Emily Moncur was photographing dogs at an Orange County animal shelter in August 2023 when a Labrador retriever and beagle mix named Blaze pinned her against a kennel door and bit her at least 18 times, a lawsuit states.
Moncur, 46, suffered “severe and permanent injuries” to her arms, legs, neck and buttocks during the attack at the OC Animal Care facility in Tustin, California. Orange County officials agreed to a $450,000 settlement to resolve a negligence lawsuit she filed over the incident.
The settlement, approved unanimously by the Orange County Board of Supervisors during a closed-door session March 10, was detailed in court records seen by the Los Angeles Times.
According to the lawsuit, the attack occurred as Moncur attempted to return the dog to its kennel after a photography session. The complaint alleged that the shelter failed to warn her of the animal’s history of aggression, which reportedly stemmed from a prior cruelty case.
Moncur told the Orange County Register that the dog had been “fast tracked for adoption” and featured at a public event just two days before the attack, despite its history.
“The dog that attacked me was part of a cruelty case where he was severely abused by his owner and her family, which was not disclosed to volunteers,” Moncur said in a statement to the news outlet.
Court documents also detailed safety concerns at the facility.
The complaint alleged that volunteers were required to work alone without adequate training and that staffing shortages left no one nearby to assist during the incident. The suit also claimed that staff members did not hear Moncur’s screams because employees were encouraged to wear earplugs while working.
The county initially contested the allegations, arguing in a December court filing that Moncur had “knowingly assumed” the risks of the activity. Despite that earlier stance, the board ultimately moved to settle the case.
Moncur reported that she continued to suffer from nerve damage and visible scarring.
“The events of that day left me scarred both physically and mentally and continue to haunt me to this day and will for many years to come, probably the rest of my life,” Moncur said in a statement to the Register. “Unfortunately, there are only cosmetic procedures to help heal the physical injuries and scars, and nothing can be done for the nerve damage.”
Notice of the settlement was filed in Orange County Superior Court in mid-April.
