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Dog That Bit 12-Year-Old Girl Gets New Lease On Life

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A dog named Brooklyn is getting a second chance.

The 8-year-old mixed breed was sentenced to be euthanized at Animal Care & Control in East Harlem after he bit a 12-year-old girl who had fallen on him in February 2012.

Brooklyn became a staff favorite at the shelter and the Queens-based animal advocacy group The Lexus Project went to court on the dog's behalf, arguing that he is not dangerous and had bit the girl because it felt threatened.

"We initially entered into negotiations with the Department of Health to attempt to remove him from the shelter on a friendly basis," said Richard Rosenthal, the general counsel for the Lexus Project. "When the Department of Health insisted on conditions that were outside of what they are entitled to by law, we created the trust to protect Brooklyn and we filed suit in Manhattan Supreme Court."

Earlier this week, a judge issued a restraining order temporarily halting the execution and The Lexus Project was appointed as the dog's guardian.

The group has been given until April 30 to find Brooklyn a home outside the boroughs.

"We're going to arrange for placement with a group that can assess his condition, do whatever training is necessary and then make a determination on whether he is capable of being rehomed or not," Rosenthal said.

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