Quincy attorney Valerie Janard said she recently lost the tip of one of her fingers after being attacked by a “vicious dog” on North Love Street.
The 81-year-old attorney said she enjoys walking around the neighborhood, and downtown Quincy, and takes a walk almost everyday.
Janard said on April 13, the day the incident occurred, she was headed southbound on North Love Street when she said as she passed a house located at 111 North Love Street, she noticed a dog in the yard.
Janard said the dog suddenly attacked her, biting her several times. She also said the dog was on a leash, but the leash was too long.
According to a Quincy Police Department report, Janard suffered a 1-inch bite to the back of her left upper thigh, and her left pinky was completely severed at the top joint.
The report states Janard was transported to Tallahassee Memorial Hospital by Gadsden Emergency Medical Services.
The responding officer stated that he made contact with the homeowner. The report says the following occurred: The homeowner said she placed the dog outside on a leash and went back in the house.
The homeowner said she ran outside of her house when she heard loud screaming.
The homeowner also said once she arrived outside, she saw the dog attacking Janard. She said she was able to get to cease its attack and take it inside the home.
The homeowner said the dog belonged to her son.
The responding officer also made contact with the dog’s owner. The dog’s owner described the dog, and said it was mixed doston, yorkie and pitbull.
The dog’s owner said the dog weighed approximately 40-45 pounds.
According to Chapter 767,04, Florida Statute, the owner of any dog that bites any person while such person is on or in a public place, or lawfully on or in a private place, including the property of the owner of the dog, is liable for damages suffered by persons bitten, regardless of the former viciousness of the dog or the owners’ knowledge of such viciousness.
The statute also states that any negligence on the part of the person bitten that is a proximate cause of the biting incident reduces the liability of the owner of the dog by the percentage that the bitten person’s negligence contributed to the biting incident.
Janard indicated that she does plan to sue.
Wade Hare, who is the supervisor of animal control, said he picked the dog up on the day of the incident, and the dog has been in animal control’s custody since then.
Wade said the dog is scheduled to be euthanized at the owner’s request.
According the Gadsden County Code of Ordinances Sec. 10-60, “Any animal classified as vicious according to the definition in this article shall be, at the time of being so classified, either confined permanently to the owner’s premises; or humanely destroyed at
the discretion of the director of animal control.”
The Code of Ordinances describes “vicious animals” as any animal which has bitten or scratched a human or other animal without provocation two or more times within a 12-month period of time, or any animal which has attacked a human or other animal with provocation, causing serious bodily injury to that human or animal.
Janard say she wants to bring awareness to the community, in hopes that it will encourage people to make sure their animals are secured.
“If the owner hadn’t gotten down there, I don’t know what might have happened,” Janard said.
Erin Hill is the editor of The Gadsden County Times, a member of the Gadsden County News Service.
