FedEx employee loses appeal against dog

BELLEVILLE (AP) — A dog named Edie has been exonerated.

The Michigan appeals court has reversed a lower court and ruled in favor of Edie’s owner in a lawsuit filed by a FedEx employee who was injured at a Belleville-area home.

A Wayne County judge said a jury should sort out the facts and responsibility for Suzanne Smith’s injuries in 2012. But the appeals court this week says Edie never even reached Smith — the dog was restrained by a 25-foot cable.

There’s no dispute that Edie liked to bark. Smith, who described the dog as “vicious,” was startled. She fell and injured herself as she quickly back-pedaled down the driveway.

Edie lived only a few more months. Her owner, Fred Conroy, had to put her down due to health problems.