LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — A local shelter dog who reportedly bit a man's finger off during a dog fight at a Las Vegas dog park is expected to be put down.
We're talking about Lucy, the foster dog at the center of the controversy we've been tracking now for several weeks.
The woman who fostered Lucy at the time of the attack had hoped to give her a forever home. But due to the latest incident and what Clark County officials described as a history of aggressive behavior, Lucy was deemed "unadoptable."
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Up to this point, a spokesperson for The Animal Foundation told Channel 13 the shelter had decided to move forward with letting Lucy's foster, Layla Carswell, adopt her. But in Clark County, any dog with a bite history must get the OK from Clark County Animal Protection Services before it can be adopted, fostered or transferred to another home.
On Friday, The Animal Foundation told us its request to let Carswell adopt Lucy was denied, and directed us to Clark County for more information about what happens next.
Clark County responded to our inquiry on Monday in an emailed statement providing more context on its investigation. That statement includes the following timeline of Lucy's history:
- November 2024: Animal Protection Services took in Lucy as a stray for fighting another dog. "At the time, APS did not deem this dog vicious," a county spokesperson wrote.
- December 2024: Lucy was adopted.
- March 2025: Lucy was surrendered back to The Animal Foundation "due to circumstances outside of its control."
"Upon this surrender, [The Animal Foundation's] assessment and documentation state that the dog was not suitable for adoption," the county spokesperson stated. "Despite this, TAF placed the dog in a foster home."
Shortly after that, Carswell took Lucy to the dog park near Jones Boulevard and Cactus Avenue, where Lucy got into a dog fight and allegedly significantly injured a person.
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Carswell previously showed Channel 13 paperwork she received when fostering Lucy, including an "Advanced Behavior Needs Waiver" stating Lucy showed behaviors like barking, low growls, slow approaches and leash avoidance.
In a previous statement to Channel 13, a spokesperson for The Animal Foundation wrote, "Ms. Carswell has acknowledged multiple times that she was aware of this rule, and knew she should not have taken Lucy to a dog park."
We also learned that The Animal Foundation asks potential fosters to sign a document as part of a foster application agreeing not to take their dogs to dog parks.
On April 12, Channel 13 asked if we could see Carswell's application. After The Animal Foundation sent it to us, when we looked closer, we found it was signed in 2023 — when Carswell was applying to foster a kitten, not a dog.
"I had several people say to me, 'It's on your foster agreement,' and I'm like, 'What foster agreement?'" Carswell said. "That's the first time I'm seeing it in three years."
Channel 13 asked The Animal Foundation why Carswell wasn't given a new application this go-around, considering she was a first-time dog foster.
A spokesperson said that's not their usual policy and that fosters only need to complete the foster application once, adding that a new one is only required if The Animal Foundation updates or changes the original form, regardless of what animal will be fostered.
Clark County's spokesperson tells Channel 13 that Lucy is "the property of [The Animal Foundation," and the county "agrees with TAF's assessment that this animal is not suitable for adoption."
"The history of this dog before coming into contact with [Animal Protection Services] is unknown, but it has a demonstrated history since March of aggressive behavior," the county spokesperson concluded. "This situation is not indicative of the majority of animals at TAF and the County would encourage the public to consider fostering or adopting animals that are suitable for placement."
Reached for comment on Monday, The Animal Foundation's spokesperson told Channel 13, "Given the county's assessment that the dog is not eligible for adoption or transfer, we will proceed with humane euthanasia in accordance with county ordinance."
TAF also sent us an email it sent APS on April 17. In the email, TAF recommends Lucy to go to an "approve adopter" after not showing any "aggressive behavior towards staff during its legal hold and handling." Lucy had also been released from "bite quarantine."
According to TAF, The Animal Foundation is required to ask permission from Animal Protection Services prior to fostering, adopting, or transferring any animal that has bitten a human within Clark County.
Animal Services did not approve the adoption or release of Lucy, citing Lucy's "behavioral history and a serious bite incident that occurred during an animal altercation, which resulted in substantial bodily harm to a human. "
The email goes on today say, "Behavior notes further indicate a concerning pattern, including prior involvement in another animal fight, excessive barking, and growling. TAF determined that A1349726 [Lucy] was not a suitable candidate for adoption or transfer due to these behavioral concerns on 3/22/25 prior to being fostered. This assessment was reaffirmed on 4/07/25 following the bite incident and the animal's subsequent placement in quarantine. In accordance with the Clark County Code, animals that have bitten a person are not eligible for adoption without approval from the Chief of Code Enforcement."
