A lawsuit is proving to city officials that while a dog may be man's best friend, it isn't always a city's best friend.
A Doberman bit a boy, and the boy's family is suing the city. The suit says city officials didn't tell the boy the true nature of the dog, which had been at the pound.In late August 1988, Derrell Johnson saw an advertisement in the newspaper for a free Doberman. Cross Marine Services, which is also named in the suit, had bought the animal as a guard dog. But, apparently, it wasn't very aggressive in its approach.
Company officials told the Johnsons that the animal would probably "look a burglar to death," the suit claims.
Cross Marine had taken the dog to the pound. There, animal control officers told Johnson and his mother that the dog had caused them no trouble. Johnson took the animal home on Sept. 1, 1988.
When Johnson brought the dog home, he went to get a chain to put on the animal while his mother had the dog do various tricks.
The suit says Johnson jumped a fence carrying the chain, and the dog snarled, attacked and bit him in the face.
The suit, which was filed Aug. 22 in 4th District Court, asks for damages to be determined by the court.
City Attorney Paul Johnson said Orem plans to vigorously fight the suit.