The Sleeping Beauty Castle is seen at Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif., Friday, April 30, 2021. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
An 81-year-old Nevada man is suing Disneyland in California after he said a security dog bit him for no reason, according to a lawsuit.
Paul Perez was at the entrance of the park in May 2022 when he came across a security dog and its handler.
“The handler caused the dog to abruptly step directly in front of and very close to Plaintiff, who was afraid he was going to step on or fall over the dog,” said the lawsuit, filed Aug. 2 by San Diego attorney Ian Pancer. “Indeed, as the dog stepped directly in front of Plaintiff, he was unable to stop before his body made contact with the dog. The dog then attacked Plaintiff, biting him in the stomach, causing a physical wound, pain, suffering, emotional distress, and to incur the cost of medical treatment.”
A photo of his wound shared with the Orange County Register shows a large gash on the left side of his stomach surrounded by extensive bruising.
The lawsuit, which was filed in Orange County Superior Court of California, argues Disney was negligent in selecting the dog and its handler to patrol the Anaheim park.
Pancer told the Orange County Register that Perez was there with his wife, daughter and two granddaughters at the time of the incident. His daughter took Perez to the hospital where he was treated with antibiotics and released.
“He’s just this older guy on the way to Disneyland with his family to enjoy the day,” Pancer told the Register. “You can imagine it’s pretty traumatic for the guy to have been attacked by a dog.”
The attorney said he hoped to settle with Disney without filing a lawsuit but “they haven’t offered him a penny.”
According to Disney, the dogs and their handlers patrol the entrance gates to the park.
Read the lawsuit, below.
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