CROSBY – It was an unusual case, pitting a local ordinance against unique circumstances. In the end a District Judge ruled that a family could keep their pit bull despite the City of Crosby’s prohibition of the breed.

Jenny White, Crosby, brought the case in front of Judge Kirsten Sjue. White contended that if she complied with a citation she received on June 28, 2017 for having a prohibited breed of dog in the city she would have left her daughter without a life-saving service animal.

White’s daughter, Elizabeth, 12, is stricken with a very rare disease – epidermolysis bullosa, or EB. It is a painful affliction in which the skin and internal organs are very easily torn. Due to the condition, Elizabeth is on a feeding tube. Among other things, the dog, Bella, alerts Elizabeth’s mother during critical nighttime hours if the tube becomes dislodged.

According to the Crosby Journal, a publication that has closely followed the case and reported on it extensively, Sjue said in her ruling that “This is not a referendum on pit bulls. The issue is if, in fact, Bella is a service animal.”

Sjue added, “I can only imagine the peace of mind for the family knowing the dog alerts. I’m satisfied that the individual training requirement is satisfied.”

The ruling occurred following a March 26 court trial. White, who moved to Crosby from Missouri about two years ago, has filed a federal lawsuit alleging a violation of civil rights of a person with a disability. The lawsuit names the defendants as the City of Crosby, three city council members and City Attorney Seymour Jordan.