Dec 15th, 2021
Paulozzi Joseph

The Sunday before Thanksgiving in Toledo, witnesses saw Shawn Lothery, a 53-year-old, being attacked by a pack of dogs. One of these witnesses, Robert Andrews, was driving by, saw the attack, and jumped out of his car to help. As he tried to free Lothery from the jaws of the vicious dogs, the pack attacked him.  

Surviving a dog attack is a traumatic experience. Often a victim is left with physical pain, mental anguish, and medical expenses. The Cleveland dog attack lawyers at Paulozzi LPA Injury Lawyers are ready to defend the rights of dog attack victims and fight for the compensation needed to recover.

A Tragic Case of Negligence

When officers from the Toledo Police Department (TPD) responded to the dog attack, they found Shawn Lothery being mauled underneath three relentless pit bulls. A few of the dogs had already run away after Robert Andrews intervened in the attack and found himself bitten. 

“I see a guy yelling. It was just dogged biting him, maybe five or six of them,” says Andrews. “I wasn’t thinking about me at the time, I just thought whoever is under there doesn’t want to be under those dogs.”

The police report indicates that both dog owners, Julie Moody (44) and John Miller (50), had tried to stop the attacking dogs but failed. 

“The dogs didn’t have a leash, no muzzle. How would you stop them? You can’t,” says Andrew. “I got all kinds of painful bite marks on me.”

When Toledo police officers arrived on the scene, they were forced to shoot and kill the three remaining pit bulls to end the attack. 

The Hard Truth of Dog Bite Statistics

In 2020, the American Humane Association analyzed dog attack data over a 16-year period. The findings paint a stark truth about certain types of dogs, specifically pit bulls. 

This data illustrates a history, ranging from small bites to hospitalized victims to lethal attacks. A few of these startling statistics include:

  • Dogs killed 568 Americans during this 16-year period, from 2005 to 2020. Pit bulls killed 380 victims, and rottweilers killed 51, a combined 76% (431) of dog-bite fatalities. Of the remaining 137 fatal dog attacks, 37 different dog breeds were involved.
  • In 2020, 46 dog bite-related fatalities occurred in the United States. Pit bulls were responsible for 72% (33) of these deaths. Pit bulls make up about 6.2% of the total U.S. dog population.
  • Medical professionals care for approximately 800,000 dog attacks annually, and an estimated 4.7 million dog bites occur each year in the United States.

When should I contact a lawyer?

It is the responsibility of dog owners to maintain safe environments and prevent attacks from happening. Unfortunately, dog owners do not. The negligence of dog owners often yields the same results—accidents and injuries. Any degree of an animal attack, both big and small, does harm to the victims.  

If you or a loved one has been injured by a dog attack, you may be eligible for compensation. The Cleveland dog bite attorneys at Paulozzi LPA Injury Lawyers can investigate your claim and put our skills and experience to work fighting for your rights. Contact us for a free consultation by clicking here or calling us at 888-710-0040.

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