Jury Awards $5.4 Million to Dog Transporter Mauled by Belgian Malinois With Hidden Bite History

She thought she was picking up an anxious shelter dog. What she got was a one-year-old Belgian Malinois with a hidden bite history, six surgeries, and a jury verdict that should stop every dog owner’s insurance carrier cold.

What Happened

In September 2020, Genice Horta accepted what should have been a straightforward job: pick up a young Belgian Malinois from a Los Angeles animal shelter and transport him to Arizona. The dog’s name was Maximus. He was one year old. He was about to ruin her life.

The HIT Living Foundation, a rescue organization, had hired her. The East Valley Animal Shelter — operated by the City of Los Angeles — was releasing the dog into her care. Before she ever laid eyes on Maximus, two critical facts were already known to the shelter and the rescue:

What she was told, according to trial testimony, was that the dog had “kennel anxiety.” To help calm him for the drive, a shelter employee gave her a treat laced with trazodone, a common canine sedative.

The moment she offered Maximus the treat, he lunged. He latched onto her right hand and arm and would not let go. The shelter employee handling him was using a catch-pole — a metal stick with a cable looped around the dog’s neck — because Maximus could not be safely walked on a leash. A grainy video of the attack was later played for the jury.

The Damages: Six Surgeries and a Permanent Disability

Horta required six separate surgeries to reconstruct the bones and nerves in her right arm. The jury heard medical testimony that the damage is permanent. She will never have full use of her dominant arm again.

The damages presented at trial covered:

• Past medical expenses from six surgeries and years of treatment
• Future medical expenses for ongoing care and likely additional procedures
• Past and future pain and suffering
• Permanent impairment of her right hand and arm

The Verdict

After a 10-day trial, the Los Angeles County Superior Court jury came back with a $5.4 million verdict and apportioned fault three ways:

• City of Los Angeles: 62.5% liable — for failing to disclose Maximus’s bite history
• HIT Living Foundation: 25% liable — for adopting out a dog they should not have
• Genice Horta: 12.5% (comparative fault) — for approaching the dog with the treat

This was the third seven-figure payout from the City of Los Angeles in three years involving claims that its shelters released dangerous dogs without warning. A prior case settled for $3.25 million. The Animal Services agency announced a formal bite-history disclosure policy in late 2025 — only after the lawsuits started piling up.

Why This Matters If You’ve Been Bitten in Michigan

Here’s the part that should get every Michigan dog bite victim’s attention: Horta had to fight uphill.

California is a “negligence-plus” state for these claims. Her team had to prove the shelter knew Maximus was dangerous, knew he had bitten before, and failed to warn her. That meant subpoenas, depositions, and a 10-day trial.

Michigan victims start the race halfway to the finish line.

If a case like Horta’s happened in Michigan, the trial would look completely different. No fight over what the shelter knew. No depositions about prior bite history. Strict liability would attach the moment Maximus’s teeth made contact.

Three Lessons Michigan Victims Should Take From This Verdict

1. Catastrophic injuries justify catastrophic verdicts. Six surgeries, permanent nerve damage, and loss of function in a dominant hand drove this case into the millions. If your injuries involve permanent scarring, loss of function, surgical reconstruction, or PTSD, your case is worth far more than the insurance adjuster will initially offer.
2. Always look for additional defendants. Horta won 87.5% of her verdict from two defendants — the city and a rescue group — not just one. In Michigan, third parties like landlords, dog walkers, daycare facilities, apartment complexes, and HOAs can sometimes be on the hook alongside the dog owner. A good attorney finds every available source of recovery.
3. What you say at the scene can cost you money. Horta lost 12.5% of her verdict on comparative fault because she had approached the dog with a treat. In Michigan, every word you say to the dog owner, to police, or to the owner’s insurance company can be used to reduce your award. Talk to an attorney before you talk to insurance.