Three years after he was attacked by Jai Arrow’s dog, a 76-year-old man has decided to sue the South Sydney Rabbitohs star forward.
Attacked by the NRL star’s dog in 2022 on the New South Wales central coast in Bateau Bay, John Gowans has filed a personal injury suit in the NSW District Court and is arguing that Arrow is liable for the injuries to him and his dog, according to The Sydney Morning Herald.
It is understood that it was filed earlier this year on July 10, three days before the deadline.
While Arrow wasn’t present at the time of the attack, his American Staffordshire Terrier, Thor, attacked Gowans, which hospitalised him and his pet greyhound, Ruby, who had to be euthanised as a result of her injuries.
“I just want retribution”, 76-year-old John Gowans told the publication.
“I still get a bit upset about the whole thing. I have PTSD over it, I’ve seen psychologists.
“I’ve moved away from the house where I was. Now I’m in a retirement village and I can now, only now, walk my dog.
“I could not walk my dog back at the old house … I just couldn’t do it. I was nervous. Every time I saw a dog, I’d start to shake.”
In a statement provided to the publication, Arrow’s defence team, McGirr & Associates, stated that the Rabbitohs forward will defend the matters at this stage.
“Jai Arrow at this stage is going to defend the matters,” the statement read.
“There will be further particulars and exploration of [Gowans’] physical and mental injury and the causation of such, bearing in mind that the alleged victim has been allegedly attacked by other dogs in the past”.
Discussion about this post