A man says he was attacked trying to adopt a shelter dog in Columbia. Now, he’s suing the city
A man alleges he was attacked and bitten by a pit bull at the Columbia animal shelter while attempting to adopt a dog from the shelter, and he is now seeking damages from the city, according to a lawsuit filed last Wednesday.
David Cantey says he went to the animal shelter in July hoping to adopt a dog but left mangled.
Cantey and his cousin visited the shelter around noon on July 21. Cantey was let unsupervised into a room with a pit bull at the shelter and told he could take the dog for a walk, according to Cantey’s legal complaint.
After walking the dog, Cantey claims he was again led into a room with the dog without supervision and told to re-kennel the animal, then the dog “viciously attacked” him, according to the complaint.
Cantey was bit on the arm and hand, which was “mangled” and the thumb nearly removed, the complaint adds.
The dog had also not been vaccinated at the time of the attack, according to the complaint.
Cantey is suing the city, which oversees Columbia Animal Services, for negligence and is asking for an unspecified amount of money for damages. He’s being represented by local attorneys Brendan Green and James Ervin.
Cantey claims the city should not have let him handle a dangerous dog without supervision and an employee should have put the dog back into its kennel. He also asserts that the city should have warned him that the dog may be dangerous.
Cantey says he has suffered bodily injury, as well as mental and emotional distress, adding that he has spent money on medical services, lost wages and now has a permanent disability.
“We obviously think it’s a very strong case,” Green said.
Cantey had to undergo surgeries, almost lost his thumb, suffered an infection and underwent a handful of other procedures because of the dog bites, Green said.
It can take 1-2 years for a case to go through circuit court, but Ervin said they may also accept a settlement agreement or other form of mediation “if (the city) is willing to take responsibility and help this guy out.”
Ervin added that another goal of the case is to hopefully get the city to improve its procedures for when people interact with shelter dogs at its facility.
The complaint was filed Nov. 9. The city has 30 days to respond.
When reached for further information, a Columbia spokesperson declined to comment, saying the city does not comment on pending litigation.
This story was originally published November 14, 2022 at 10:57 AM.
