a small crate attached to Baugh's bicycle.
The dog often wears human clothing. Baugh charges people money to take pictures with Lamby.
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"She's wearing hats, she's wearing sunglasses, her vision might be limited. So if a parent isn't making sure their child isn't interacting with this strange dog it, unfortunately, is a pretty typical response for a startled animal to snap," Jamison said. "I'm certainly not saying this child deserved it, I'm just saying it's understandable. When I say it's not really fair that this animal should be put down for being a dog, what I mean is that's a normal dog response. Let's dig a little deeper and see what the psychology is here."
Baugh has been the subject of a litany of Facebook posts. What he sees as a way to make a living, many people see as abuse. He's been reported to 311 and other city agencies numerous times.
According to DAS, the two previous times Lamby was taken from Baugh for biting someone she showed no signs of abuse. Baugh paid his fines and the dog was returned to him.
"As many pictures as there are of Sean 'abusing' this dog, which is what some people say, there are also pictures that citizens have taken of him snuggling this dog on the DART at the end of the day," Jamison said. "This is an animal that is frequently in costume. Whether you can say it's animal cruelty or not, this animal is an unwilling busker. It's not her fault, no matter what anybody thinks about this guy, whether they love him or hate him."
When Lamby was taken by DAS after the latest biting incident, Jamison said her organization tagged the dog for rescue. But Lamby was designated as a dangerous dog and was ordered to be euthanized by a municipal court judge.
A criminal court judge issued a stay, giving Lamby a sort of temporary stay of execution, for now.
"There's no way the (municipal court) judge could have understood the magnitude of community support that this dog has," Jamison said. "There's no way this judge could have understood that this dog already had a rescue organization ready to get the dog."
Jamison, Baugh, and their attorneys will be back in court next week hoping Lamby can win a second lease on life.
"As Dallas Animal Services has repeatedly said, their goals were to get her to safety, that was huge thing," Jamison said. "They said she was behaving well so that would be a reasonable outcome."
It's unclear as to what will happen to "Lamby" if she escapes euthenasia. Given her background a sanctuary may be the best option for her.
"There were lots of options, euthanasia should never be number one. That's a pretty final first step," Jamison said.
