GALVESTON - A Texas City woman has filed a lawsuit on behalf of a child who was allegedly assaulted by a dog while playing at a friend's house.
Mandy Johnson's suit, filed Aug. 12 in Galveston County Court at Law No. 1, claims the canine in question belonged to Timothy Christian, also of Texas City.
The suit shows that Kendall Johnson was playing with Christian's daughter in the defendant's front yard on Oct. 25, 2011, when the attack occurred.
According to the original petition, Christian's dog was let out of his owner's residence and ran straight toward the young boy, primarily attacking his groin area.
"When he began screaming, the dog jumped up and bit his face and mouth, ripping out teeth," the suit says.
Christian is blamed for failing to properly handle "this dangerous animal," which the suit asserts had previously attacked other children and was reported to animal control before.
"As a result of the incident, the dog was again reported to animal control, quarantined and deemed dangerous by the Regulatory Authority for the city of Texas City," it says.
Christian is additionally faulted for:
- Failing to properly restrain, secure and supervise the dog;
- Failing to restrain the dog in the appropriate manner;
- Failing to advise the plaintiff of the vicious disposition of the dog;
- Failing to fully advise the plaintiff of the dog's past behavior;
- Failing to take appropriate steps to protect the plaintiff from the dog; and
- Failing to exercise reasonable care in preventing the dog from injuring plaintiff.
Consequently, the complainant seeks unspecified monetary damages and a jury trial.
She is represented by attorney Darrell A. Apffel of Bettison, Doyle, Apffel & Guarino, P.C. of League City.
Galveston County Court-at-Law No. 1 Judge John Grady is presiding over the litigation.
Cause No. 70,465