One of Tablack's neighbors, Rick Morris, filed the lawsuit in Jefferson County Circuit Court Thursday and said Tablack has refused to get rid of his dog, leaving the neighborhood children racked in fear.
Tablack, in an email to AL.com and The Birmingham News, said he would not comment on pending litigation.
Morris said that on March 12, his 6-year-old son, Remo, and 12-year-old daughter, Ramsey, were walking back from the neighborhood park when three of Tablack's dogs got out of their opened fence and circled the children.
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| Rick Morris said this photo shows the dog bite his 12-year-old daughter received, through her jeans, on her calf from a dog owned by Jefferson County Chief Financial Officer George Tablack. (Photo provided by Rick Morris) |
Two of Tablack's dogs are Labradors that are "as sweet as can be," but a "mutt rescue dog" named Charlie knocked Morris' 6-year-old son down and bit him on the ankle. His 12-year-old sister came to his rescue, and Charlie bit her on the leg, Morris claims. Charlie then bit the boy again on his other ankle, Morris said.
Tablack's wife, Sue, stood there and screamed at the children to throw a tennis ball at the dog but did nothing to intervene and get the dog away from the children, Morris said. Another neighbor finally intervened and assisted the children, he said.
Neither Tablack nor his wife came to the Morris' home to check on the children that night, Morris said. Morris said he was out of town, so his wife called police and filed a report. Because the dog bit someone, he was quarantined for 10 days, Morris said.
The day after the incident occurred, Sue Tablack came to the Morris' home and again did not ask how the children were doing, but instead inquired if the Morrises were going to make the Tablacks get rid of their dog, Morris said.
When Morris got back in town, he visited Tablack and told him he needed to get the dog out of the neighborhood because there are 10 kids in the immediate area ages 7 and younger, he said.
Tablack responded that he probably would get rid of Charlie, but if he didn't, he would at least keep him on a leash when he is in the yard, Morris said.
Since that time, the Tablacks paid for Charlie to have a torn ACL repaired, allowing him to now jump their fence, Morris said. On Mother's Day, Charlie attacked another dog in the neighborhood, Morris said.
In the lawsuit, Morris claims that Tablack has violated Hoover ordinances against harboring a vicious dog and allowing it to run at large on a public right of way.
Morris said he met with Hoover animal control officers, who told him there was nothing they could do unless they see Charlie running at large or unless they have a court order saying the dog cannot be at the residence. Morris said he also checked with his homeowners association, and there is no recourse for him in the subdivision regulations.
He has tried talking with Tablack to no avail, so the lawsuit was his only option, he said. He is seeking compensatory damages for the physical and mental pain his children have suffered, he said.
"Basically, the neighborhood lives in fear of this dog," Morris said. "My kids are afraid to go to the park as long as they know that dog is around."
The Tablacks seem to value this dog more than the neighborhood children, Morris said. "As soon as a dog bites a child, you put that thing down. I don't care who you are," he said.
The Tablacks have had the rescue dog less than a year, Morris said. "It's not like this is a family friend that they have had for 10 years," he said. "We're not talking about Old Yeller."
(blog.al.com - June 8, 2013)
