Reed v. Phillips

Defendant-Appellant (Phillips) appeals pursuant to Dist./Mun. Cts. R. A. D. A., Rule 8C, from a finding of the trial court that he was the “keeper” of a dog that bit the nose of Plaintiff-Appellee (Reed).1 Phillips contends that the evidence introduced at trial does not support such a finding and, therefore, judgment for plaintiff should be vacated.

The undisputed evidence in this case is that Phillips, his significant other Patricia McDuffy and her minor child, lived together with the offending dog for ten years. The dog, an American bull dog named Dixie, was purchased by McDuffy eleven years…