Royal Oak Woman Pleads No Contest to Dog Bite Charge

A Royal Oak woman pled no contest to a dog bite charge involving , agreeing to have Heidi wear a muzzle if she is out in public.

Janet Spalding, 59, faced two misdemeanor citations — one for the dog bite and one for not having her dog licensed. The latter charge was dismissed because Spalding obtained a license for the dog within five days of the incident.

Police and witness reports allege the dog bit a 45-year-old Warren man outside   market in Royal Oak on Oct. 15. he approached the 26-year-old girlfriend of Spalding’s son, who had two Doberman Pinschers on leashes, and asked if the dogs were friendly. The woman told him that they were, he said. As he got closer to the dogs, Heidi jumped up and bit him in the face.

Because Spalding had no prior criminal record, she was given a six-month delayed sentence. If she does not commit any other criminal violations within the six-month time frame, she will be allowed to withdraw her plea and the case will be dismissed.

“This is not unusual,” City Attorney David Gillam said. “We do it in situations where a person has no criminal record and wants to keep his or her record clear.”

If Spalding does commit another violation, the misdemeanor is punishable by up to 90 days in jail, a $500 fine or both.

The city attorney's office received numerous calls from across the United States and Canada last week after the website, Save Heidi, went viral on the Internet. The site asked people to sign on online petition in support of dismissing the charges against Heidi and her owner. Nearly 19,000 people signed.

Assistant Deputy City Attorney Mark Liss has been talking to Spalding and her attorney on a daily basis, Gillam said. Two pre-trial conferences took place on the citations and a third was scheduled for Thursday.

Liss, who was in  in Royal Oak on Monday morning for other cases, contacted Spalding’s attorney about the possibility of coming to court today, four days early, to settle the matter.

“Everyone agreed to get this wrapped up,” Gillam said. “The sooner the better.”

Spalding wasn't immediately available for comment.