Woman who claims she was bitten by German Shepherd during dog fight sues owners

Owners of German Shepherd Rocky claim the woman’s Labrador, Junior, bit her arm and was the aggressor in the dog fight

Complainant has claimed without warning the German Shepherd bit her right hand and wrist. It was claimed there was an alleged failure to provide a muzzle for the German Shepherd dog and an alleged failure to ensure there was someone who was in a position to control the dog looking after him. Picture: Collins Courts

A woman who claims she was bitten by a German Shepherd dog after she intervened to stop her Labrador dog and the German Shepherd fighting has sued in the High Court.

Marcjanna Stogowska has claimed the German Shepherd was allegedly unmuzzled as it was being walked near her home and it and her black Labrador, Junior, got in a fight.

The owners of the German Shepherd dog Rocky have denied the dog was unmuzzled and say the muzzle was ripped off in the dog fight and the German Shepherd was on a short leash. They also claim the woman’s Labrador bit her arm and was the aggressor in the dog fight.

Opening the case, Michael Byrne SC, for Ms Stogowska, told the court Junior was a very big, docile black Labrador and known in the locality and played with children. He said it was their case the German Shepherd grabbed Ms Stogowska’s wrist and pulled her away very severely.

Counsel said in the attack tendons were torn and Ms Stogowska was pouring blood. He said she had a very severe injury to the tendons in her arm and she later had to have surgery and has been left with a scar.

Marcjanna Stogowska, 41, of Lattonfasky, Castleblayney, Co Monaghan, the owner of the black Labrador dog, has sued Patrick J Hand, his wife Margaret and their daughter Shannon of Tullynahinnera, Castleblayney, Co Monaghan, the owners of the German Shepherd dog Rocky, as a result of the incident on July 1, 2019.

She has claimed without warning the German Shepherd bit her right hand and wrist. It was claimed there was an alleged failure to provide a muzzle for the German Shepherd dog and an alleged failure to ensure there was someone who was in a position to control the dog looking after him.

Ms Stogowska later had to have an operation on her arm and she had to have about 30 stitches. She was out of work for several weeks after the incident.

The Hands have denied all the claims and contend there was an alleged failure to ensure the Labrador dog was controlled with a leash and an alleged failure to ensure the dog was properly controlled at all times.

The Labrador, they say, was allowed to wander freely and to allegedly attack the other dog.

In her evidence, Ms Stogowska said after the dog bit her he pulled her two metres “like a toy”. 

“It was the German Shepherd who bit me. It was not my dog. I was face-to-face with the German Shepherd. I am sure it was the German Shepherd,” she told the court.

Cross-examined by John McDonagh SC, for the Hands, Ms Stogowska said she was 100% sure it was the German Shepherd who bit her.

Mr McDonagh put it to her in the dog fight the muzzle was ripped off with such violence, the strap on it was broken and the muzzle came off and was subsequently picked up by the Hands.

Ms Stogowska replied there was no muzzle.

Counsel put it her that Shannon Hand, who had been walking Rocky, was knocked to the ground and would say she clearly saw Ms Stogowska put her arm in to get her dog away and the Labrador bit her arm and held on to her for a couple of seconds. 

Ms Stogowska replied: “No the German Shepherd bit me. I am 100% sure it was the German Shepherd.” 

She said nobody had ever complained about her dog, but she agreed with counsel there had been a previous complaint the Labrador had attacked another dog on the road. She said there were no witnesses, and it was not her dog.

Counsel said a farmer would give evidence that a black Labrador had in 2018 followed cattle and fought a dog in his farmyard. The other dog later died from his injuries.

Ms Stogowska said she could not believe her dog could hurt other animals or people.

The case continues on Friday before Mr Justice Michael Hanna who said there was a sharp conflict of evidence in the case.