Huntington Beach, CA – John Doe, 46, was enjoying drinks in his friend’s living room last February when he was viciously attacked by the family’s pit bull.
The owner of the pitbull, M. Harry, had stepped into the garage to grab more refreshments for his company. While he was outside, his dog, Blue, became aggressive without provocation.
As Doe reached for his drink, Blue jumped up and bit him in the face, tearing open his lip. Doe thought it was just a scratch, until he looked in the mirror and saw “a chuck of his upper lip was completely missing.” He recalls, “The blood just wasn’t stopping.”
Doe was taken to UCI Medical Center, where he had to undergo emergency lip reconstruction surgery. Doe required 100 stitches to his face in order to close the gaping wound. His medical bills amounted to nearly $100,000.
Harry tried to claim the bite was an accident, but an investigation confirmed the bite was intentional. According to Orange County Animal Care, Blue was declared a “Vicious Dog,” and multiple restrictions were imposed. Blue was required to wear a short leash and a muzzle in public at all times for safety measures.
Months later, Harry appealed the decision claiming the face bite was accidental and that Blue was otherwise a safe dog.
OC Animal Care reversed the decision, and removed Blue’s designation as a vicious dog. Unfortunately, this decision led to another an even more traumatic attack.
In June 2015, Harry was walking Blue in his condominium complex at the same time resident V. Nguyen was returning from a walk. As Nguyen passed by Blue, he lunged forward and tore a part of her arm off, sending her to the hospital in an ambulance. Nguyen was 9-months pregnant. Her injuries were such that doctors decided to induce labor and perform a cesarean section.
This attack raised questions about OC Animal Control’s decision to remove Blue from the “Vicious Dog” list, read more here.
After the second vicious attack in six months, Harry chose to have Blue euthanized at Crossroads Animal Hospital. Blue’s body was impounded by OC Animal Care for quarantine.
Settlements for both cases are currently pending.
