Yesterday I posted a statement from @WillieNelson and #FreeMajor. I knew more—but sometimes helping a dog means NOT posting what you know. I met attorney @ChristinaMaccio when she took on the Snuggles case. I had been helping Snuggles' mom, researching the law, animal-welfare issues, and building an organized Google Drive of materials for her future legal counsel to use as they saw fit. So when Major came onto my radar, sadly I knew enough to recognize what I was looking at. First let me introduce you to Major Lilly — and explain why his case goes far beyond one dog. Note: It is considerably shortened. You can read more on Instagram on @TheTRAPRS page. 🐶 Major is a Belgian Malinois who has been held by the City of Austin since March 31, 2025—which was DAY ONE. ➡️ As of today, he has been held 528 DAYS. Sound familiar? Major's owner, Shane Lilly, has a disability and Major assists him with disability-related tasks that if you know how hard this is to accomplish, is irreplaceable. On May 31, 2025, Major was hit by a vehicle and was injured. Shane was on foot and didn't have a way to get to an emergency vet and didn't have his phone. He went to go get help. Major was limping and yelping when two women attempted to corral him out of traffic. One of them was bitten and had to go to the hospital to be treated. She was treated and released the same day. Austin Animal Control's (AAC) investigator documented it as a “provoked bite” — meaning Major was reacting to the circumstances, not attacking without cause. According to records, AAC initially told him he could take Major home. Shane asked them to keep Major because Major was injured and Shane did not have the resources at that moment to get him the veterinary treatment he needed. ➡️ On April 9, Austin obtained a seizure warrant under Texas Health & Safety Code Chapter 822. The ACO affidavit stated something Shane emphatically disputes: it said Shane told her this was the sixth person Major had bitten, and we have supported that by finding no record showing Major had ever bitten or seriously injured anyone before March 31. The woman who was bitten didn’t even testify because she didn’t want Major to be hurt. ➡️ Despite that, on April 15, Austin Municipal Court ordered Major destroyed. Shane appealed. A Travis County court held a new hearing in July 2025 and again ordered Major destroyed. Shane kept appealing. The Third Court of Appeals affirmed the order in February. The Texas Supreme Court declined review, and the state appellate process reached its end. Shane had no other way to save Major. Last Friday, AAC emailed Shane and gave him an appointment for 9:00am September 11 — for his final visit with Major. (The irony of the date Austin chose does not escape me. ⁉️) ➡️ This is where my involvement in Major's case began. Christina brought the litigation expertise; I brought what I had learned from years in animal welfare and from living inside these cases, and my quest to find the common thread in them around the country. Christina and I spent hours collaborating on what we found on the case and I knew she had the brilliance and expertise he needed and she wanted to see if she could possibly help. We needed to speak with Shane, but neither of us knew him. So I went looking. I worked backward through social media—posts, comments, names, connections—trying to figure out who actually knew something and who might lead me to Shane. After days of digging, I got a lead and was connected with Caitlin at @TheTRAPRS, who had been helping Shane for a couple weeks. Caitlin’s side had the connection—and our side had the brilliant lawyer that was willing to step up. We all got on the phone, Christina took the case, and she got busy. ⚖️ Yesterday, Christina filed a federal civil-rights action on behalf of Shane Lilly in the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas, along with an emergency request to stop the City of Austin from euthanizing Major, called a TRO. ➡️ Today, U.S. District Judge David Alan Ezra granted the Temporary Restraining Order (TRO). 🙌 Major is safe. The order itself is sealed for now, so I cannot discuss its contents. If anyone tells you they know, his counsel would like to have a word. This is not the end of Major’s case. The TRO will keep Major alive long enough for the federal issues to be heard. So more updates are coming. Christina worked under EXTREME time pressure. I am awe struck at the precision in which she filed, and how brilliantly and accurately she answered hard questions the judge gave her. She did all this in THREE DAYS. Judge Ezra and his staff were also handed a genuinely difficult federal case on an emergency timetable and gave it immediate consideration and a quick decision. That needs to be said. And so does her name—@ChristinaMaccio. 🙌 There is a much bigger story here about Major, Atlas, Snuggles, the lawyers and experts these cases desperately need, and why we cannot continue fighting these cases one dog at a time. 🐶❤️ But today belongs to Major and Shane, thanks to @ChristinaMaccio, the attorney who made sure for Major, there would still BE a tomorrow. #FreeMajor *Video courtesy of Caitlin/@TheTRAPRS.

📆 DAY ONE—4/22/25: THE DAY THEY TOOK HIM—THE STORY OF ATLAS—CHAPTER 4 🐕 My last post ended on December 4, 2024 after the phantom hearing. Tammi went home to Atlas, and things were normal, for about more than 4 months. After December 4, she didn't hear a word from the court or her 'lawyer', nor did she get any documentation of her case, or signed judgment. She thought it strange, but just wanted to forget about everything that had happened and move on. 🚨 But then April 20 came. ➡️ 4/20/25—It was Easter Sunday, and Tammi was out shopping for dinner. She got home around 4pm and promptly went up to the attic to get easter egg coloring supplies and got started dying eggs. Atlas was asleep on her bed. It was 4:30-5pm. She went outside to turn on the water for the lawn....and heard a door bang shut. She turned around and saw Atlas on the steps and he started toward the lawn. Knowing this could not happen, Tammi grabbed her keys and leash and set off after him, before he was even out of the yard. Of course, being pretty predictable, he headed to Jazzy's house. Never losing sight of him, he got to Jazzy's with Tammi right behind him, and Jazzy's mom met them in the driveway. They laughed at lover boy's persistence, and Tammi leashed him, and went home. The entire incident was less than 5 minutes. Atlas never came across a single person on the way to or from Jazzy's house. ➡️ 4/21/25—The next day, someone calls a complaint in they say happened on 4/20 "around 3pm". 🤔 Morales shows up and leaves a ticket on her door for "failure to comply". Tammi was annoyed but was prepared to pay the ticket and fix the springs on the door that had failed to keep the door shut. ➡️ 4/22/25—An army of police surrounded Tammi's house along with Morales and a warrant to take Atlas. They said he had attacked someone else and were going to take him. Tammi, rightfully shocked and angry, said something like "over my dead body"...police body-cam captured the entire scene but has NEVER been viewed by Tammi or her defense after repeated requests. (look up Spoliation) Note: the warrant came into hand on 4/23 according to Morales, which is incorrect. This is one of many examples of problematic systemic negligence in Bedford's 'documentation' practices. 👮‍♀️👮‍♂️🚓👮🚔 Police claimed she expressed suicidal threats 9 times. They called her attorney for some reason, ended up arresting Tammi, and took her to a mental facility. She was stuck there for 2 days while they assessed her. Concluding she possessed mostly a fiery Irish temper, they let her go home, to the tune of $3,440. 💔 When she got home, Atlas was gone. TAMMI HAS NOT SEEN ATLAS SINCE THAT DAY. ➡️ 4/25/25—The 'victim' identified a dog that did not even look like Atlas, and the photo Morales showed her was never submitted to the court as evidence. The photo the 'victim' submitted also did not match the description of her injury, as first it was a "bite" but then he scratched her "back". The photo, er, um, shows the scratch is much lower than her "back". 🫏 Also, interestingly, this 'victim' ALSO, like the 3rd alleged victim, filed a lawsuit against Tammi using her home owner's insurance, but in order to get the payout, it has to happen on Tammi's property. All records state it did NOT, and have a completely different address than Tammi's home. ⁉️ INSURANCE FRAUD ⁉️ MEANWHILE: Bedford official Andrea Roy sent an email to a citizen stating that Atlas, “the dog in question may have been mistakenly blamed for an incident in which he was not involved.” WHY DIDN'T THIS GET SUBMITTED TO THE COURT? ➡️ 4/28/25—Tammi hired Don Feare again, paid him another $2,500 and he had her file her own motion for appearance of counsel and discovery. The court hearing was set for May 1, 2025. Don Feare told Tammi he could not make that date so told her to ask for more time. What Tammi did not realize when he did this: 😡 THIS DELAY PUTS TAMMI OUTSIDE OF HER 10 DAY COMPLIANCE WINDOW 😲 Keep up, it gets even more wild. ➡️ 5/1/25—The city sends Feare an email and show the discovery items on an inventory sheet confirming that a flash drive containing audio, video, photos, and police logs is ready for pickup. ➡️ 5/5/25—Feare picks up the 'evidence' FOUR days after he is notified it is ready. He gives Tammi a CD and claims it "doesn't play" (Texas CCP 39.14). ⚖️ TRIAL BY AMBUSH 👨‍⚖️ ➡️ 5/7/25—The Bedford Municipal Court held a hearing where Tammi was not allowed to speak, and her attorney barely said a word in defense of her. She thought (and her attorney confirmed) that all she was there to defend was that she was out of compliance, and according to section 18-155, if she was found out of compliance, which states she has 10 days to get in compliance, and if she does, the court would return Atlas to her. 👉 REMEMBER FEARE REQUESTED A RESET?? HER OWN ATTORNEY NOT ONLY DID NOT ENSURE SHE HAD THE EVIDENCE TO DEFEND HERSELF... BUT HIS REQUEST PUSHED HER OUT OF THAT 10 DAY WINDOW SHE HAD TO SHOW SHE WAS IN COMPLIANCE 🤯 ...so what do you think happened? ❌ THE JUDGE ORDERED ATLAS KILLED INSTEAD ❌ Basing her decision on: 1) the judgment from 12/4 deeming him a Dangerous Dog 👉 A JUDGMENT THAT DOES NOT EXIST 👈 2) and that Atlas was out of his enclosure without a muzzle and leash 🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯 Bedford has since tried to swap in the November 20th Animal Services paper as the "backup" designation—major foul play. Under Texas law: An Animal Control Authority can make an initial administrative determination that a dog is dangerous. However, an administrative determination is not a court order. If she went to court in December, that administrative piece was supposed to be formalized into an official, judge-signed civil judgment. If the judge never signed it, there was no legal order in place forcing the muzzle/leash requirements mentioned in the May 7th judgment. None of that mattered. Bedford did as they had wanted all along, and ordered her dog to be killed. 🐷 That's not all folks! (as always, receipts in the comments) BUCKLE UP, BECAUSE IT GETS WORSE. Stay tuned for Chapter 5. 💔 TODAY IS DAY 541. 💔 #FREEATLAS

📆 DAY ONE—4/22/25: THE DAY THEY TOOK HIM—THE STORY OF ATLAS—CHAPTER 4 🐕 My last post ended on December 4, 2024 after the phantom hearing. Tammi went home to Atlas, and things were normal, for about more than 4 months. After December 4, she didn't hear a word from the court or her 'lawyer', nor did she get any documentation of her case, or signed judgment. She thought it strange, but just wanted to forget about everything that had happened and move on. 🚨 But then April 20 came. ➡️ 4/20/25—It was Easter Sunday, and Tammi was out shopping for dinner. She got home around 4pm and promptly went up to the attic to get easter egg coloring supplies and got started dying eggs. Atlas was asleep on her bed. It was 4:30-5pm. She went outside to turn on the water for the lawn....and heard a door bang shut. She turned around and saw Atlas on the steps and he started toward the lawn. Knowing this could not happen, Tammi grabbed her keys and leash and set off after him, before he was even out of the yard. Of course, being pretty predictable, he headed to Jazzy's house. Never losing sight of him, he got to Jazzy's with Tammi right behind him, and Jazzy's mom met them in the driveway. They laughed at lover boy's persistence, and Tammi leashed him, and went home. The entire incident was less than 5 minutes. Atlas never came across a single person on the way to or from Jazzy's house. ➡️ 4/21/25—The next day, someone calls a complaint in they say happened on 4/20 "around 3pm". 🤔 Morales shows up and leaves a ticket on her door for "failure to comply". Tammi was annoyed but was prepared to pay the ticket and fix the springs on the door that had failed to keep the door shut. ➡️ 4/22/25—An army of police surrounded Tammi's house along with Morales and a warrant to take Atlas. They said he had attacked someone else and were going to take him. Tammi, rightfully shocked and angry, said something like "over my dead body"...police body-cam captured the entire scene but has NEVER been viewed by Tammi or her defense after repeated requests. (look up Spoliation) Note: the warrant came into hand on 4/23 according to Morales, which is incorrect. This is one of many examples of problematic systemic negligence in Bedford's 'documentation' practices. 👮‍♀️👮‍♂️🚓👮🚔 Police claimed she expressed suicidal threats 9 times. They called her attorney for some reason, ended up arresting Tammi, and took her to a mental facility. She was stuck there for 2 days while they assessed her. Concluding she possessed mostly a fiery Irish temper, they let her go home, to the tune of $3,440. 💔 When she got home, Atlas was gone. TAMMI HAS NOT SEEN ATLAS SINCE THAT DAY. ➡️ 4/25/25—The 'victim' identified a dog that did not even look like Atlas, and the photo Morales showed her was never submitted to the court as evidence. The photo the 'victim' submitted also did not match the description of her injury, as first it was a "bite" but then he scratched her "back". The photo, er, um, shows the scratch is much lower than her "back". 🫏 Also, interestingly, this 'victim' ALSO, like the 3rd alleged victim, filed a lawsuit against Tammi using her home owner's insurance, but in order to get the payout, it has to happen on Tammi's property. All records state it did NOT, and have a completely different address than Tammi's home. ⁉️ INSURANCE FRAUD ⁉️ MEANWHILE: Bedford official Andrea Roy sent an email to a citizen stating that Atlas, “the dog in question may have been mistakenly blamed for an incident in which he was not involved.” WHY DIDN'T THIS GET SUBMITTED TO THE COURT? ➡️ 4/28/25—Tammi hired Don Feare again, paid him another $2,500 and he had her file her own motion for appearance of counsel and discovery. The court hearing was set for May 1, 2025. Don Feare told Tammi he could not make that date so told her to ask for more time. What Tammi did not realize when he did this: 😡 THIS DELAY PUTS TAMMI OUTSIDE OF HER 10 DAY COMPLIANCE WINDOW 😲 Keep up, it gets even more wild. ➡️ 5/1/25—The city sends Feare an email and show the discovery items on an inventory sheet confirming that a flash drive containing audio, video, photos, and police logs is ready for pickup. ➡️ 5/5/25—Feare picks up the 'evidence' FOUR days after he is notified it is ready. He gives Tammi a CD and claims it "doesn't play" (Texas CCP 39.14). ⚖️ TRIAL BY AMBUSH 👨‍⚖️ ➡️ 5/7/25—The Bedford Municipal Court held a hearing where Tammi was not allowed to speak, and her attorney barely said a word in defense of her. She thought (and her attorney confirmed) that all she was there to defend was that she was out of compliance, and according to section 18-155, if she was found out of compliance, which states she has 10 days to get in compliance, and if she does, the court would return Atlas to her. 👉 REMEMBER FEARE REQUESTED A RESET?? HER OWN ATTORNEY NOT ONLY DID NOT ENSURE SHE HAD THE EVIDENCE TO DEFEND HERSELF... BUT HIS REQUEST PUSHED HER OUT OF THAT 10 DAY WINDOW SHE HAD TO SHOW SHE WAS IN COMPLIANCE 🤯 ...so what do you think happened? ❌ THE JUDGE ORDERED ATLAS KILLED INSTEAD ❌ Basing her decision on: 1) the judgment from 12/4 deeming him a Dangerous Dog 👉 A JUDGMENT THAT DOES NOT EXIST 👈 2) and that Atlas was out of his enclosure without a muzzle and leash 🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯 Bedford has since tried to swap in the November 20th Animal Services paper as the "backup" designation—major foul play. Under Texas law: An Animal Control Authority can make an initial administrative determination that a dog is dangerous. However, an administrative determination is not a court order. If she went to court in December, that administrative piece was supposed to be formalized into an official, judge-signed civil judgment. If the judge never signed it, there was no legal order in place forcing the muzzle/leash requirements mentioned in the May 7th judgment. None of that mattered. Bedford did as they had wanted all along, and ordered her dog to be killed. 🐷 That's not all folks! (as always, receipts in the comments) BUCKLE UP, BECAUSE IT GETS WORSE. Stay tuned for Chapter 5. 💔 TODAY IS DAY 541. 💔 #FREEATLAS

⚖️ GROUND ZERO & THE PHANTOM HEARING—THE STORY OF ATLAS—CHAPTER 3 🐕 My last post ended on December 3, 2024. Atlas was home. Tammi had done everything Bedford required of her to get him back home: built the enclosure, got insurance, got the muzzle and registered Atlas, etc. ✅ She thought she needed to make the corrections Animal Control outlined to get Atlas back, even though she DISAGREED with the Dangerous Dog notice and designation from November 20, 2024. When she got that notice on Nov 20, Tammi did what she needed to do to prepare to defend herself, and Atlas—and the notice said she had 15 days to file an appeal, which gave her until around Dec 4. ⬅️ She hired animal lawyer Don Feare and paid him a large fee to represent her. He told her to file her appeal request. And we know on Nov 22 she went in person to the courthouse and filed a handwritten appeal. They stamped it, and she thought it was a done deal. ➡️ Tammi HAD NOT seen any evidence at this point yet, as they had never been to court over it. Tammi wanted the chance to tell a judge her side of the story, and challenge the so called evidence they allegedly had. She knew the truth and was going to show them there wasn't a single medical report, it was a lot of hearsay, and fight back for Atlas. ➡️ November 22, Tammi received a notice from the Bedford Municipal Court, and a letter from Doug Campbell, the court admin. **See images of documents attached—these are important!** 📍 CAUSE NO. DDH12042024 🐶 NOTICE OF DANGEROUS DOG HEARING 📆 DECEMBER 4, 2024 -- 8:00 A.M. Tammi believed December 4 was her opportunity to go before the court and fight the dangerous-dog determination. But Tammi did not see anything else before December 4 from her LAWYER or the court and are NO WHERE in the court records. ❌ No 'notice of appearance of counsel' was filed by her lawyer. ❌ No 'notice of discovery' was filed by her lawyer. What you'd expect to see from an attorney before a court hearing—ya know—one of those pesky CIVIL RIGHTS things that gives US Citizens the right to see the evidence that is going to be presented against them? 🤔 December 4, Tammi met her attorney at Bedford Municipal Court. 👽 This is where the story gets VERY strange.👽 According to Tammi, approximately 14 people were there that morning, including people connected to the incidents Bedford had been investigating. THEY went into the courtroom. ❌ TAMMI, DID NOT. 🤯 Tammi says she was made to wait outside IN THE LOBBY while her own attorney went into the courtroom without her. 🤯 ⁉️ She waited. Eventually, her attorney came back out. According to Tammi, he told her she had two choices: 💔🐶 Accept the dangerous-dog designation—or Atlas would be euthanized. Atlas had been home for ONE DAY. Tammi didn't understand dangerous-dog law. She didn't understand what was happening procedurally. She hired an expensive attorney she could not afford to help her, that supposedly understood animal law and was trusted by many. She had no idea what had just happened or the mind-blowing CIVIL RIGHTS violation implications that had just happened to her. But she did understand one thing: 💔 She did not want Atlas killed. ☹️ So she agreed. Tammi says she was then brought into the courtroom, and in front of the smirking 'witnesses' was asked two short questions by the judge, and verbally accepted the dangerous-dog designation. ➡️ There was NO evidence presented. ➡️ There were NO photographs or reports shown. ➡️ She did NOT get to testify about the accusations or present her own evidence. ➡️ She did NOT get the hearing she believed she had come there to have. ❌ She did NOT sign a new dangerous-dog JUDGMENT or ORDER...and nothing was given to her by the court, or her lawyer. ❌ But Atlas was going to live. As she left, Tammi had another question for her 'lawyer'. 👩 Tammi: "What happened to the appeal I filed on November 22?" 👨‍🦳 Don Feare: “That WAS your appeal.” Confused and hurt, Tammi went home, but at least she went home to Atlas. December 4, 2024 does not disappear from this case. 🔴 IT IS GROUND ZERO.🔴 Life went on. It was relatively quiet. Until April 20, 2025, 2 days before the last time she saw Atlas. TODAY IS DAY 508. #SaveAtlas

Major the Belgian Malinois faces death as owner has only days to convince judge to spare service dog from euthanasia trib.al/EIi7GiO

➡️ MAJOR UPDATE: TODAY IS DAY 546. The Federal Preliminary Injunction hearing is tomorrow, Sept. 29, 2026 at 1:30pm CT in Austin. What does that mean? Can Major be freed tomorrow? 🚫 NO STEP ONE: SEPT 9 On Sept 9 Shane Lilly and his brilliant new lawyer filed a 'Hail Mary" Federal Civil Rights Case against the City of Austin. Major was scheduled to be killed on Sept 11. NOTE: A federal civil-rights lawsuit ❌🟰 appeal. They are not the same thing. Judge Ezra immediately sent some very hard questions for Christina to answer, and in a very short window. She did, and he accepted it. I have massive respect for a judge that moves that quickly in a known slow system. Christina got the EMERGENCY TRO granted on Sept 10 -- and she got it in record time—2 days! 😮👏 ⏳ It was only short-term protection to prevent euthanasia so the Judge could then decide if that protection should continue through the federal case. 🥰 On Sept 24, Judge Ezra also granted an (unopposed) extension, keeping Major alive until October 8. STEP TWO: SEPT 29 Tomorrow's PI hearing is the next stage. ❌ It is NOT the trial. ❌ It does NOT finally decide the civil-rights lawsuit. It is an evidentiary hearing where Shane has to prove why he needs continued protection for Major while his federal case is being heard. It does not have to wait for final judgment. This could be a LONG federal lawsuit. NORMAL FEDERAL CASE PROCEDURES Not all federal cases go through all steps, and procedural motions/appeals can change the order. We may see answers/motions attacking the complaint, scheduling orders, discovery, written requests for evidence, depositions, expert disclosures, summary judgment, settlement proceedings, or—if claims remain unresolved—TRIAL. TOMORROW DOES NOT BEGIN AT ZERO The judge already knows an enormous amount before anybody walks into the courtroom. There has been a ton of briefing filed already. ⚖️ Christina filed the emergency motion + supporting evidence -> Austin filed its opposition + state-court record -> Christina filed her reply + evidentiary objections. THE ARGUMENTS Shane and Austin disagree over the characterization + significance of alleged previous bites, service-animal evidence, shelter behavior, the original provoked incident, alternatives to destruction, and what the state proceedings actually adjudicated. ✅ Just because it is IN the record, does NOT make it FACT. Let's remember that. AUSTIN 🗣️The City of Austin's arguments: -- Austin argues Shane had ample due process. The state courts already adjudicated the underlying dispute and Shane had 14 judges say the same thing + Judge Ezra would be #15. —and this is Austin's strongest argument? Weak IMO. 🫠 -- that Rooker-Feldman + 'preclusion' prevent Shane from using federal court like another appeal trial -- they shouldn't be sued because because the state court ordered the destruction of Major, they did not...seriously⁉️ -- the ADA doesn't give MAJOR independent rights -- the evidence of Major's bite + behavior supports its public-safety/direct-threat claims CHRISTINA/SHANE The state judgment can stay where it is while we challenge separate conduct + federal obligations that the Chapter 822 proceeding did NOT decide or hear. 🐕 Shane/Christina's arguments: -- He isn't asking to reverse the state destruction order. -- He's claiming his OWN independent federal rights as a US disabled citizen (not Major's 🙄) under Title II of the ADA (Disabilities Act), based on Austin's own present administration of its animal-services program. -- Austin cannot destroy his service animal without complying with those independent federal obligations, including consideration of a reasonable modification and an individualized assessment of Major. LOL FACT 💯 When disability evidence was raised in Shane's earlier trials, the State objected to portions of it as outside the Chapter 822 proceeding, and they got their way. "The City cannot have it both ways." So, yeah—you did that to yourself Austin. 🤌 -- AUSTIN has Major -- AUSTIN sought the warrant -- AUSTIN HAS ISOLATED MAJOR FOR 546 DAYS -- AUSTIN charges to house Major -- AUSTIN CRUELLY selected the DISTASTEFUL 9/11 destruction date -- AUSTIN would administer the euthanasia 👉 YES AUSTIN—YOU SHOULD BE THE ONE BEING SUED. 🤔 Notably, Austin did NOT dispute that Major’s death would cause irreparable harm, and Christina argues it offered NO evidence the PI itself WOULD cause harm.🤔 🧑‍⚖️ WHAT MIGHT TOMORROW'S PI LOOK LIKE? -- Judge Ezra may hear legal argument from both sides -- He may ask counsel questions -- He may address jurisdiction/preclusion first -- He may take evidence or testimony -- He may deal with evidentiary objections -- He may drill into the four PI factors -- He may rule right there...and he may not -- He may take time to review everything + issue a written ruling later To be GRANTED a preliminary injunction, Christina + Shane have to prove four things: 1) likelihood of success on the merits 2) irreparable harm without preliminary relief 3) balance of harms/equities 4) whether the injunction serves or harms the public interest—including the competing considerations raised here about public safety and compliance with federal civil-rights law NOTE: "Public interest” does NOT mean how many members of the public support Major or show up tomorrow. ‼️‼️ THE MAIN QUESTION SHE MUST ANSWER Has Shane met the legal requirements (above) for preliminary injunctive relief while his federal claims are litigated? ☯️ If the PI is GRANTED—it provides preliminary protection from Major's destruction under whatever terms Judge Ezra orders while the federal litigation continues. It is NOT a final judgment. ☯️ If the PI is DENIED—it does NOT automatically decide every claim in Shane's federal complaint. A PI ruling is also generally immediately appealable. ➡️ We may not even get a ruling tomorrow. The judge may need more time to decide. That is not always a bad thing. I will be there supporting Christina, Shane and Major tomorrow, and I'll share what I can afterward. #SAVEMAJOR #SAVESNUGGLES #SAVEATLAS 🐶🐶 --next, a Snuggles + an Atlas update!

Yesterday I posted a statement from @WillieNelson and #FreeMajor. I knew more—but sometimes helping a dog means NOT posting what you know. I met attorney @ChristinaMaccio when she took on the Snuggles case. I had been helping Snuggles' mom, researching the law, animal-welfare issues, and building an organized Google Drive of materials for her future legal counsel to use as they saw fit. So when Major came onto my radar, sadly I knew enough to recognize what I was looking at. First let me introduce you to Major Lilly — and explain why his case goes far beyond one dog. Note: It is considerably shortened. You can read more on Instagram on @TheTRAPRS page. 🐶 Major is a Belgian Malinois who has been held by the City of Austin since March 31, 2025—which was DAY ONE. ➡️ As of today, he has been held 528 DAYS. Sound familiar? Major's owner, Shane Lilly, has a disability and Major assists him with disability-related tasks that if you know how hard this is to accomplish, is irreplaceable. On May 31, 2025, Major was hit by a vehicle and was injured. Shane was on foot and didn't have a way to get to an emergency vet and didn't have his phone. He went to go get help. Major was limping and yelping when two women attempted to corral him out of traffic. One of them was bitten and had to go to the hospital to be treated. She was treated and released the same day. Austin Animal Control's (AAC) investigator documented it as a “provoked bite” — meaning Major was reacting to the circumstances, not attacking without cause. According to records, AAC initially told him he could take Major home. Shane asked them to keep Major because Major was injured and Shane did not have the resources at that moment to get him the veterinary treatment he needed. ➡️ On April 9, Austin obtained a seizure warrant under Texas Health & Safety Code Chapter 822. The ACO affidavit stated something Shane emphatically disputes: it said Shane told her this was the sixth person Major had bitten, and we have supported that by finding no record showing Major had ever bitten or seriously injured anyone before March 31. The woman who was bitten didn’t even testify because she didn’t want Major to be hurt. ➡️ Despite that, on April 15, Austin Municipal Court ordered Major destroyed. Shane appealed. A Travis County court held a new hearing in July 2025 and again ordered Major destroyed. Shane kept appealing. The Third Court of Appeals affirmed the order in February. The Texas Supreme Court declined review, and the state appellate process reached its end. Shane had no other way to save Major. Last Friday, AAC emailed Shane and gave him an appointment for 9:00am September 11 — for his final visit with Major. (The irony of the date Austin chose does not escape me. ⁉️) ➡️ This is where my involvement in Major's case began. Christina brought the litigation expertise; I brought what I had learned from years in animal welfare and from living inside these cases, and my quest to find the common thread in them around the country. Christina and I spent hours collaborating on what we found on the case and I knew she had the brilliance and expertise he needed and she wanted to see if she could possibly help. We needed to speak with Shane, but neither of us knew him. So I went looking. I worked backward through social media—posts, comments, names, connections—trying to figure out who actually knew something and who might lead me to Shane. After days of digging, I got a lead and was connected with Caitlin at @TheTRAPRS, who had been helping Shane for a couple weeks. Caitlin’s side had the connection—and our side had the brilliant lawyer that was willing to step up. We all got on the phone, Christina took the case, and she got busy. ⚖️ Yesterday, Christina filed a federal civil-rights action on behalf of Shane Lilly in the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas, along with an emergency request to stop the City of Austin from euthanizing Major, called a TRO. ➡️ Today, U.S. District Judge David Alan Ezra granted the Temporary Restraining Order (TRO). 🙌 Major is safe. The order itself is sealed for now, so I cannot discuss its contents. If anyone tells you they know, his counsel would like to have a word. This is not the end of Major’s case. The TRO will keep Major alive long enough for the federal issues to be heard. So more updates are coming. Christina worked under EXTREME time pressure. I am awe struck at the precision in which she filed, and how brilliantly and accurately she answered hard questions the judge gave her. She did all this in THREE DAYS. Judge Ezra and his staff were also handed a genuinely difficult federal case on an emergency timetable and gave it immediate consideration and a quick decision. That needs to be said. And so does her name—@ChristinaMaccio. 🙌 There is a much bigger story here about Major, Atlas, Snuggles, the lawyers and experts these cases desperately need, and why we cannot continue fighting these cases one dog at a time. 🐶❤️ But today belongs to Major and Shane, thanks to @ChristinaMaccio, the attorney who made sure for Major, there would still BE a tomorrow. #FreeMajor *Video courtesy of Caitlin/@TheTRAPRS.

I will create an Animal Welfare Department in New York State. We must create a hotline to report animal abuse and protect our dogs and cats. My son adopted a beautiful dog, and we need to encourage more pet adoptions across our state!