Originally Posted By AutoPost This topic is for Discussion of the headline: <a href="http://www.LaughingPlace.com/News-HID.asp?ID=30130" target="_blank"><b>Headlines: LADailyNws: Valencia attorney sues Disneyland in 2-year-old's dog attack</b></a> Lawsuit claims Disneyland cast members exposed a young girl to a dog with a history of aggression at the theme park's petting zoo.
Originally Posted By monorailblue I guess I missed something here, but Disneyland had a dog on display at the Big Thunder Ranch petting zoo? And in parades? And they just picked it up from the pound? What????? I don't go to the park like I used to, I admit it, but I cannot imagine a dog in a parade or in a petting zoo at Disneyland. Have I lost my mind? (Note: I read the news item several hours ago, so I might have my details wrong.)
Originally Posted By DyGDisney Wow! That story is unbelievable. I am amazed at the negligance shown on Disney's part. Who puts an aggressive dog on display to be pet by strangers all day? The vet wasn't even able to pet it??? It sounds like a bad, traveling circus!
Originally Posted By spaceace Something dose not sound right with this one. They move after two years then sue? The dog was used in parades and during fireworks? Sounds like someone is looking for a payday. Don't get me wrong i do feel sorry for the girl but something seems off on this one to me.
Originally Posted By doombuggy That was pretty stupid on DL's part but why did the family wait 2 years? And wouldn't have EM's been called and she taken to the hospital? If this girl was hurt as bad as they say she was I doubt they'd just slap a band aid on her and she walks out.
Originally Posted By DlandDug I have seen every parade offered at Disneyland since 1996, and cannot recall ever seeing a dog in one. Ever (Except, of course, for Pluto. And Goofy, who is a dog.) I have visited the Big Thunder Ranch petting zoo dozens of times, in virtually every form (Patch of Heaven, Santa's Reindeer Roundup, Woody's Roundup, etc.). I have never, ever seen a dog on display, or even on the premises. The ONLY real dogs I have ever seen in Disneyland are either service dogs in training or dogs (with handlers) who work with law enforcement. I wonder what Disney's response will be. Was there a dog at the Big Thunder Ranch? I certainly never saw it...
Originally Posted By gottaluvdavillains <It is atrocious what Disney did, and the public needed to be warned,"> This is fishy... If it is so atrocious why wait 2 years to even tell the public!! We always go to the little zoo and have never seen a dog there.. I would like to see picts of the dog in the petting zoo... If their are medical bills and scaring why wouldn't they have brought it up sooner - like when the medical bills were piling up... Sorry for the girl - but still seems odd that it would take this long to come out...
Originally Posted By gottaluvdavillains Another thing... The petting zoo always seems to close by dusk.. I have never seen it open during fireworks... Anyone else see it open that late?? In general most animals don't like fireworks and would be secured that late.
Originally Posted By DlandDug OK, I stand corrected. Someone on another board actually found this in their vacation photos from September, 2006. Hemmingway the dog at Big Thunder Ranch: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=158002&l=3fd6e&id=878810622" target="_blank">http://www.facebook.com/album....78810622</a>
Originally Posted By gottaluvdavillains Okay so there was a dog... Where is the news footage that there was a dog attack at DL... There was media about the boy who smashed his fingers on the storybook. I did find this.... interesting!! <a href="http://www.ehlinelaw.com/pages/3443/waterpark-amusement-park-accident.htm" target="_blank">http://www.ehlinelaw.com/pages...dent.htm</a>
Originally Posted By FerretAfros This seems extremely fishy. If there was a problem that was serious enough to cause permanent damage, I'm sure somebody would have noticed them on their way out of the park and directed them toward the first aid station. I know as a fact that the nurses at first aid keep rigorous notes about every single person they have in there, even if they're only getting a bandaid for a scratch or a glass of water for dehydration. There's that infamous case from years ago where a woman got injured on a ride and went to first aid, and then sued later saying that they messed up her cashmeire sweater, while the nurse had recorded that day what she was actually wearing. I find it very fishy that they got out of the park, let alone the whole resort, without anybody saying anything. Big Thunder Ranch has tons of CM's around, and I'm sure one of them would have seen the incident. Even from the pictures of the dog, it very clearly shows that it was on a leash with a CM the entire time, not tied up in a box like the claim says. Also, I find it very difficult to believe that they would have somebody at the ranch who doesn't have at least basic animal skills as part of their legally required training. And if this girl was as badly mauled as they make it sound, would somebody have not noticed on the way out of the park. The ranch is in the far back, and it's quite a hike to get to either the trams or the hotels on Harbor from there. I don't think I've ever been able to walk from the ranch to the entrance of Big Thunder without see at least 3 or 4 CM's. One of them between the ranch and the entrance surely would have notice a bloody little girl wandering through the park with upset looking parents. If she was injured enough to have significant medical bills (and it sounds like she was), I am certain that she would have been stopped along the way out, if for no other reason than it is bad show to have mamed guests walking around the park. I think the strangest thing of all is how long it took them to file the case. Sure, they wanted to get all the expenses finalized first, but still, two years is a long time, especially when you know you're moving to a different state at some point. It sounds like this girl really did get attacked by a dog, and I really do feel sorry for her and her family. However, it is not their place to blame Disney for something that seems so wildly impossible to have happened. The details on this story just don't seem to add up.
Originally Posted By doombuggy re post 12 Thats just what I was thinking in a nut shell. A bloody little girl would not just walk out of the park and a CM sure as heck wouldn't let them after they saw the dog "attack" And if this happened wouldn't you tell the doc/hospital send the bill to DL?
Originally Posted By DyGDisney I read the story, and no where in it does it mention that they left the park without telling anyone. I know the legal process can take a long time. Maybe it's been in the works for a while but has just now been settled. Are you guys saying you don't believe this happened??
Originally Posted By FerretAfros I don't believe it happened. I don't see any way that they would have gotten out of the park without a CM noticing and stopping them. They would have led them to first aid, where the nurses would have given initial care and then helped them get to the hospital if further care was needed. I don't know what the standard procedure for an issue like this is, but I would expect that Disney would cover all medical bills (at least from the first visit) right off the bat. It just sounds from the article that the only involvement that Disney had in the incident was supplying the dog to mame the girl and nothing else. While I know that there are always variances in what happens from day to day, I just can't see everything aligning quite like the article describes it. It would also be nice to know where the hospital bills are from. If they are all from Valencia, then we know that it was not in DL, or not that serious. I wouldn't take my daughter on a two hour car ride (they did say they left in the middle of the day!) if she was in the condition it sounds like she was in. It would also be interesting to see what sort of notes are kept in the hospital's record system, as I'm sure that if it truly happened at DL, that would be in there somewhere.
Originally Posted By Tinkerbell819 I got this story in my email today and thought it sounded fishy, too. The part about the fireworks and the dogs being in the parade seemed odd. Mainly b/c the petting zoo always closes at dusk and I've never seen a parade with live animals right before the fireworks. In the photos DLD provided, you can see the CM holding the dog, he wasn't by himself where kids could be climbing on him the way they described in the article.
Originally Posted By gottaluvdavillains I don't doubt the girl was bitten - I just doubt it happened in DL... If it did the Media would have had a field day.
Originally Posted By monorailblue Well, it isn't uncommon at all for personal injury suits to be filed the day before the statute runs. In fact, I would say that waiting until almost the end is the norm. (I am an attorney, formerly with a PI firm.) There is little reason to file earlier, since complications may come later. It is doesn't seem practical, but not much in tort law is. And, I'm astounded at the photos of the dog on display at Big Thunder Ranch--what could ever be the inspiration behind that?? Was the dog advertised as a ranch hound or something? It's like the Folsom Zoo--there is a ferral cat exhibit. An exhibit of housecats at a zoo! Truly!
Originally Posted By smd4 >>>I don't doubt the girl was bitten - I just doubt it happened in DL... If it did the Media would have had a field day.<<< Personally, If I had wintessed a dog-biting incident, either in the street in my neighborhood or at Disneyland, the furthest thing on my mind would be calling my local television station or newspaper. Things--even bad things--happen ALL THE TIME at DL, which don't hit the press. Do you guys all think that all the LA news media has cub reporters in hanging out in every corner of the Park, waiting to reposrt such incidents? Nonsense. This flew under the radar, and most of you simply can't believe that you missed it--or the dog itself.
