BAY CITY, MI -- A scenario -- you're in bed in your Bay City home on a hot May night, the back door is open to allow your two dogs to wander between the house and your fenced-in yard. You hear a commotion in another part of your house. Going to investigate, you see one your dogs has been stunned with a Taser in the hands of a police officer.

Now, the same scenario from a different perspective -- you're a police officer responding to a neighbor dispute/threats complaint. You speak with the person who called 911, alleging her neighbor had a tiff with her earlier that day. You go next door to interview the other party, but get no response when you knock on the darkened house's front door. You walk around and see the back door is wide open.

Curious and concerned, you enter through the gate of the backyard's fence and approach the doorway. Then, a large dog appears and quickly bites you in the leg, prompting you to stun the canine with your Taser.

Both perspectives have the same result, specifically, that the biting and stunned dog is residing on death row at Bay County Animal Control, as his owner waits to plead with the court to spare his life.

Sarge and Kristine

Kristine A. Vanderberg lives at 602 South McLellan St. on Bay City's East Side. She has two dogs, a black Labrador retriever named Sasha and a white and brown pit bull/boxer mix named Sarge. She took in Sarge in April 2013, after someone abandoned him in her neighborhood when he was approximately 6 months old.

"My neighbor lady ... witnessed somebody just dropping him off," Vanderberg said. "She ended up calling me, and I ended up going over to meet him, and I fell in love with him. He basically adopted me."

A protective bond soon formed between Sarge and Vanderberg. Usually affable and people-friendly, Sarge had to be handled delicately, though. He seems to have a particular aversion to men in uniforms or to vehicles driving by with printing on the sides, his owner said.

"I have no idea what his past owners did to him," Vanderberg said. "He has to be introduced to people. People can't just walk in, especially men. When I introduce him to somebody coming over to the house, I put a muzzle on him. He's very protective of me."

Once the introduction is made, the muzzle comes off and Sarge is accepting, Vanderberg said. He's great around Vanderberg's adult son, daughter-in-law and 15-month-old grandson, she added.

"My 1-year-old son and I come over, and he just licks our faces," said Vanderberg's son, Justin Kilgore. "He just doesn't like people he doesn't know."

On two occasions prior to the recent May incident, Sarge bit people, according to Vanderberg and police. The first time was on Aug. 9 2013, when Vanderberg's roommate committed suicide by hanging himself in their garage. Police and paramedics responded, and Sarge and Sasha milled about as the emergency responders conducted their business. Sarge ended up biting the hand of Bay City Public Safety Sgt. Michael Charter, both Vanderberg and police confirm.

The second incident happened June 24, 2014, when a male friend visited Vanderberg's boyfriend's house on North Farragut.

"We told him not to enter the backyard so we could secure the dog," Vanderberg said. "He opened the gate anyway and got bit. He ended up calling and reporting the bite."

Then, the third bite -- and second of a police officer -- occurred the night of Monday, May 18, according to police.

Vanderberg said she was doing yardwork earlier that afternoon, playing oldies tunes on her radio. A neighbor with whom she has had disputes took issue with this, claiming her music was too loud. The two exchanged words, with Vanderberg telling her neighbor she could call the police if she wanted.

According to police reports, the neighbor did not place a call until 10:36 p.m., long after the music was off and Vanderberg's lights were off.

While in bed, Vanderberg heard her dogs barking, but dismissed it as them seeing a rabbit or a stray cat. Shortly thereafter, as the noise didn't abate, she left her bedroom to see police were there and Sarge had been stunned.

Bay City Public Safety Capt. Joseph Lanava said the responding officer, Matthew Strunk, went to the backyard after being unable to raise the resident's attention at the enclosed front porch. He entered the fenced-in yard due to the suspiciousness of the open back door, Lanava said.

Knocking on the open door, Strunk was soon approached by Sasha, who sniffed him, Lanava said. Sarge then came toward the officer, who swept him away. Sarge then bit Strunk in the right thigh. The officer responded by stunning Sarge with his Taser, Lanava said.

A Bay County Animal Control officer arrived at the scene and gave Vanderberg the options of releasing Sarge to his agency or keeping Sarge under a 10-day quarantine at her house, as is standard when a dog bites a human. Vanderberg opted for the latter.

The bite broke Strunk's skin, but did not cause serious damage, Lanava said.

Days later, after more investigation was conducted and the two previous bites were discovered, authorities informed Vanderberg she had to relinquish Sarge to Bay County Animal Control, as prosecutors were seeking to have him euthanized. Although Vanderberg acquiesced and took Sarge to the shelter on Friday, May 22, she is not ready to give up on Sarge and see him put down, she said.

Sarge's uncertain fate

The Bay County Prosecutor's Office has filed a complaint in Bay County District Court.

"We're requesting that her dog, Sarge, be destroyed," said Assistant Prosecutor Margaret Leaming. "It is the judge's decision whether to do that."

Leaming cited the reason for the request being Sarge's documented history of biting people. She clarified that Vanderberg is not charged with any kind of criminal offense related to her dog's actions.

"This is a civil proceeding," Leaming said. "It's the appropriate way to request that relief."

Vanderberg and Leaming are to argue their disparate positions for Sarge's death or survival before District Judge Dawn A. Klida at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, June 18.

Vanderberg does not dispute Sarge has bitten people, but said this is mitigated by the fact that Sarge was behaving as any dog would do in defending his owner and property from unknown persons.

"All three times, he was on his own property protecting his home and his owner," she said. "There were never any warrants for anyone to enter my home. It just seems unfair and stupid on these people's parts."

Until the case comes before Klida, Sarge remains in limbo, held at Bay County Animal Control, 800 Livingston St. Vanderberg visits him every day she can and plays with him, but sees his vivacity ebbing away.

"I'll get him playing out there and then he just flops down and just lays his head down and looks all depressed," she said. "It's hard when I have to put him back in the kennel."