Padi the dog accused of third attack. The victim is suing the owner

A lawsuit claims a 17-year-old girl was attacked by a well-known Manatee County dog that even inspired a change in state law. She is suing the dog’s owner, a local veterinarian.

Padi, owned by Paul Gartenberg, has been known in the community for years, and became more widely known after a she was saved from being euthanized.

Padi, a black Labrador mix, has been accused of two prior separate attacks — one on a child and another on a service dog — but also served as a face for animal rights. Padi was even featured in the Florida Bar Journal after the dog’s case inspired legislation that allows discretion on whether to put to death dogs that cause severe injuries to humans.

But now, Padi again appears at the center of more legal trouble.

A lawsuit in Manatee County courts alleges that on April 3, 2017, Tianna Barr, an employee at Gargenberg’s veterinary office — who was 17 at the time — was “viciously attacked” by Padi. The dog had to be pulled off of her and she was left with serious injuries, according to the lawsuit.

Filed in August, the lawsuit also claims Gartenberg did not do his duty to make sure Padi would not attack another person after the documented previous attack on the boy. Padi was still allowed to roam freely within the clinic, according to the lawsuit.

Barr, who has since turned 18, was permanently impaired, scarred and lost significant bodily function, the lawsuit states. She’s asking for $15,000.

The Bradenton Herald called the attorney listed as representing the employee on the lawsuit, Brent Probinsky, but was told he is out of the office this week.

Gartenberg’s attorney, Richard Green, said they filed an answer to the lawsuit on his client’s behalf in October.

In a statement emailed to the Bradenton Herald Thursday night, Green noted that his client declined to comment but added, “This is an unfortunate situation for which (the plaintiff) initially acknowledged responsibility. However, she has now hired an attorney to pursue this claim against Dr. Gartenberg personally even though she has been fully compensated through a worker’s compensation claim.”

Court records show Gartenberg denies a majority of the allegations in Barr’s lawsuit but admits he knew Padi bit the employee. It also indicates Padi was not tied up but was sleeping just before the incident occurred.

The employee was hired as a kennel worker and was told the work could entail interacting with animals that could be dangerous and accepted that risk when she took the job, court records indicate. She also applied for and received worker’s compensation after the incident.

Court documents go on to allege the employee provoked Padi, and that led to the bite.

In June 2015, Padi bit a 4-year-old boy’s ear in the Gartenberg’s veterinary office, the Pet Clinic.

It was generally agreed that Padi had gone into a corner of the office to get away from the child and the boy followed. However, it was unclear if the child lunged at Padi or if Padi lunged at the child first. The injury required stitches and reconstructive surgery.

The dog was also accused of attacking a service dog in March 2016.

This story was originally published January 19, 2018 at 10:04 AM with the headline "Padi the dog accused of third attack. The victim is suing the owner."