Service dog spared life, but banished

RIVER VALE, N.J. (WABC) -- A service dog has been spared its life after it bit a neighbor's child, but the judge has said the dog cannot be returned to its family.

9-year-old Molly Kimball wept for her beloved pet Ava.

The German shepherd was ordered into exile Tuesday night, never to return to River Vale, New Jersey again.

Molly has brain cancer.

Ava was her special service dog, trained to protect the child from falling due to dizzy spells.

But, their world was shattered in March when Ava got loose and attacked their neighbor and dear friend, 6-year-old Isabelle Gernhardt.

The bite to her face was so severe; Isabelle needed more than 100 stitches.

Both families with their lawyers arrived at municipal court to decide Ava's fate, and eventually agreed to banish the dog.

Molly lost her beloved dog, Isabelle lives with nightmares, and both girls lost each other and their once innocent friendship.

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