Dog owners sued in San Antonio elderly man’s mauling death

The widow of an elderly Air Force veteran who was fatally mauled by two dogs in San Antonio, Texas last month has filed a $1 million lawsuit against the owners of the canines, according to a report.

Juanita “Janie” Najera, 74, filed a wrongful death lawsuit on Thursday against dog owners Christian Moreno and Abilene Schnieder over the death of her 81-year-old husband Ramon Najera on Feb. 24.

Moreno and Schnieder – a married couple – were both arrested over the attack by their two Staffordshire Terriers — which injured three others, including Juanita.

The widow says Moreno and Schnieder failed to secure, monitor and control the dogs – Snow and King – who they knew were dangerous, according to the Bexar County filing, cited by local outlet News4SA.

Juanita and Ramon had been visiting neighbors of Moreno and Schnieder when they “were suddenly and viciously attacked.”

The pets escaped from the yard and bolted for Ramon, latching onto him and dragging him along the street before they were eventually warded off by firefighters with axes.

He died trying to protect Juanita from the charging animals.

Juanita was not only severely injured but she “witnessed the horrific mauling and death of her loving husband,” the filing alleges.

Moreno and Schnieder had allegedly “been breeding the dogs and training the dogs to be aggressive with meat,” according to an arrest affidavit.

In fact, Animal Control Services spayed the canines after they had attacked two others on two separate occasions, officials said earlier this month.

Schnieder said that after the dogs were fixed, they became more aggressive and started fighting each other.

King and Snow and the couple’s third dog were all put down by ACS.

Before Schnieder was arrested, she publicly apologized to the Najera family but still maintained the death wasn’t her husband’s fault.

Criminal defense lawyers for the pair didn’t return requests for comment Tuesday.