Two dogs ‘catastrophically’ maul college student hired to walk them, Texas lawsuit says
A 22-year-old Texas college student who works as a dog sitter and walker for extra money while in school is suing the owners of multiple dogs following what she described as a violent animal attack.
“Jacqueline Durand loves dogs ... but Jacqueline never expected that her love of dogs would cost her so much,” the lawsuit obtained by McClatchy News says.
In the lawsuit filed by Brooker Law, her legal team says she was hired by a couple in Coppell to walk their dogs, including two mix-breeds. But when she showed up at their home on Dec. 23, 2021, she was attacked “in a bloodthirsty frenzy.” This was the first time she was to care for the dogs on her own.
The owners of the dogs did not immediately respond to a request for comment from McClatchy News. Brooker Law says it filed the lawsuit in Dallas County on Tuesday, Jan. 25.
“As soon as Jacqueline opened the front door — without provocation — the Dogs, who the Bishops had left out of their kennels, pushed the door open and brutally attacked Jacqueline,” the lawsuit says. “The Dogs knocked Jacqueline off balance, causing her to fall and drop her cell phone.
“Then, the Dogs violently attacked her head and face — mauling her catastrophically,” it continues. ”The Dogs were so violent and blood thirsty that they pulled all of Jacqueline’s clothes off, including her blue jeans.”
The legal team says the dogs tore up most of her face below her eyes, including her ears, nose and lips.
“In their prolonged attack, the Dogs left puncture wounds over most of her entire body,” the lawsuit says.
A neighbor called for help, the lawsuit says, and first responders pulled the University of Texas at Dallas student from the home and took her to a Level 1 trauma center, “where she has since undergone multiple surgeries with many more to come.”
The lawsuit says the owners of the dogs continue to defend their pets despite the “vicious attack and mauling.”
“However, an ominous sign on the Bishops’ front door shows that they actually knew or reasonably should have known of the Dogs’ dangerous propensities,” according to the lawsuit.
The sign reads: “Crazy Dogs. Please Don’t Knock or Ring the Bell. Call or Text Instead. Please leave packages by the door,” according to a photo shown in the lawsuit.
Durand’s attorneys say that she met with the owners prior to the mauling to discuss the dog-sitting job and meet their pets. Other than the “Crazy Dogs” sign, the lawsuit says Durand was not given any warnings regarding the dogs being dangerous.
One of the owners did say that her family puts the dogs in kennels when they are not home, according to the lawsuit.
But before Durand went to walk the dogs for the first time, she received a text from one of the owners saying that they left the dogs outside the kennels.
Durand and her team are suing on the grounds of negligence, arguing that the owners failed to use “ordinary care and prudence,” including warning Durand of possible danger, not kenneling the dogs, failing to control and train the dogs, and not providing a safe environment.
Durand is seeking more than $1 million but specifically seeks damages that the jury deems fair to cover physical pain, mental anguish, loss of earning capacity, disfigurement, physical impairment, medical care expenses and other compensatory damages.
Coppell is a suburb in the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area.
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