Title: Humphries v. Rice

State: alabama

Issuer: Alabama Supreme Court

Document:

600 So. 2d 975 (1992)
Louise HUMPHRIES
v.
Clarence RICE and Lois Rice.
1900719.

Supreme Court of Alabama.
January 24, 1992.
Rehearing Denied June 19, 1992.
Bert S. Nettles and J. Mark Hart of Spain, Gillon, Grooms, Blan & Nettles, Birmingham, for appellant.
Clifford W. Hardy, Jr., Bessemer, for appellees.
ADAMS, Justice.
This case arises out of an attack by a doga pit bullon Clarence Rice. The dog belonged to Carl Humphries, who, at the time of the incident, resided in a mobile home located on property owned by his parents, Herbert and Louise Humphries. Mr. and Mrs. Humphries's house was also located on the property. On the date of the attack, Mr. Rice, who worked for Suburban Gas Company, was making a requested delivery to Carl's mobile home, when the dog attacked him. Rice stated that he knew that the dog lived at the mobile home and he said he had checked the doghouse to see if the dog was there. Not seeing the dog anywhere on the premises, Rice delivered the gas and was going to the front door to leave the bill when the dog jumped out of a chair on the porch and knocked him backward. As Rice fell, one of his legs buckled under him and he suffered a fractured leg. He also broke one of his wrists in the fall. He testified that the dog was *976 on a cable, which he was able to grab following his fall, and that his grabbing the cable kept the dog from biting him.
He sued Carl Humphries and Carl's parents, pursuant to § 3-6-1, Code of Alabama 1975; he also claimed that they were guilty of negligence. Mr. Rice's wife also sued, alleging loss of consortium. The trial court dismissed Carl's father; however, the claims against Carl and his mother were sent to the jury on both theories. The jury returned verdicts in the amount of $350,000 in favor of Mr. Rice and $40,000 in favor of Mrs. Rice for loss of consortium. Carl Humphries did not appeal; however, Mrs. Humphries appeals the verdict against her, arguing that the trial court erred in denying her motion for a directed verdict and her motion for j.n.o.v.
Section 3-6-1, Code of Alabama (1975), reads as follows:
(Emphasis added). The language of the statute clearly indicates that the owner of the dog can be held liable for injuries caused by the dog. Nothing in the statute indicates that anyone other than the owner can be held liable pursuant to the statute. It is clear from the record in this case that Mrs. Humphries was not the owner of the dog that attacked Mr. Rice. Carl Humphries, although he lived on his parents' property, maintained a separate residence. He paid his own bills and he had the responsibility for feeding and maintaining his dog. None of the evidence offered showed that Mrs. Humphries had assumed any ownership responsibilities regarding the dog.
The Rices argue that while Mrs. Humphries was not the owner of the dog, she was the "keeper" of the dog and that, therefore, the statute should apply to her. First, the statute is unambiguous in its meaning. It does not state that the "owner or keeper" of a dog that attacks someone will be held liable pursuant to the statute. The legislature could easily have inserted the words "or keeper" had it intended to extend the statutory liability beyond the boundaries of actual ownership. It chose not to do so.
Rucker v. Goldstein, 497 So. 2d 491, 493 (Ala.1986). (Emphasis added.) We refuse to extend the statute to encompass anyone other than the owner of the dog. Therefore, in our opinion, the only theory under which Mrs. Humphries could have been found liable would be the common law theory of negligence.
We have stated:
With regard to a common law negligence case such as this one, we have written the following:
Kent v. Sims, 460 So. 2d 144, 146-47 (Ala. 1984). (Emphasis original.)
In order for Mrs. Humphries to be liable under the theory of common law negligence, she not only must have known of the vicious propensities of the dog, but also must be considered the owner or keeper of the dog in question. As indicated above, the record is devoid of evidence tending to show ownership; therefore, the Rices' only avenue toward recovery is to show that Mrs. Humphries was the keeper of the dog. We find that there was not sufficient evidence to indicate that she was the dog's keeper. There is simply no evidence of record showing that Mrs. Humphries undertook any responsibilities with regard to the dog. There was no evidence that she cared for the dog; there was evidence *978 that the dog was not allowed to roam freely over her property. Instead, it was kept on a cable near the mobile home where her son resided. The Rices failed to show that Mrs. Humphries was a keeper of the dog; therefore, the judgment against her is hereby reversed and a judgment is rendered for Mrs. Humphries.
Although it is not determinative of the result reached in this case, for the benefit of the bench and bar we hereby adopt the view that, from the date of the release of this opinion, an owner or keeper of an animal will be charged with knowledge of the propensities of the breed of animal he or she owns. We hereby adopt the following language from Justice Jones's dissenting opinion in Coley v. Hendrix, 508 So. 2d 216, 217 (Ala.1987):
(Emphasis original.)
REVERSED AND JUDGMENT RENDERED.
HORNSBY, C.J., and MADDOX, ALMON, SHORES, HOUSTON, STEAGALL, KENNEDY and INGRAM, JJ., concur.