DALLAS – A Dallas college student was working as a part-time dog walker to earn some extra cash until a recent dog attack left her permanently disfigured, a civil lawsuit alleges.
Jacqueline Durand, 22, went to a home alone on Dec. 23 to walk a family’s two dogs -- a German Shepherd mix-breed and a Pit Bull mix-breed, according to the lawsuit, which was filed Tuesday with Brooker Law in Dallas.
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However, as soon as she opened the front door, the dogs were already out of their kennels and allegedly pushed the door open and attacked her.
The lawsuit alleges the dogs knocked Durand off balance, causing her to fall and drop her cellphone, before they “violently” attacked her head and face.
The dogs allegedly ate Durand’s ears and “most of her face below her eyes,” the lawsuit states, adding that the attack left puncture wounds over most of her body.
A neighbor notified authorities of the incident, and Durand was removed from the home before being taken to a Level 1 trauma center, where she underwent several surgeries, the lawsuit states, and she has even more surgeries to come.
The lawsuit accuses the dogs’ owners, Ashley Jo Bishop and Dr. Justin Avery Bishop, of negligence and premise liability. The pair was also named as defendants in their capacities as trustees in the Bishop Family Trust, according to the lawsuit.
Before the attack, Durand attended the University of Texas at Dallas as a full-time student. She is seeking a jury trial and more than $1 million in damages.