Austin, Texas: Federal Judge Spares Service Dog Major After 575 Days in Shelter Isolation

Major will live. The three year old Belgian Malinois, held in isolation at the Austin Animal Center for 575 days under a euthanasia order, has been permanently spared by a federal judge, in a case that drew a petition with more than 89,000 signatures and a court fight that ran through the Texas Supreme Court.

In an order issued on October 26, U.S. District Judge David Alan Ezra barred the City of Austin from euthanizing Shane Lilly's service dog. The city must release Major to a rescue organization within 30 days. "Major is not an aggressive animal," said Lilly, a 57 year old veteran, in remarks reported by the Austin American-Statesman and carried by the New York Post. "Major has no interest in bothering people or other animals. He is a happy dog. He plays gently."

The bite that started the case

The case began on March 31, 2025, in Austin's Montopolis neighborhood. Major, a 65 pound dog Lilly relied on for companionship and help with mobility tasks after a traumatic brain injury, was struck by a white pickup truck that left the scene. Lilly left the bleeding dog on the porch of a nearby home while he went back to get his phone. A woman who tried to lift the injured dog into her vehicle was bitten on the arm, an injury the city classified as serious bodily injury.

Austin took custody of Major for a rabies quarantine, then obtained a municipal court order to euthanize him, arguing that he was a threat to public safety. Lilly appealed through the state courts. The Texas Supreme Court declined to take his case earlier this year, leaving the euthanasia order in place.

A federal claim and a final order

In September, Lilly filed a federal lawsuit arguing that the city had violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by failing to weigh Major's role as his service animal or consider alternatives to euthanasia. At a September 29 hearing, Judge Ezra delayed the euthanasia, said he saw no villains in the case, only people who believed they were doing what was best, and took the decision under review. He ruled for Lilly in late October.

Freedom comes with strict terms. Major must be sedated and muzzled for his transfer to a secure site outside Austin, where he will spend at least 30 days in decompression and behavioral evaluation. During that period, only Lilly and Dr. Kenneth Martin, the behavioral veterinarian named in the order, may be with him while Martin judges whether Major can be safely returned. Major may not roam among the general public again, and if he does go back to Lilly, Lilly must carry at least $100,000 in liability insurance.

City officials said they will comply with the order. They also said they remain concerned about the public safety risk and hope Major gets the care and attention he needs. For Lilly, the ruling ends a 575 day separation and starts a 30 day clock toward a reunion that is now possible, though not promised.