Court Opinion

ID: 9586500
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 23:12:08.543999+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:32:41.407749
License: Public Domain

Whitman, Judge,
concurring specially. 1. I concur in the judgment only of the majority opinion holding that the. grant of the defendants’ motion for summary judgment was not error. It is my view that the testimony of Mrs. Mauldin that a neighbor had told her that Mrs. Green, one of the defendants, had told the neighbor of the vicious tendencies of the dog; that is, she had been told by Mrs. Green not to come in the yard, that the dog would bite her, was hearsay only without probative value, and would not be admissible or sufficient to establish the dog’s reputation for vicious*559ness. I do not agree with the dissenting opinion that Code § 38-303 has any relation to the reputation of a dog. Moreover, I do not regard the case of McCurry v. Bailey, 224 Ga. 318 (162 SE2d 9) as either controlling or persuasive authority on the question of proof of reputation. Proof of reputation must be as to reputation as such and as to matters of general interest and not as to matters of special or limited interest, nor as to a hearsay statement of an individual or individuals of his or her knowledge. In this connection see 31A CJS §§ 196, 197 and 200. See also Booth v. Floyd, 151 Ga. 732 (2) (108 SE 113).
The Bryan, Hogan and Elder cases cited in Caldwell v. Gregory, 120 Ga. App. 536 (171 SE2d 571) have no relation to dogs or reputation of dogs.
2. I concur in Division 3 of the majority opinion which denies the motion to dismiss, for the reason entertained by me, that on the hearing of the motion for summary judgment by stipulation of counsel for all of the parties the evidence consisted of interrogatories and depositions filed in cases in the trial court, Fulton Superior Court, prior to the cases sub judice, together with affidavit of one Mrs. Robert M. Wilson, in respect of her prior single experience with the dog, the account of which it does not appear was ever brought to the attention of the defendants, nor does it appear that the defendants ever had knowledge or notice of such incident. The interrogatories and depositions, which together with the Wilson affidavit, were in evidence on the hearing of the motion for summary judgment in the trial court, also appear in Cases Nos. 46211 and 46212 in this court as a part of the records therein and this court may take judicial notice thereof.
Accordingly, I concur in Division 3 of the majority opinion insofar as it denies the motion to dismiss the appeal. .