Man files lawsuit against Disneyland over alleged attack by security dog
Anaheim CA August 10, 2023 A Disneyland security dog allegedly attacked and bit an elderly Nevada man at the entrance to the Anaheim theme park, according to a lawsuit filed in an Orange County court.
According to the Orange County Register, Paul Perez, an 81-year-old grandfather from Las Vegas, filed a lawsuit against Walt Disney Parks and Resorts in Orange County Superior Court for damages stemming from the alleged attack that happened in May 2022.
The civil lawsuit was filed on Aug. 1 and accused Disneyland and the Walt Disney Co. theme park division of negligence and seeks restitution for a physical wound, pain, suffering, emotional distress, and the cost of past and future medical treatment, according to the Register.
The lawsuit alleges that a Disneyland dog handler caused a security dog to “abruptly step directly in front and very close” to Perez, who bumped into the dog at the security check. That’s when the dog allegedly attacked Perez, biting him in the stomach.
Perez, his wife, daughter, and two granddaughters, were heading to the theme park when Perez was attacked, his attorney, Ian Pancer, told the Register.
Perez was taken to the hospital by his daughter, where he was treated for his wound with antibiotics. The 81-year-old was later released from hospital care.
Lawsuit documents say that Perez is demanding a jury trial with damages to be “determined by proof at trial.”
In addition to metal detectors and bag checks, K9 security units patrol the entrances at the Disneyland Resort and perform searches as parkgoers walk into the resort. The dogs and their handlers are considered to be cast members, a title Disney bestows upon its employees.
Pancer told the Register that Perez wanted to avoid litigation, but Disneyland has yet to express any interest in doing the same.
Nexstar’s KTLA reached out to the Disneyland Resort for a comment but didn’t hear back in time for publication. Online court records show a hearing is scheduled for late January 2024.
