A federal court has stepped in to temporarily prevent the city of Austin from euthanizing a Belgian Malinois named Major, granting a last-minute reprieve to an animal that has spent more than 500 days confined to an isolation kennel. Senior U.S. District Judge David Alan Ezra granted a temporary restraining order Thursday, putting an immediate halt to local execution orders while federal civil rights claims are reviewed.
The eleventh-hour ruling arrived just hours before the dog was scheduled for a final meeting with his owner ahead of his court-ordered death. Municipal officials had arranged for the owner, Shane Lilly, to visit the Austin Animal Center at 9 a.m. Friday to say his final goodbyes, following a protracted legal dispute regarding the canine's behavior.
The conflict stems from an incident in March 2025 involving a dog bite, which prompted local authorities to deem the 3-year-old animal aggressive and seek a formal order to have him put down. Lilly challenged the administrative and judicial rulings continuously, fighting the matter across multiple venues for well over a year.
Throughout most of the contentious proceedings, Lilly represented himself without legal counsel, pushing his appeals through municipal channels and state courts all the way to the Texas Supreme Court. After exhausting those avenues, Lilly secured formal legal representation in recent days, bringing on two attorneys who pivoted the defense to the federal court system.
On Wednesday, Lilly’s legal team filed a federal lawsuit in the U.S. District Court, alleging that the city of Austin violated the Americans with Disabilities Act. The complaint asserts that municipal officials neglected their obligations under federal disability laws by failing to assess Major's designated role and training as a service animal before ordering him to be destroyed.
According to the federal filing, Lilly relies on the Belgian Malinois to help manage severe, chronic medical challenges, including a traumatic brain injury and an ongoing seizure disorder. The lawsuit outlines that the dog serves as a vital medical support companion specifically trained to anticipate and mitigate the impacts of Lilly's health conditions.
Court documents detail extensive specialized tasks that Major performs, including recognizing early warning signs of impending seizures to alert Lilly in advance. In addition to medical alerting, the dog provides crucial physical stability support, helping Lilly maintain his balance while walking, assisting him with navigating staircases, and physically opening doors.
The complaint further states that the 3-year-old dog has undergone rigorous behavioral conditioning, responding reliably to a combination of verbal directions, physical hand signals, and electronic collar prompts. Lilly’s attorneys argue that these specialized functions establish the dog's status under federal law, which should have protected him from summary euthanasia without an individualized evaluation.
Judge Ezra's emergency decision effectively overrides the preceding local destruction order while the federal litigation plays out. While a comprehensive written order detailing the court's legal reasoning was not immediately available following Thursday's bench ruling, the temporary restraining order immediately froze all municipal actions directed at terminating the dog's life.
In response to the federal injunction, representatives for the city of Austin confirmed that they have received notice of the action and intend to comply fully with the judicial directive. Officials noted that municipal staff will pause enforcement of the previous destruction mandate pending the outcome of the federal case.
The municipal agency overseeing the facility, Austin Animal Services, affirmed through a public statement that shelter personnel will continue to house, feed, and care for Major while the case is under federal jurisdiction. Major has remained isolated in the municipal shelter system for roughly 17 months during the prolonged dispute.
The legal saga has attracted considerable public scrutiny and sparked significant community backlash across the region following coverage by the Austin American-Statesman. An online petition demanding Major’s release and sparing him from euthanasia quickly amassed more than 10,000 signatures from concerned citizens and animal advocates.
The controversy also drew the attention of high-profile figures, including legendary Texas musician and prominent animal advocate Willie Nelson. Nelson intervened in the debate by cautioning local government leadership that their approach to Major's case would leave a permanent mark on the city administration's relationship with local residents.
Regional animal welfare groups that have followed the case celebrated the federal court's temporary restraining order as a crucial interim victory. Among them, Jack Jack's Pack Street Dog Rescue expressed relief on social media platforms, praising community advocacy while encouraging supporters to remain engaged as the lawsuit moves forward.
Although the temporary restraining order ensures Major will not be euthanized immediately, the broader federal case concerning the Americans with Disabilities Act claims remains ongoing. The court will next consider further filings and arguments to determine the final legal fate of both the service animal and his owner's claims against the city.
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