SANTA ANA – Orange County Supervisor Todd Spitzer was a lone wolf Tuesday in his attempt to stop the killing of a wolf-dog hybrid that has galvanized animal advocates worldwide.

In a rare hearing that put the canine’s fate before the Board of Supervisors, instead of the usual fare of million-dollar contracts and county policy, Spitzer failed to persuade his fellow supervisors to override OC Animal Care’s findings and take the matter back to court.

OC Animal Care Director and Chief Veterinarian Jennifer Hawkins has deemed the husky mix too dangerous to be released in the community or to live at an animal sanctuary. OC Animal Care designated Karma a vicious animal because the dog killed at least one cat in 2012 in Anaheim, and because of the dog’s partial wolf ancestry, the effectiveness of required rabies vaccinations is unknown.

“I stand by my recommendation that euthanasia is a reasonable means to assure public safety,” Hawkins said during the Board of Supervisors meeting. “I don’t know if it will distinguish between domestic animals or a small child. We haven’t found a sanctuary that meets our criteria.”

Without support from the board to reverse Hawkins’ decision, the case is unlikely to return to an Orange County Superior Court judge who already ruled that the dog must be killed. Animal Care has until Oct. 20 to carry out the judge’s order.

Supervisor Shawn Nelson said the board had no basis to go back to the court to change its decision.

“If (Hawkins is) not going to change her decision, what would we say to the court,” Nelson asked. “If we’re asking for a change, we have to submit a basis for that. There’s nothing left to do until she says something different.”

Spitzer tried to convince his colleagues that Karma’s euthanasia order should be rescinded and that she should be allowed to live out her life at Wolf Mountain Sanctuary in Lucerne Valley.

Spitzer argued that a liability release drafted by county lawyers Friday and approved by OC Animal Care outlining the requirements of how Karma must be kept should be enough to spare the dog from death.

Karma was ordered to be euthanized by Orange County Superior Court Judge Corey S. Cramin on Sept. 9. Cramin upheld the vicious dog declaration made by the county agency following the municipal code in the city of Anaheim, where the dog lived.

Animal Care ordered a genetic test on the dog – the first ever by the agency – after her owners were arrested and family members told police the dog was part wolf. The genetic test suggested that Karma likely had a wolf ancestor two or three generations back.

On Tuesday, Spitzer questioned Hawkins on her decision that the county had to euthanize the dog because there were no appropriate places to send her. He said he received assurances from county attorneys that the Lucerne Valley sanctuary would meet the county’s requirements for placement of the animal.

Spitzer said he never asked that Hawkins change her designation of Karma being labeled vicious but that she allow the dog to be taken to a place where she would not be harmful to the public.

“When county counsel gave me a draft of what it would take, I believed, mistakenly, she supported that,” Spitzer said. “I had no idea even if a rescue (group) signed the agreement she would not support it. The fate rested in the board’s hands. We’re the only ones who have the authority to overrule the recommendation of our Animal Care director.”

By Tuesday, nearly 300,000 people had signed an online petition to save Karma.

However, animal activists said Tuesday that Wolf Mountain Sanctuary could not take Karma because she is more dog than wolf. Sanctuary representatives are helping look for a wolf-dog sanctuary instead. Five dog rescue groups are willing to take Karma, Lori Wagner, an animal welfare advocate working to free Karma, said early Wednesday.

Contact the writer: 714-796-2254 or eritchie@ocregister.com