JUICY SUITS: 'Vicious' Dogs and a Dead Cat

Neighbor-on-neighbor action makes for some of the ugliest lawsuits. One of the few categories that can top it — dead animals.

Wed the two, and you get a lawsuit filed yesterday in Multnomah County Circuit Court: a family suing their neighbor after his dog allegedly mauled their cat.

Jose Luis Maldonado has been letting his three "vicious dogs" roam free since he moved into his house at 14609 SE Lincoln St. three years ago, the lawsuit says.

On May 12 this year, the lawsuit says two of his dogs chased Olive, a 9-year-old cat owned by the Green family on the same block.

According to the lawsuit, the dogs, "running uncontrolled, chased the cat into a neighbor's yard, where one of the dogs mauled the cat."

The attack was witnessed by Mike Green, the father of the family, and Evy, his 2-year-old daughter. They ran to help Olive, who bit Mike in the arm because the cat was "terrified, panicky, dying and disoriented," the lawsuit says.

The family took Olive to a vet, where the cat was treated but died of its injuries, the lawsuit says. Mike Green also sought emergency medical treatment for the cat bite.

The suit, filed by Gresham lawyer John Dumas, seeks $452,000 from Maldonado for emotional distress, compensatory damages, and loss of value and enjoyment of the home.

Maldonado could not be reached for comment.

Note: The cat in the photo is not the Greens' cat, nor is the dialogue balloon the work of WW artists. Bragging rights go to readers who can identify the script in the background.

Read about more Juicy Suits here.