Owner of Mauled Yorkie Sues Pit Bull Owner for $250,000
Pit Bull Kills YorkieNew York, NY - After a pit bull named Spike mauled a Yorkie to death, the terrier's owner is seeking a quarter million dollars in compensation. Sandy Lee is suing Spike's owner after her beloved 3-pound dog, Dior, was torn up back in April. "The pit bull was huge and you could see the intensity in its eyes," Lee said. "It was coming for a kill."
The attack happened when Spike broke free from his leash and pounced on the little dog. The attack left Dior with multiple skull fractures and puncture wounds to the neck while Lee, 33, suffered bites to her hand and arm. She said, "The pit bull just grabbed Dior by the neck and didn't let go until it killed him." She then filed a suit against Spike's owner, Sommer Marcy.
The suit charges that the owner should have known that the dog is "ferocious, vicious, and accustomed to attacking and biting mankind." The suit also targets the woman who was walking Spike for not muzzling him or keeping him on a "proper leash." Lee's lawyer, Mark Bastian said, "The person walking the dog didn't do anything as my client and her dog were getting mauled."
Note the charge: "accustomed to attacking and biting mankind."
Bastian added that Spike was returned to Marcy 10 days after the attack. The city Health Department could not confirm the incident. Lee, a Manhattan executive, had named Dior after Christian Dior, her favorite designer. "Dior was my companion, my roommate and my baby," she said. "I can't express how much it hurts to have witnessed this and to be able to do nothing about it."
The suit seeks $250,000 in damages, and Lee has pledged to donate the money she may earn from the case to a Long Island animal rescue center. She also hopes the suit encourages owners of larger dogs to be more cautious in the presence of smaller pets. "I want justice," Lee said. "I'm fighting for the little ones, like Dior, who can't fight for themselves."
Civil lawsuits continue to grow fatter in cases of dog attacks on pets. But why aren't pit bull and other "animal aggressive" dog owners charged with animal cruelty after their dog kills another animal? Dior suffered a violent death to a dog selectively bred for animal aggression; a behavior far different than predation.Related articles:08/25/08:
Man Saves Dog Attacked by Pit Bull Exiting Groomer07/20/08:
Pit Bulls Continue to Maul Pets at Alarming Rate06/15/08:
Human Legal Issues Overlap with Animal Legal Issues
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