But Judge Orders It Defanged, Confined Indoors : Prize Dog Spared in Death of Woman, 87

A judge Tuesday spared the life of King Boots, a prize-winning sheepdog that allegedly mauled its owner’s 87-year-old mother to death, but ordered that the dog be defanged, neutered and confined to home.

After five days of testimony in a case that had gained widespread publicity for taking on all the trappings of a murder trial, District Judge Edward Sosnik said that if King Boots’ owners, Charles and Kathryn Schwarb, agree to his terms, the dog may live. Otherwise, King Boots, now being held in the Birmingham dog pound, will be put to death by injection.

Sosnik said the court will retain jurisdiction over the dog and that the Schwarbs will be required to post a $2,500 cash bond to ensure that they follow the court ruling.

During the trial, the city had charged that King Boots mauled Gertrude Monroe, Kathryn Schwarb’s mother, on Dec. 19 in an attack in the Schwarb home.

But the Schwarbs argued that Monroe died of a heart attack, and was only bitten by King Boots when she collapsed on top of the sleeping dog.

In the end, Sosnik agreed with the city that King Boots had vicious tendencies.

Richard Selik, the attorney hired by the Schwarbs to defend King Boots, said the Schwarbs felt “extremely disappointed” at the ruling. He added that the family has not decided whether to agree to Sosnik’s conditions and has not decided whether to appeal the ruling.

A life of confinement would clearly be a major comedown for the 8 1/2-year-old dog, which has led an excessively pampered life as the winningest Old English sheepdog on the international dog show circuit.

Under Sosnik’s ruling, King Boots would only be allowed out of the Schwarb home to go to the veterinarian. In addition, a neutered King Boots will no longer have the potential to bring in lucrative stud fees.

Jon Kingsepp, the attorney for the city, said he was satisfied with the ruling, and would recommend to the Birmingham City Commission that the city accept Sosnik’s order. “The judge has sustained that we had a duty to act (to impound King Boots and seek to destroy him),” he said.