Atlantic City, NJ Santa Suffers Animal Attack
It was a routine picture session at an Atlantic City, New Jersey fundraiser to benefit a pet charity, until the Santa who was the star attraction of the photo session, was bitten by a large cat in an animal attack at the venue. The incident occurred at an Atlantic City PetsMart store where Jonathan Bebbington who was playing Santa for the day, was posing for photos with pets in an effort to raise funds for the Penny Angel's Beagle Rescue.
According to witnesses, a woman walked into the store with an extra large cat that not everybody instantly recognized as a bobcat. The animal was already antsy, what with all the pet dogs who had gathered with their owners for their photo shoot, and when it was placed on Santa's lap for the photo session, it bit his hand and wrist ferociously. Bebbington suffered a number of wounds that actually bled. As he said later, the cat had a vicious and strong bite, and if it had been a little child or baby instead of him, he or she could have ended up with a severed hand.
The woman who owned the exotic pet, apparently, walked away from the store after the incident, claiming that she had a license to keep the cat, and it had been through all its vaccinations. She didn't leave her name and address, and Bebbington is worried about the vaccination status of the cat. If he doesn't get in touch with her soon, he will have no choice, but to go ahead and receive painful rabies shots for the wounds.
PetsMart meanwhile, has stepped in to take care of his medical bills. Bebbington is no stranger to handling exotic animals for photo shoots. In his years of playing Santa, he says, he has posed with snakes, horses and a range of other animals, and never been attacked like this.
Liability in an Animal Attack
It's extremely fortunate that this animal attack incident was focused around an adult who has some experience handling animals. Bobcats can grow up to 50 pounds, and can pack a big punch in their jaws. The possibilities of what could have happened if the bobcat had panicked at the sight of all the people in the store and run amok, does not bear thinking of. With other people, including children in the vicinity, there was definitely a possibility for more injuries to result from this incident. The woman who owned the cat, apparently told people at the store before she left that she kept the cat on a dog lead in her yard, tethered for safety. How negligent is it to bring an animal that's normally leashed at home, to a public place with children around, and how irresponsible that she should leave without even asking if she could pay for Beddington's medical bills caused by her pet?
Building an Animal Attack Lawsuit
Fatalities and injuries from animal attacks are more common than we'd like. When a person is attacked by an animal, and suffers injuries, he can claim compensation from the owner of the pet, for his pain, suffering and physical disfigurement. Establishing liability in an animal attack case, whether it's a dog bite or a cat attack, can be difficult, and requires the experienced counsel of an experienced animal attack attorney. Contact a New Jersey animal attack lawyer for a free consultation and evaluation of your case.
