Man Says Cane Corsos Nearly Devoured Him

WASHINGTON (CN) - Two vicious Cane Corso dogs mauled a 74-year-old man nearly to death because their owners and the District of Columbia let the 120-lb. animals run wild, the man claims in court.

Sawney Bell, who at 160 lbs. weighs 80 lbs. less than the combined weight of his attackers, sued the District and several businesses that operate in a tow yard in Northwest Washington, for negligence and loss of consortium.

In His Superior Court complaint, Bell says he was walking up 36th street near Benning Road toward a Metro bus station when the dogs attacked.

"In the course of mounting their seemingly coordinated assault on the plaintiff, the two dogs knocked Mr. Bell to the pavement; they then, with theirs teeth and claws, ripped into the flesh of Mr. Bell's arms, legs, neck, and scalp in an apparent attempt to, literally, devour him," according to the complaint.

Bell says his neighbors were "awakened by the dreadful cacophony of the plaintiff's screams intermingled with the growling and snapping of the dogs caught up in the frenzy of their unrelenting attack" and helped him.

One rescuer used his American bulldog to distract the dogs. Another one pounded the ground with a baseball bat "in a successful effort to frighten [the] Cane Corsos away from the plaintiff, who thereupon lay prostate upon the pavement in a torn and bloody heap."

"After an interval of many minutes, approximately six officers of the Metropolitan Police Department arrived upon the scene, whereupon the Cane Corsos retreated to the towing and storage yard located at 3621 Benning Road, N.W., whence they had been permitted to wander from their intended role of guarding the premises of several commercial denizens, including [defendants] Towing Pros & Recovery, Inc., and ADC Bus Service," the complaint states.

Bell says the dogs broke his arm and lacerated his neck and scalp.

"The extraordinarily shocking and vicious nature of this attack upon Mr. Bell drew the attention both of residents of the surrounding neighborhood and the local media, whose investigation soon revealed that these same two Cane Corsos, had on several earlier occasions been permitted to escape from the Benning Road towing yard to maraud, menace, and terrorize neighboring pedestrians and children," the complaint states.

Bell claims the dilapidated fence around the tow yard couldn't restrain the dogs - one of which is named Money.

Also sued are Quality Limo and Bus Service, Mario's Towing & Storage Unlimited, Samez Group Investments, 3621 Benning Road LLC and Yasser Al Zubreidy.

Steven Ghareeb, who was convicted of improperly confining dogs in the tow yard, is also a defendant.

The American Kennel Club describes Cane Corsos as noble, majestic and powerful in presence. The breed's name derives from the Latin word for guardian and protector.

Bell and his wife seek $1 million in compensatory damages and $4 million in punitive damages.

They are represented by Edward Leyden of Bowie, Md.

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