A young girl aged five, named Mia Kate Nolan, who was purportedly assaulted by a golden retriever as a toddler, has resolved her High Court case for a settlement of €115,000. The incident occurred in Co Galway whilst Mia was taking a stroll around her neighbourhood with her mother. Allegedly, the dog sprang up from behind, gripped the child’s head with its jaws, toppling her over and proceeded to shake her.
The case claimed that the retriever held the child face-down on the ground with the mother attempting to get it to release the hold by kicking and striking it. Following the incident, which took place when Mia was only 19 months old on April 14th, 2020, she was admitted to the Portiuncula Hospital. Subsequently, she was transferred to another hospital in Dublin where she underwent a surgical procedure to mend multiple lacerations on her scalp.
Mia was discharged after a hospital stint of five days. Although the incident left her with scarring on her scalp and upper neck, a plastic surgeon has stated that all scars have healed and no further operations will be necessary.
Mia along with Leslie Nolan, her mother, legally pursued the dog’s owners, Declan and Ann O’Grady from Kilclooney, Ballinasloe, Co Galway, regarding the incident that took place four years prior. The case implied that the O’Grady’s dog had led to the attack and biting of the child due to their failed control or constraint where they should have known the dog’s aggressive tendencies near their property.
Further implications in the case also pointed to failure in setting an appropriate warning system for people lawfully walking near their property about the potential threat of the dog. Additionally, the O’Gradys were alleged of failing to have the dog muzzled, train it properly to lessen the risk of attacks, and managing its excitement which could result in attacking pedestrians.
The settlement was approved by Ms Justice Nuala Jackson.
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