On December 23, 2021, the day before Christmas Eve and the day before her 22nd birthday, Jaqueline Durand was viciously mauled by two dogs. As reported by Today News, the Texas college student was scheduled to walk these dogs and had been given the key to the front door by the owners. She had previously met the dogs and the owners without incident. However, the owners had failed to mention that the animals in question had violent reactions to anyone who approached the front door. NBC News reported that the owners had a sign indicating their awareness of the danger, “The lawsuit cited a sign by the Bishops’ home entrance that read: “Crazy Dogs. Please Don’t Knock or Ring the Bell. Call or Text Instead.” The sign also urged visitors to leave packages by the door, according to the lawsuit” (2022). According to the lawsuit filed by Durand’s attorney she was attacked immediately upon opening the front door. The mauling was so violent that Jaqueline lost both of her ears and her lips, as well as most of her face below her eyes. The neighbor who rescued Jaqueline and called 911 was also bitten twice as detailed by the Lawsuit. Jaqueline was rushed to the hospital and was immediately placed in an induced coma which she did not come out of until January 5th. She has undergone eight surgeries since then, with a ninth scheduled to replace her lower eyelids. In an interview with Jaqueline’s father conducted by Today News, he said she was unable to speak to them at first due to the extent of her injuries, requiring her to communicate with sign language which she had previously learned while working with disabled and deaf children. 

A study conducted by the CDC found that roughly 4.5 million people are bitten every year in the United States. The Census Bureau reported roughly 330 million people are currently living in the United States, meaning that approximately 1 in 72 people is bitten by dogs every year. If you or someone you love has been injured by a dog attack in Texas, you may be wondering whether or not you have a case. An appellate court in Texas in 2013, determined that in order to claim negligence, the plaintiff would need to prove two things: First, that the defendant owned an animal with dangerous propensities abnormal to its class, and second those propensities caused his injuries. In order to know for sure whether or not you have a claim, you would need to speak to a legal expert.

Have you been Injured or Hospitalized by a dog attack?