Norwich — Dolly bounded up the narrow pathway and romped and rolled in the thick pine needles in the fenced play yard at the Norwich dog pound Friday, not knowing this rare treat was just a preview of her new life to come.

Dolly’s death row sentence officially was commuted Friday after the pit bull had spent seven of her eight years at the Norwich dog pound under a dog destruction order. Dolly and her mother, Skyler, had been seized following a vicious attack on a grandmother and her three young grandchildren on Talman Street. Former dog owner Sheri Speer fought the order through numerous appeals in state courts, and Skyler was euthanized last summer after being diagnosed with cancer.

Speer agreed to withdraw her court appeal and relinquish ownership claims on Dec. 1 under an agreement that Dolly would be released into the custody of the Chicothello Sanctuary in East Haddam permanently, with no adoption option.

Chris Lamb of Mystic, president of CT Animal House, a nonprofit that works with municipal animal control offices throughout the state, helped broker the deal between Speer and her attorney, animal rights specialist Thompson Page, and the city and state attorneys.

On Friday, Lamb pulled her Ford Transit cargo van into the parking lot at the Norwich dog pound in Mohegan Park, the car stuffed with dog food, treats, toys and blankets for Dolly.

Romer Young of Norwich has been a volunteer at the pound for the past five years and had become best friends with the two impounded pit bulls. While under a limited contact order at the pound, Dolly, mostly gray with a white chest and white toes, had craved human attention, Young said.

“She literally would rather get petted than have a treat,” Young said. “She will drop the treat and come over to you.”

Lamb brought a new purple harness for Dolly’s departure, but she and Young had to squeeze the dog’s flabby chest into the harness. Dolly had weighed about 76 pounds in September but then underwent surgery to remove her infected uterus — a common problem in older female dogs not spayed, said Norwich Police Officer Carl Bourne, acting animal control officer.

Dolly has gained weight since then and had few chances to run it off in the play yard.

“They’re big babies,” Young said, “both her and Skyler.”

Despite her history and isolation, Dolly had “followers,” Young said. Visitors to Mohegan Park often walked past the dog pound and greeted Dolly. Young said several regulars have told her they “visited” Dolly from outside the Plexiglas kennel runs every week.

Lamb wanted Dolly to have a good romp in the play yard before the long car ride Friday, and Dolly was happy to accommodate. She darted among the trees and in between the people, burying her snout in the thick pine needles and leaves, at times coming up sneezing. She rolled and crawled as if she were swimming along the ground, a move Young tried to discourage as Dolly tends to scratch and irritate her nipples with this habit.

Lamb said she had been working toward this happy ending for Dolly’s confinement for the past year, as Speer’s appeals worked through the court. The deal came together shortly after the elder dog, Skyler died in August.

The six-page agreement called for Speer, who has denied the 2013 dog attack allegations, to relinquish ownership claims, withdraw her court appeal and drop “any and all” claims against the city and its current and past employees regarding the dogs. Both Speer and sanctuary owner Mary K. O’Sullivan agreed to hold the city harmless in any potential costs, issues, incidents or damage pertaining to the dog.

Lamb said the Chicothello Sanctuary keeps a very secretive profile, listing only its East Haddam post office box address. She described the sanctuary as “a beautiful property” and said the owner handles many difficult animal placements.

CT Animal House has no physical shelter but works with foster homes to help find homes for difficult-to-place dogs throughout the state, including many dogs with medical conditions or elderly dogs. The group recently helped Norwich place a distrustful German shepherd with a New England German shepherd rescue group after its beloved owner had died, Lamb said.

Volunteers and staff at the Norwich dog pound plan to donate to Chicothello Sanctuary for Dolly’s care, and someone dropped off a large beef knuckle bone Dolly tried to sample in the car even before leaving for her new home.

“I’m gonna kiss you, bye,” Young said as Dolly was about to be loaded and strapped into a back-seat harness in Lamb’s car.

“OK, you ready?” Lamb asked Dolly. “Say ‘thanks, everybody!’”

Lamb turned to Bourne and Young. “I can’t believe this,” she said. “Yay!”

“Yes,” Young responded. “Yay! Congratulations! You did it!”

Lamb opened the window and turned the car so Dolly could look out the window one last time at her caretakers and her confinement quarters.

“A happy, sad day,” Young said. “I’m going to miss her.”

c.bessette@theday.com