A Burbank family is fighting to save their beloved dog, Conan, who is at risk of euthanasia after biting a woman he was reportedly trying to protect his owner from.
Conan’s current caretakers, Nelson Grande and Sylvia Franco, argue that the 8-year-old pit bull acted out of protection and self-defense against their neighbor who had allegedly been harassing the dog for months.
Conan’s fate will be decided in court at his final appeal on Tuesday afternoon.
According to their family spokesperson, Shira Scott-Astrof, Conan was walking with his “mom” in the alleyway next to their Burbank home in January when their neighbor approached, got in Franco’s face and the pup gave a warning bite.
Scott-Astrof said that the woman had been tormenting the dog for some time before this – yelling, screaming and cursing at him through the family’s gate.
“If a dog is provoked, they have every right to defend themselves and their owner,” said Scott-Astrof. “You can’t punish them for that.”
In July, the city of Burbank deemed Conan dangerous and called for him to be euthanized. Since then, the pup has gained traction online and supporters say that euthanizing Conan is against the law.
KTLA’s Rachel Menitoff spoke with the family on Monday, who say they consider Conan to be more like a grandchild than anything else.
“Our son moved away, so he basically occupies that space in the heart, when the children move away, he filled it up,” said Grande.
It was Grande’s late mother who encouraged them to adopt Conan, who was part of a large litter and at risk of being put to sleep.
“It was a gift from his mom before she passed away, and that’s why he’s more dear to us because it’s a gift,” said Franco.
The couple said life without Conan is unfathomable.
“I couldn’t live without him,” said Grande. “I don’t want to think about being without him.”
According to Burbank bylaws, “no animal should be declared dangerous or viscous if it’s protecting a person from an unjustified attack or if there was teasing, tormenting, abusing or assaulting of the animal.”
Conan’s last appeal will take place at 1:30 p.m. in downtown Los Angeles, and his owners will be testifying along with a dog behaviorist from Florida.
KTLA reached out to the City of Burbank and the City Attorney who say they can’t comment on pending litigation.