Case Name: ROWLETTE et al. v. PAUL et al.
Court: Court of Appeals of Georgia
Jurisdiction: Georgia
Decision Date: 1995-12-05
Citations: 219 Ga. App. 597
Docket Number: A95A1111
Parties: ROWLETTE et al. v. PAUL et al.
Judges: Beasley, C. J., Birdsong, P. J., Johnson and Smith, JJ., concur. Blackburn, J., concurs in part and dissents in part. McMurray, P. J., Pope, P. J., and Ruffin, J., dissent.
Reporter: Georgia Appeals Reports
Volume: 219
Pages: 597–602

Head Matter:
A95A1111.
ROWLETTE et al. v. PAUL et al.
(466 SE2d 37)

Opinion:
Andrews, Judge.
This case is before us on appeal from the trial court's grant of summary judgment to the Pauls on the Rowlettes' claim for damages incurred when Denise Rowlette was attacked by the Pauls' beagle.
Construing the evidence in favor of the Rowlettes as non-movants on summary judgment, the record shows that Denise Rowlette, who was employed by Appraisal Research, went to the Pauls' house in order to verify and update information for the Oglethorpe County Tax Assessor's Office. Rowlette did not notify the Pauls in advance of her intended survey. On the day of the attack, Rowlette and a coworker, Ike Temple, drove into the driveway and Temple got out and went toward the front door. The car which Rowlette and Temple were driving had two magnetic plastic signs on the doors which read: "County Re-evaluation." Both Rowlette and Temple wore ID cards with their pictures on them, identifying them as employees of Appraisal Research. They saw a lady through the front window, later identified as Mrs. Paul, who turned and disappeared as Temple walked toward the front door. Temple then told Rowlette to go around to the back of the house. As Rowlette, who was wearing a raincoat with a hood pulled up over her head due to the inclement weather, came around the corner to the back of the house, she was attacked by Flash, the Pauls' five-year-old beagle. Rowlette stated that the dog was on the back porch with the Pauls' 17-year-old daughter, Aimee, and Mrs. Paul, although Mrs. Paul said that she did not come out on the porch until after she heard the commotion.
According to Rowlette, the dog jumped down on her from the porch, causing a hematoma on her right breast where he landed on her, and then bit her on her left calf and left arm. Both Aimee and Mrs. Paul called to the dog to stop, but Rowlette testified in her deposition that Mrs. Paul told her "we can't handle the dog." Rowlette went back to her car and she and Temple drove back to the company office in Lexington. She then went to her home in Winder and from there drove to Athens where she was treated at the emergency room of St. Mary's Hospital.
"To prevail at summary judgment under OCGA § 9-11-56, the moving party must demonstrate that there is no genuine issue of material fact and that the undisputed facts, viewed in the light most favorable to the nonmoving party, warrant judgment as a matter of law. . A defendant may do this by showing the court that the documents, affidavits, depositions and other evidence in the record reveal that there is no evidence sufficient to create a [genuine] jury issue on at least one essential element of plaintiff's case. . A defendant who will not bear the burden of proof at trial need not affirmatively disprove the nonmoving party's case; instead, the burden on the moving party may be discharged by pointing out by reference to the affidavits, depositions and other documents in the record that there is an absence of evidence to support the nonmoving party's case." (Empha sis omitted.) Lau's Corp. v. Haskins, 261 Ga. 491 (405 SE2d 474) (1991).
In order to support an action for damages under OCGA § 51-2-7, it is necessary to show that the dog was vicious or dangerous and that the owner had knowledge of this fact. McCree v. Burks, 129 Ga. App. 678, 679 (200 SE2d 491) (1973). "Scienter is a necessary and a material fact which must be shown before there can be any finding of liability against the defendant." (Citation and punctuation omitted.) Id. "It is not enough, however, that the possessor of the animal has reason to know that it has a propensity to do harm in one or more specific ways; it is necessary that he have reason to know of its propensity to do harm of the type which it inflicts." (Citation and punctuation omitted.) Carter v. Ide, 125 Ga. App. 557, 558 (188 SE2d 275) (1972).
Even construing the evidence, as we must, in favor of the Rowlettes, the record shows that the only time Flash ever displayed aggressive behavior was approximately one year before the incident in this case, when he jumped up and bit Mr. Paul's uncle on the buttocks. The uncle, who was still dressed in his work clothes from the quarry, had on a white dust mask and a hat and surprised the sleeping dog by banging on the back porch. Although the dog bite tore his pants, he did not need any medical attention. Other than this one incident, the dog had never growled at anyone, attacked anyone, or displayed any type of vicious behavior. Here, the Pauls had no reason to know that the dog would attack a stranger coming into the backyard. Flash had never shown any propensity for viciousness and had never attacked anyone in this manner before. Jumping up and biting someone on the buttocks who is dressed strangely in work clothes with a white dust mask and a hat because he startled the dog by banging on the porch was not sufficient to show a dangerous propensity for viciousness such that the Pauls were on notice that the dog would launch an unprovoked attack on a stranger coming into the yard. Therefore, the Rowlettes are unable to prove an essential element of their case; namely, that the Pauls knew of the dog's propensity to inflict harm in this particular manner. Carter, supra at 558. Accordingly, the trial court correctly granted summary judgment to defendants on the issue of liability.
Judgment affirmed.
Beasley, C. J., Birdsong, P. J., Johnson and Smith, JJ., concur. Blackburn, J., concurs in part and dissents in part. McMurray, P. J., Pope, P. J., and Ruffin, J., dissent.