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Second lawsuit filed against Fulton County animal control in mauling

A memorial was placed near where a boy was killed and a girl was injured early in a pit bull attack on their way to school. Logan Braatz and Syari Sanders were walking to a bus stop when they were mauled. Parents of both children have filed suit. AJC FILE PHOTO
A memorial was placed near where a boy was killed and a girl was injured early in a pit bull attack on their way to school. Logan Braatz and Syari Sanders were walking to a bus stop when they were mauled. Parents of both children have filed suit. AJC FILE PHOTO
By Arielle Kass
Feb 2, 2018

The parents of a then-5-year-old girl who was mauled by a dog last year have sued Fulton County's animal control provider.

This is the second lawsuit against LifeLine Animal Project related to the attack, which injured Syrai Sanders and killed 6-year-old Logan Braatz as they were walking to the bus stop Jan. 17, 2017. Sanders lost an ear, and her scalp was torn from her head.

David Zagoria, an attorney representing Sanders and her family, said previously that LifeLine “neglected and ignored” the Southwest Atlanta neighborhood where Braatz and Sanders lived. The suit was filed in DeKalb County State Court Jan. 24.

A spokesperson for LifeLine, Karen Hirsch, said in a statement that the company was "heartbroken" about Logan's death, and extended "thoughts and prayers" to Syrai. But LifeLine denies the allegations in the two lawsuits, Hirsch said.

Friday, Zagoria said LifeLine had taken on the responsibility of keeping residents safe from dogs, but was negligent in doing so. Residents said the company often responded to calls late, or not at all.

About the Author

Arielle Kass covers Gwinnett County for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. She started at the paper in 2010, and has covered business and local government beats around metro Atlanta. Arielle is a graduate of Emory University.

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