YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio — An Ohio man is suing the mother and grandmother of his child, alleging that his 9-year-old daughter suffered after being attacked by a feral cat, according to court documents.
Daniel Jones, of Youngstown, filed the lawsuit in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court, according to online court records. He names Kayla Dean, of Austintown, the mother of the girl; and Mary Dean, of Austintown, who is the child’s granddaughter, as defendants, The Vindicator newspaper of Youngstown reported.
The lawsuit alleges that the women “were careless, negligent, and engaged in wanton disregard for the health, safety and well-being of the minor child by allowing a feral cat to brutally attack the minor child,” according to court documents.
Jones is seeking more than $25,000 in damages, the lawsuit states.
Jones said that on March 26, 2022, his daughter suffered “disabling personal injuries and permanent disfigurement,” The Vindicator reported. She also suffered “trauma, multiple severe lacerations to the scalp” and injuries to the upper body, legs and arms, according to the lawsuit, along with injuries to her head.
Jones alleged in the lawsuit that the child required plastic surgery that cost more than $10,000 and medical bills topped $20,000, according to The Vindicator.
The girl was hospitalized and required a rabies shot on April 11, 2022.
According to the lawsuit, Mary Dean “knew that the animals were present” at her home and did nothing to protect the girl.
A “reasonable human being would not permit a feral cat to be on the premise when minor children of tender age are in fact present,” the lawsuit alleges.
Attempts to reach the defendants for comment were not successful, The Vindicator reported.