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Victim Of Dog Attack Sues Former Owner
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
Zeus is seen after being seized by Sarasota County animal control officials. He was later euthanized.
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Published: July 31, 2008
SARASOTA COUNTY - A Verizon technician has filed a lawsuit against the former owner of Zeus, a 90-pound German shepherd that attacked him during a 2007 service call to a Nokomis house.
The attack garnered attention from dog lovers across the region who fought a judge's order to kill Zeus rather than sent the dog home to its owner, a disabled veteran fighting cancer who used the dog to keep his spirits up.
Zeus has since been killed for more aggressive behavior. The veteran, Gilbert Otero, died of cancer. But William Flick says the attack has left him with ongoing medical expenses and a decreased ability to work.
The lawsuit states that Otero's wife, Ana Otero, is liable for the damages her dog caused because she did not control or restrain Zeus during the attack.
It also says Ana Otero was negligent for "owning a dog that had been abused" and that "she was unable to control" the dog, and "for not properly training Zeus."
Flick, 25, was treated for multiple bites at Venice Regional Medical Center after the unprovoked attack, which happened in the Oteros' front yard.
The attack from Zeus was swift: a bite to the Verizon technician's groin, then knee, back, chest, elbow and ankle. The debate over what to do with Zeus dragged on.
Flick did not speak publicy about the attack, only saying he did not ask for the dog to be destroyed. A judge eventually reversed the order to kill Zeus, instead opting to put it on the dangerous dog list and sending him back to the Oteros.
Ana Otero, who called Zeus "her baby" and promised him home cooking after his stay in the Sarasota County animal control shelter, could not be reached for comment on the lawsuit.
She gave the dog up for adoption. His new owners determined he was too aggressive to be around people and had him put to death in a Tennessee veterinary clinic on March 3.
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