When Gabrielle Morningstar and her service dog, Kinniki, were attacked, their lives changed in an instant. What should have been an ordinary day became a traumatic experience that left both of them with serious injuries, emotional scars, and deep uncertainty about what the future would hold.
In this video,Partner Shaun Callahan and Associate Phillip Ayers , share Gabrielle’s story and the impact the vicious dog attack had on her independence, her sense of safety, and her bond with the service dog she relies on every day. Determined to help Gabrielle be heard, the GLP Attorneys team conducted a thorough investigation and advocated on her behalf every step of the way.
Their efforts resulted in a settlement of more than $250,000, secured without filing a lawsuit, giving Gabrielle a sense of justice, support for her recovery, and the confidence to move forward after a deeply traumatic event.
Who is Your Client, Gabrielle?
Shaun: In November of 2024, I got a call from Phil about a dog attack in Oregon on an elderly woman, Gabrielle, and her service dog, Kinniki. Phil had taken the call and reached out to me as the head of the GLP Attorneys’ Oregon practice group. Phil told me this woman was seriously hurt and had no luck reaching out to other law firms in her area. Phil told me she needed our help, so we got right to work.
What Happened to Gabrielle?
Phillip: Gabrielle was 78 years old at the time of the attack and living in Oregon. She lived alone with her service dog, Kinniki. Kinniki was more than just a means for Gabrielle to live independently, but also a faithful and loving companion to Gabrielle. Kinniki was family to Gabrielle, and Gabrielle had big plans for their future, including herding classes, trips overseas, and advanced service dog training.
Shaun: Gabrielle started her day like any other, not realizing it would soon become the worst day of her life.
Phillip: Let me tell you what happened on November 2nd, 2024. Gabrielle was just getting started with her day. She was getting ready to run some errands. Before leaving, Gabrielle let Kinniki outside into the fenced yard to relieve himself. While she was getting ready, she heard a terrified scream coming from outside. Gabrielle rushed into the backyard and saw that Kinniki, her beloved companion, was being dragged under the wooden fence separating her home from her neighbor's property.
Her neighbor's dog, Conan.
Shaun: More like Conan the Barbarian.
Phillip: Had grabbed Kinniki from a gap underneath the fence and was trying to pull him under the fence to his side of the yard. Gabrielle was confronted with the heartbreaking scene of her precious Kinniki trapped under the fence and struggling to survive. Immediately, Gabrielle rushed to the fence where Kinniki was fighting for his life. Despite Gabrielle's small and frail stature, she knew she needed to do anything she could to save Kinniki.
She dove down to Kinniki's side and reached her arms under the fence and around Kinniki to protect him as much as she could. Conan continued his vicious assault, biting, clawing and forcefully tugging on Kinniki and at Gabrielle's arms to get Kinniki all the way on Conan's side of the fence. All Gabrielle could do was hold on for dear life, to protect Kinniki from even worse harm.
During this struggle, Gabrielle's arms were bitten and scratched, and her face was bashed against the fence repeatedly by each of Conan's powerful tugs on Kinniki. Gabrielle hung onto Kinniki for dear life, despite Conan attacking her, knowing that if she let go, it would mean the death of Kinniki. Gabrielle began yelling for help, and thankfully another neighbor heard her screams and rushed to help, trying to break off pieces of the fence and then dig to help free Kinniki. Before grabbing him around his neck and shoulders and trying to keep him away from Conan.
Eventually, Conan's owner came outside and made her dog let go of Kinniki and Gabrielle. Gabrielle pulled Kinniki over to her side of the fence, each of them a bloody mess. Gabrielle's children arrived to help and took Kinniki to a local emergency vet and Gabrielle to the emergency room.
How Did The Injuries Affect Her Life?
Phillip: Gabrielle’s arms and hands were bitten and scratched in the process of saving Kinniki. She had puncture wounds, gashes, and bites to her hands and forearms. She was seen by the ER where they bandaged her wounds and cleaned them up. She later received surgery the next day for a more thorough cleaning of the wounds and some stitches.
Far worse were Kinniki's injuries. Conan ripped the flesh from the bone on his hind leg during the life or death tug of war with Gabrielle over his body. Kinniki had to undergo emergency veterinary surgery and had several follow up surgeries to try and save his leg. Unfortunately, several of his toes had to be amputated, and he underwent nearly six months in a cone collar. While doctors continue to work on his wounds and apply skin grafts.
While Kinniki has made it out of the darkest days of his recovery, he will never be a working dog and faces many severe limitations in his day to day life.
Shaun: Kinniki’s injuries were some of the worst I've ever seen. The photos were horrifically graphic.
What Challenges Did You Face?
Shaun: We had two big issues we had to contend with in Gabrielle's case: Oregon's version of the one free bite rule, which makes recovery for pain and suffering very difficult in Oregon, and a very biased police report. One of the worst I've seen. The responding officer never even interviewed Gabrielle and refused to listen to the neighbor who witnessed the attack or include her statement. The only available eyewitness in the police report. Between the two of them, we had immense legal and evidentiary hurdles to clear.
Phillip: First, there's Oregon's version of the one free bite rule, which basically states that the defendant had to have reason to know that their dog was dangerous before they are liable for anything other than medical bills, which means no compensation for pain and suffering. We had to prove that the owner of the dog that attacked Gabrielle and Kinniki knew that their dog, Conan, was dangerous, or we would be severely limited in what we could recover for Gabrielle.
We were able to overcome this obstacle by reaching out to members of Gabrielle's community. She had many neighbors who were willing to speak up on how Conan was a menace, constantly snapping at people and other dogs through the fence, and that Conan's owners had surveillance cameras on their property, so they had to have known of Conan's bad behavior.
In all, we got statements from several members of the community speaking to the well-known fact that Conan was a violent dog and his owners had every reason to know it, too. This allowed us to overcome any issues regarding the one free bite rule, and for Gabrielle to receive compensation for her pain and suffering.
Second, we had an extremely biased police report we had to contend with. Police didn't show up until after the attack and after Gabrielle and Kinniki had left. The only statement in the police report was that of the attacking dog's owner, who stated that Kinniki may have been the one to injure Gabrielle. Moreover, the responding police officer wrote in his report that because Kinniki's head was on Gabrielle's side of the fence, Gabrielle could have been bit by her own dog during the incident.
Thankfully, we were able to track down the one eyewitness to the incident who was able to refute Conan's owner and the police report itself by giving us a strong statement on what actually happened. These issues would have driven away many attorneys and law firms from taking on Gabrielle's case. But here at GLP Attorneys, we relished these difficult cases and came up with a plan of attack to get Gabrielle and Kinniki the justice they deserved.
Shaun: Another challenge that Phil is way too modest about is that under the law, animals like Kinniki are considered property. So the most the Gabrielle could receive when it came to Kinniki's injuries is repayment for his medical bills. And that was a problem because while Gabrielle's injuries were bad, they were nothing compared to the trauma that her dog had suffered. Phil did some really fantastic lawyering to convey Kinniki's damages through the lens of Gabrielle's emotional suffering, to get justice for them both.
What Kind of Recovery Were You Able to Get for Gabrielle and What Did This Mean to Her?
Phillip: We were able to secure a settlement of over $250,000 for Gabrielle within six months of the incident, and without having to file a lawsuit. After the trauma of a dog attack, both physical and emotional, the relief that came with a successful legal recovery was profound for Gabrielle. She and Kinniki endured not only painful wounds and medical procedures, but also lasting fear and anxiety about what the future would look like.
Securing compensation brought more than just financial support. It brought validation and peace of mind. It meant being able to cover ongoing medical bills and veterinary bills, and taking time to heal without the added stress of economic hardship. Most importantly, it gave her a sense of justice and the confidence to move forward, knowing that her voice was heard.
What Does This Result Say About GLP Attorneys as a Firm?
Shaun: With ten staffed offices across the Pacific Northwest, GLP Attorneys offer unparalleled regional expertise paired with local knowledge and resources so clients know they're supported by a team familiar with the state specific rules and communities.
Phillip: GLP Attorneys uniquely combine regional reach, values driven personal injury advocacy and proven success, all supported by collaborative, client first culture. I am proud to work for a firm whose client service approach is rooted in its values of Commitment, Creativity, Compassion, Collaboration, and Community. It was this approach that allowed us to get the result we did for Gabrielle and Kinniki.
It also says that GLP Attorneys’ track record speaks for itself. The firm has secured multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements for animal attacks, construction injuries, car crashes, brain trauma, wrongful death and more. It says that the firm has an unparalleled ability to take tough cases to trial. And by fostering one firm, one team culture, and robust training, mentorship and initiatives, it ensures that every client is backed by a united, well-prepared legal team.
GLP Attorneys work hard to provide clients like Gabrielle with the best possible outcomes for their personal injury cases.
If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident, please call 800-273-5005, or email our attorneys at for a free consultation.
