"We have to do what we have to do and the family is upset about it," Waugh said. "But we just have to keep the young boy fully in the picture."

The Underdog incident is in contrast to the Troy dog attack last October involving a mixed-breed named Luna, which bit another dog, and the person who tried to pull them apart.

Injuries were less serious than the Underdog incident, and even though Luna was initially ordered to be put down, her owner appealed, and the dog's life was spared.

What the incidents have in common is the unpredictable behavior of animals otherwise thought to be friendly and docile.

"I can't particularly fault myself," Waugh said. "The dog is usually locked behind a gate. Unfortunately, he got out. I didn't witness any of it, but it was not his nature."

Two months ago, the Troy City Council voted to change the city ordinance that previously mandated euthanasia for all dogs that bite people. The change allows judge's discretion to decide on a case-by-case basis.