Woman severely injured by Belgian Malinois during East Valley shelter transfer
Court and verdict reporting says Genice Horta suffered severe right-hand and arm injuries when Maximus, a reported Belgian Malinois, attacked during a September 23, 2020 transfer at Los Angeles's East Valley Animal Services Center.
Incident summary
On September 23, 2020, Genice Horta went to the City of Los Angeles East Valley Animal Services Center to transport a dog named Maximus for a rescue group. Los Angeles Times-syndicated reporting says that after a shelter employee described the dog as having kennel anxiety, Horta offered Maximus a treat containing trazodone. The dog lunged and latched onto her right hand and arm. Later jury-verdict coverage reports severe injuries requiring at least six surgeries and leaving permanent damage. The civil case centered on whether the shelter and rescue group adequately disclosed and managed Maximus's previously documented bite/aggression history.
A Los Angeles County Superior Court jury awarded Horta approximately $5.4 million in damages in 2026 and apportioned fault 62.5% to the City of Los Angeles, 25% to HIT Living Foundation and 12.5% to Horta, according to published verdict coverage. BiteDB records this as a civil jury verdict; defendants may have post-trial or appellate remedies, and this entry does not imply a final appellate judgment.
Video, reporting and source material
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Primary record used by BiteDB
A Los Angeles Times report syndicated by AOL says HIT Living Foundation hired Horta to transport Maximus from the East Valley shelter to Arizona and that, on Sept. 23, 2020, Maximus lunged and latched onto her right hand and arm after she offered him a trazodone-containing treat. Later jury-verdict coverage reports the severe and lasting injury consequences and apportioned civil liability.
Open original source ↗Additional sources
- People — Woman Awarded $5.4 Million After Dog With Bite History Attacked Her at L.A. Animal Shelter — Independent jury-verdict coverage · 2026-02-27
- LA Animal Services — East Valley location information — Primary municipal source confirming shelter address · current
What BiteDB does not infer
Breed is recorded only at the provenance level shown above. Missing injury details, dog history, ownership facts or circumstances remain unknown unless a reliable source establishes them. This record may be updated as police, animal-control, medical, court or follow-up reporting becomes available.