Judge's ruling spares Karma the husky from O.C.'s doggie death row

Judge’s ruling spares Karma the husky from O.C.’s doggie death row

Staff Writer

Sept. 30, 2015 8:11 PM PT

An Orange County judge has saved the life of Karma the husky.

Wednesday’s ruling wrapped up an intense battle between animal-rights activists and OC Animal Care, which had impounded the dog after her owner was arrested on domestic violence charges in May.

After finding Karma in Joshua Ogle’s apartment, authorities were told that she came from a wolf-dog breeder. A UC Davis test revealed that the animal had a wolf ancestor two or three generations ago. Ogle’s family said the husky was gentle.

According to Karma’s advocates, an OC Animal Care hearing officer had determined shortly after her “arrest” that the dog was not vicious. But Dr. Jennifer Hawkins, the center’s director and chief veterinarian, decided to euthanize the husky.

Karma’s supporters flooded the office of Todd Spitzer, chairman of the Orange County Board of Supervisors, pleading for his help and citing an online petition with nearly 400,000 signatures.

That led Spitzer to call emergency board meetings and, after a 3-2 vote Monday, the board asked Superior Court Judge Corey Cramin to reconsider his order that the animal be euthanized.

On Wednesday, Cramin ruled that Karma should be taken to Full Moon Farm, a sanctuary in Black Mountain, N.C. Rescuers there have agreed to welcome the husky.

“I’m ecstatic and overwhelmed,” said Spitzer. “I’ve had dogs my whole life and I know how wonderful they are. Looking at Karma and hearing about her situation, I knew that she was not dangerous. That we took a dog from being on Orange County’s death row to safety and to possible reunification with her family is thrilling.”

anh.do@latimes.com

Twitter: @newsterrier

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Anh Do

Anh Do, the community engagement editor at the Los Angeles Times, works across the newsroom to spotlight our journalists and journalism, bringing our diverse talent closer to the audiences they serve via virtual and live events. She’s a member of the recruiting team and also represents the paper in communicating with the public who have questions about The Times’ journalistic standards and practices. Before this job, she spent 11 years in Metro covering Asian American issues and general assignments. A second-generation journalist, she has reported for the Seattle Times, the Orange County Register and Nguoi Viet Daily News. Do, born in Saigon, is a graduate of USC with degrees in journalism and English. Her writing on culture and trauma has won awards from Columbia University and the Asian American Journalists Assn. She received Yale’s Poynter Fellowship in Journalism and, in 2016, was part of The Times team that won a Pulitzer Prize for breaking news coverage of the San Bernardino terrorist attacks. Apart from words, she’s passionate about all things canine, spending nearly three decades supporting dog rescue around the globe.

Judge’s ruling spares Karma the husky from O.C.’s doggie death row

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