Dog released from custody after biting St. Catharines councillor in October

A 10-year-old dog that bit a St. Catharines senior in October has been released from custody at the Lincoln County Humane Society.

There was a legal order shortly before 12 p.m. Thursday for the American Alsatian named Rocky to return home.

“Rocky was released to his owner under strict conditions, including muzzling, displaying a sign on the property, visible from the street, with the words “Aggressive Dog Lives Here” and not tethering Rocky in front of the house,” said Kevin Strooband, executive director of the animal shelter.

The dog was taken to the humane society after St. Catharines’ city councillor Joe Kushner says he was bitten and attacked by the canine while campaigning two months ago.

READ MORE: Online petition to release ‘Rocky’ from Lincoln County Humane Society

“Rocky bit a person in three separate places, our investigation revealed that it had previously bitten a child,” Strooband previously said in an interview with CHCH News.

“We felt it was in the best interest of the public to not have Rocky in the community while we investigated this attack.”

While the animal shelter said Rocky has a history of biting, the dog’s owner disagreed and said the public has nothing to worry about.

Over 16,000 people signed an online petition to have Rocky released and save it from being put down.