Rock the dog may not eat his last kibble any time soon, if an animal rights advocate from New York has her way.

No Kill-New York, an animal advocacy group which tries to help dogs avoid euthanization, is seeking to convince the Austin City Council to reverse its decision to put the 4-year-old pit bull to sleep.

“This dog never bit anyone,” said Kate Riviello, president of No Kill New York. “I understand the council’s frustration, but to deem a dog dangerous when there wasn’t a bite is very extreme.”

The council voted 6-1 Monday with Jeremy Carolan dissenting to euthanize the dog during a dangerous dog appeal put forward by Sofia Smith, Rock’s owner.

Riviello hopes to find Rock a different home through an in-state rescue shelter and work with Smith to get the dog out of the pound. Her plans include neutering the dog, and she has already reached out to several Minnesota-based programs recommended by the Mower County Humane Society.

Riviello has rescued dogs from euthanization before and is working on several similar cases, including one for a dog named Leah in West Virginia. She is also seeking to get a white German Shepherd adopted out from the city of Austin’s pound.

Yet city officials may be wary of Riviello, who has drawn controversy in the past for her passion. In addition, city officials may not be willing to allow Rock on the street.

“I’m sure this lady has good intentions, but at the same time this isn’t something we may want to get involved with,” Mayor Tom Stiehm said.

There’s no easy way out for Rock. The dog has repeatedly attacked or threatened residents in northwest Austin since 2013. He reportedly jumped on a man walking near the 600 block of Sixth Avenue on July 1 and tried to bite him, according to police reports.

Before that, Rock twice attacked mail carriers in 2013 and 2014, and allegedly ran after a father and his 6-year-old daughter walking to Sumner Elementary School in last December. The dog allegedly grabbed onto the student’s backpack before the father scared him away.

In the other incidents, mail carriers had to swing their bags or use mace to get Rock to leave them alone. In one incident, Rock grabbed the mail carrier’s bag and wouldn’t let go.

Smith acknowledged Rock’s attacks were her fault as an owner during the appeal and begged the council to let her get the animal neutered and fenced in her property, among other things. Yet the council voted to euthanize the dog after they chastised Smith for not taking care of the dog before his attacks.

“He doesn’t know that he’s as big as he is and scary,” she told the council.

Smith has also looked into potential new homes for Rock. She said Wednesday she looked into donating the dog to Pitbulls for Parolees, an organization that matches dogs with former criminals in need, and had planned to get Rock neutered earlier this month before his latest attack happened.

Regardless, Rock won’t be euthanized any time soon. The council must finalize its decision at the Aug. 3 public meeting before Rock could be put to sleep.

It could be difficult to sway the council, however.

“I’d be a little leery, just because the dog’s got on record for aggressive contacts with humans,” Council member Steve King said. “The dog’s got some pretty clear history that I’d be concerned about.”

Riviello hopes to persuade the council to re-examine its findings and get the dog to a no-kill shelter or, better yet, a new home.

“It should be a learning experience for the council, to know that people like us exist that they can reach out and feel that the life of that dog is important,” she said. “ That’s kind of getting lost in the shuffle there.”