10/07/2026
A Texas dog survived being hit by a vehicle. What happened in the painful minutes afterward has kept him away from his owner for more than 545 days and placed his life at the center of a court battle.
On March 31, 2025, Belgian Malinois Major was injured by a vehicle in Austin. According to court records, his owner, Shane Lilly, left the injured dog briefly while trying to get his phone and call for help. Julissa Alvarez stopped after seeing another woman trying to help Major and joined the effort to keep the injured dog from getting back into the street.
During that encounter, Major bit Alvarez several times on her arms. Emergency medical workers treated her before taking her to a hospital, and court records say one of her wounds required three staples.
That bite eventually changed everything for Major.
Austin authorities seized him, and Major has remained at the Austin Animal Center while his case moved through the Texas courts. A municipal court found that he had caused serious bodily injury and ordered him euthanized. Lilly appealed, but the euthanasia order was later upheld by a county court and the Texas Third Court of Appeals.
The case is more complicated than a frightened dog reacting once while injured. During court proceedings, Austin Animal Center personnel described Major as continuing to display aggressive behavior in custody and raised concerns about public safety if he were released. Lilly has argued that Major should instead receive another opportunity for professional rehabilitation.
Lilly also testified that Major assists him with seizure response and compulsive behavior interruption, and he has continued fighting to save the dog he considers his service animal.
By early October 2026, Major had spent more than 545 days in shelter custody. His euthanasia had been temporarily delayed again while the federal court considered the continuing dispute.
Major's case leaves an extraordinarily difficult question behind. A woman was seriously injured, and public safety matters. But after more than a year and a half in custody, his owner is still asking whether rehabilitation can be tried before an irreversible decision is carried out.
For Major, that answer could determine whether he ever leaves the shelter alive.
