Father, son to pay $223K for dog attack

MONTREAL • A father and his adult son from the Abitibi region have been ordered to pay more than $223,000 to a young woman who was attacked by their three pit bulls in May 2011.

Mégan Dubé was 12 at the time of the attack outside her family’s home in La Sarre, about 700 kilometres northwest of Montreal.

One bite was so severe she could see the bone of her knee.

In a civil suit, Quebec Superior Court Judge Robert Dufresne determined Guy Morneau and his son Sébastien, 34, were to blame for Dubé’s nightmare.

In testimony, Morneau and his son said the dogs were Sébastien’s responsibility alone. In 2014, he pleaded guilty to four counts of criminal negligence causing injury. (Three neighbours were bitten when they came to her aid.)

Sébastien Morneau recently completed a 30-month prison term as part of a sentence that was combined with another after he pleaded guilty to operating two marijuana growoperations.

Guy Morneau’s insurance company claimed that because the dogs fell under the adult son’s responsibility, their actions were not covered by the father’s insurance.

However, the judge disagreed and ordered the father, son and insurance company to pay Dubé and her parents more than $223,000.

Dubé was attacked while heading home to prepare for a trip to a gymnastics competition in Quebec City.

The dogs blocked her path and began to growl.

A passing motorist saw what was unfolding and tried to position her car for the girl to jump in. But it was too late — two of the pit bulls bit into Dubé’s legs.

A neighbour, Robert Brown, rushed to swat the two dogs with a broom, but was attacked by the third.

Dubé tried to get to the woman’s car but one of the dog’s resumed its attack, biting her arm and chest.

She finally managed to get into the car; by then, Brown was inside the vehicle as well.

One of his calves was ripped, and he was covered in blood.

Police arrived and shot two dogs dead. The third was found days later and was euthanized.

Dubé had to undergo emergency surgery and was hospitalized for days. She finished her school year on crutches.

The dog bites left her with scars on her right arm, stomach, both legs and other parts of her body.

Dufresne noted that, because of the scars, she “has never shown her legs in public since the attack.”

The judge also took into account the psychological toll. For a long time, Dubé was unable to leave her home without someone by her side, he wrote.

Some of the $223,000 is to go to her parents, who were left emotionally scarred by what happened to their daughter.