SOUTH FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — The parents of two children attacked by roaming dogs filed a lawsuit last week in Fulton County Magistrate court seeking reimbursement for $125,000 in medical expenses for injuries to their children.
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“Our children were just innocently playing in our back yard, and they were essentially hunted down, by these loose dogs.” said their mother, Jesse Asmundson.
The family lives on a five-acre farm in Palmetto, in South Fulton County.
Two days before Christmas, two large German shepherd dogs escaped through a fence in a neighbor’s yard and viciously attacked the children in the woods of their property.
The dogs first went after 8-year-old Zeke. He escaped and ran to the house to get his father to help rescue his older sister Sadie, 10, as the dogs jumped on her.
“She was laying on the ground and tried to get up. These two dogs jumped on her and knocked her down. And I freaked out and started yelling and screaming to get them away,” said her father, Sean Asmundson.
He said she was covered in blood and her clothes were torn when he picked her up. He said one wound was deep enough that he could see the bone.
“She kept asking me four or five times whether she was going to die. It was a really tough moment. I told her, ‘Not with me here,’” the dad said.
The little girl’s injuries were so critical, paramedics called for an air ambulance to fly her to a hospital. She had surgery to repair damaged muscles, and skin tissue.
“She had scratch marks all over her body, multiple wounds on her legs and on her side. The big severe one was her entire tricep, which was ripped wide open.” said Sean Asmundson.
The dogs were euthanized following the attack. The dogs’ owner, Jose Morales-Munoz, pleaded guilty to charges stemming from the attack and apologized to the family.
“He put his hand on my shoulder and looked me in the eye and told me how sorry he was that this happened, and that he was torn up inside knowing his dogs would do this to a child.” said Jesse Asmundson.
The couple say the dogs had a reputation of aggression and getting out of their fenced enclosure.
They say while the appreciate the owner’s apology, they face over $125,000 in medical bills related to the care of their daughter and son.
Last week, they filed a lawsuit against the owner, seeking reimbursement of medical expenses and other damages.
“This is really a clear case of liability. The only issue for the jury, is what has been taken from this family and how much money should be awarded for what was taken.” said attorney David Zagoria.
The parents say their daughter still has severe scars from the attack and has recurring trauma but is improving and working to get back to a normal life.
Her mother also says she had a profound spiritual experience in the woods during the attack and after.
“We were in the hospital and she said, ‘You know I heard God when I was back there in the woods,” said Jesse Asmundson. “‘I just heard him say everything was going to be OK, that daddy was coming back to save me. She also knew there were angels back there.
“She said, ‘Mom, this is kind of the worst day of my life, but I feel like God gave this to me as a gift, and that someday, this will be one of the best things that’s ever happened to me.’”
An attorney for Morales-Munoz released a statement on his behalf.
“He is making every effort to resolve and settle the civil case through his insurance company. He feels terrible this incident occurred and that any children were harmed in anyway. Both dogs were immediately surrendered after this incident by him and were euthanized,” said attorney Maren Cave.
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