Animal Control

Donkey owner not liable for attack on woman, jury finds

A donkey owner wasn't to blame for a woman's injuries when the animal attacked her, a jury found on Nov. 18, 2014. A large male donkey entered Shirley Mullen's yard from an adjacent pasture. Mullen took some carrots and tried to tempt the donkey back to the pasture, but he bit her multiple times, grabbed her in his jaws, shook her and dropped her on the ground. Justin Wade Webster denied that he owned the donkey. Webster claimed he was a stray. Defense counsel argued that Mullen, who said she had “a way with animals,” failed to exercise due caution with this stray donkey. The jury found that Webster owned the donkey, but that he was not negligent in preventing the donkey from proximately causing the injuries.

Mullen v. Webster, No. C201200513