Dog, at vet's office to be euthanized, saved by court appeal

On Tuesday, a hearing was held to determine whether Governor LePage's pardon held water, and a judge ordered that Dakota should still be put down.

The Alaskan husky named Dakota was originally ordered to be put down after getting loose and killing a neighbor's pug previous year and later attacking a second dog. As a result, the husky was ordered to be confined to her home, unless she was leashed and muzzled. Authorities say he violated that order.

Dakota, the husky pardoned by Gov. Paul LePage, got an eleventh hour reprieve late Tuesday.

The court's rules of procedure required that the euthanasia order be stayed while the appeal is pending, Maloney said.

Dakota was taken to the Waterville Area Humane Society as a stray. Employees there said, "She's been very cooperative, friendly and extremely playful".

And then there's Linda Janeski, seen leaving the courtroom and wiping away tears.

Thanks to an appeal filed by her previous owner, Dakota the dog lives.

The District Attorney says the state didn't know that Dakota had a new owner. Maine's conservation department is getting involved in the proposed pardoning of Dakota, saying the case could have implications for the state's animal welfare laws.

The dog was at an area veterinarian's office waiting to be euthanized after a judge refused to set aside the kill order during a 1 p.m. hearing at the Waterville District Court when word came that an appeal in the case had been filed, according to WGME. The department says the dangerous-dog statute is created to protect the public and not to punish dogs like Dakota.