Tenants claim landlord's dog attacked their dog in backyard

A Chicago couple is suing their landlord over claims his Pit Bull attacked their Labrador in their shared backyard on the day they moved in, causing injuries to them and their dog.

In the lawsuit filed Feb. 5 in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Tiffany and David Cleary accuse Mark Weinberg of being negligent and violating the Animal Control Act during the Sept. 1, 2014 incident.

On that day, the suit says, the Clearys moved into a the second floor apartment in a two-flat building in the 3600 block of North Tripp Avenue that Weinberg owned and lived in. They say Weinberg had a Pit Bull and they had a Lab and a Chihuahua.

While Weinberg told them his dog was friendly and harmless, the plaintiffs claim the Pit attacked their Lab after Tiffany Cleary and her dogs came into the backyard following a walk. The suit says Weinberg's dog was unleashed and latched onto the Lab's neck.

While trying to pry the Pit Bull off their Lab, David Cleary claims he sustained a puncture wound to his left hand and Tiffany Cleary claims she suffered neck and back injuries. They also claim their dog sustained neck wounds and they suffered post-traumatic stress, anxiety, depression and sleep disorders as a result of the incident.

They are seeking damages and are represented by Lisa M. Ciharan of the Law Office of Cy Weiner, Chicago.

Cook County Circuit Court case number: 2015L001214

This is a report on a civil lawsuit filed in Cook County Circuit Court. The details in this report come from an original complaint filed by a plaintiff. Please note that a complaint represents an accusation by a private individual, not the government. It is not an indication of guilt and represents only one side of the story.