City Sues Dog Owner, Wants Reimbursement for Dog-Bite Comp Costs

Tuesday, June 4, 2019 | 1198 | 0 | 3 min read

The City of Arlington is seeking more than $12,000 from a dog owner to cover the cost of workers' compensation benefits for a police officer who was bitten on the job.

The city filed a lawsuit in Tarrant County Court last week, claiming negligence by the dog owner, according to local news report.

Officer Trenton Fite was responding to a call in June 2017 that a pit bull was loose in a neighborhood and had become aggressive. As soon as the officer arrived, the dog bit him on the leg, causing Fite to turn away and twist his knee. The officer later filed for workers' compensation for his injuries, the newspaper reported.

Arlington argues in the complaint that the owner of the dog, Vickie Schow, should have kept the animal under restraint and should pay the $12,012 for the comp claim, plus attorneys' fees and other costs.

“As a proximate result of defendant’s negligence, it was necessary for plaintiff, a self-insured subdivision who paid workers’ compensation benefits, to bring this lawsuit in order to recover damages,” Arlington’s lawyer, Timothy White, wrote in the lawsuit.