A new lawsuit filed in Palm Beach County claims a Boca Raton dog attacked and bit five people before it was finally euthanized. Now, the couple involved in the fifth attack, Gloria and Godfrey Biggs, wants the Board of County Commissioners to pay up.
Court documents filed against the dog’s owner, Brennan Rimer, outlines the five times Rimer’s dog allegedly attacked: December 2012, May 2013, November 2013, September 2015 and February 2016.
The Biggs claim the dog, an Australian Cattle mix named Coco, should have been classified as dangerous after the first attack, and euthanized after the second attack.
So Contact 5 called Palm Beach Animal Care and Control. Capt. David Walesky said he could not comment on pending litigation, but noted Coco’s first three attacks resulted in minor bites.
Under Florida law, you cannot classify a dog as dangerous unless it severely injures a human. A dog cannot be euthanized until a second severe attack against a human.
According to Walesky, Coco's fourth attack was severe, and that is when Coco was finally classified as a dangerous dog. After the fifth attack, the one against Gloria Biggs, Coco was euthanized.
According to the lawsuit, the couple tried to settle a claim with the Board of County Commissioners, but their claim was denied.
The lawsuit alleges negligence, assault, battery.
We’ve reached out to the Biggs’ attorney for a response, but our request is still pending.