Wells v. Burns

480 S.W.2d 31, 1972 Tex. App. LEXIS 2611
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedMarch 29, 1972
Docket6227
StatusPublished
Cited by18 cases

This text of 480 S.W.2d 31 (Wells v. Burns) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Wells v. Burns, 480 S.W.2d 31, 1972 Tex. App. LEXIS 2611 (Tex. Ct. App. 1972).

Opinion

OPINION

RAMSEY, Chief Justice.

This is a suit for damages for loss of sheep by alleged sheep killing dogs. David S. Burns, Plaintiff-Appellee, brought suit against Mrs. Clay Wells, Defendant-Appellant, for the value of his sheep killed; for medical expenses incurred by his wife; for loss of work hours and for mental anguish resulting from Defendant’s allegedly vicious dogs. Judgment was entered by the Court on a jury verdict. We affirm.

Two issues were answered by the jury favorable to the Plaintiff. The first issue inquired whether or not the Defendant’s dogs attacked Plaintiff’s sheep after August 9, 1969. This issue was answered “yes.” The second issue awarded damages in the sum of $384.00.

The plaintiff plead and undertook to prove his cause of action on strict liability. The principal import of the Defendant’s defense was based on the negligence theory.

The decisions in this State, relating to injuries by animals, in the absence of statutory violation, generally follow the common law. 25 Tex.Law Rev. 103, 4 Baylor Law Rev. 183, 16 Tex.Law Rev. *33 395. To impose strict liability on the owner or keeper of a dangerous domesticated animal, it becomes incumbent on the Plaintiff to plead and prove the following:

1. That the animal is of vicious, dangerous or mischievous propensities; and,
2. That the owner or keeper has knowledge, either actual or constructive, of such characteristics; and,
3. That injury or damage result from such propensities of which the owner or keeper had knowledge.

The applicable rule of law is set forth in Hill v. Palms et al., Tex.Civ.App., 237 S.W.2d 455 (n. w. h.) and followed as recently as 1971 in Lewis v. Great Southwest Corporation et al., Tex.Civ.App., 473 S.W.2d 228 (writ ref’d n. r. e.). Other cases following the strict liability doctrine are Moore v. McKay, Tex.Civ.App., 55 S.W.2d 865 (n. w. h.); Arrington Funeral Home v. Taylor, et ux., Tex.Civ.App., 474 S.W.2d 299 (writ history not yet published); Bly et ux. v. Swafford et ux., Tex.Civ.App., 199 S.W.2d 1015 (n. w. h.); Triolo v. Foster, Tex.Civ.App., 57 S.W. 698 (n. w. h.). The majority of Texas decisions are based on strict liability. We find only two decisions are reported in which liability is predicated on negligence. Badali v. Smith, Tex.Civ.App., 37 S.W. 642 (n. w. h.) and Dakan v. Humphreys, Tex.Civ.App., 190 S.W.2d 371 (n. w. h.).

Moore v. McKay, supra, presents the clearest discussion on strict liability. Dak-an v. Humphreys, supra, is strikingly similar to the facts here, and sets forth the elements that have been held necessary to support a judgment under the negligence theory.

The testimony shows that the Plaintiff was a rancher and had engaged in this occupation for some 40 years. Plaintiff’s ranch and the Defendant’s land were almost adjacent, though their houses were approximately one and a half miles apart. In the latter part of May or the first of June, 1969, Plaintiff noticed that his lambs were being attacked by something. The lambs were found in the pasture with their right flank chewed on or eaten. Even though Plaintiff was aware of the Defendant’s dogs, he did not suspect them at first because they were so small. Prior to the time of the injuries to his lambs, the Plaintiff testified that he ran the dogs home on three occasions. The injuries to the sheep were puzzling, and Plaintiff testified as to the methods employed by various predators. He testified that dogs would usually chew on the ears and nose; that coyotes would cut their throats and kill them; that bobcats would catch lambs and carry them off, eat what they wanted and hide the remainder ; and that badgers would do as bobcats and would drag the lamb into a hole. Also, he did not originally suspect dogs because he had never seen dogs “just work on the hips.” He never could hear any dogs barking. Plaintiff eventually concluded, however, that dogs must be molesting his sheep since he found tracks leading from his fence line toward Defendant’s home and he could not find evidence of any predator. Plaintiff and his wife would remain in the pasture at night but were never able to see what was attacking their sheep. Plaintiff’s wife fell off a horse while doing so and broke her ankle. It was then that Plaintiff and his wife went to see the Defendant at her home on August 9, 1969, and advised her that her dogs were killing his sheep.

The Defendant is a widow living alone. She had the dogs to warn her of rattlesnakes and to bark when anyone approached her house. Her reaction to Plaintiff’s accusation of her dogs was that she was “floored.” She advised Plaintiff that if her dogs were killing his sheep he had a right to kill them. During the time in question, Defendant had a male and a female dog. The female had a litter of three pups on May 30, 1969, which would have been about the time the Plaintiff began to notice the injuries to his sheep. Demand was made by Plaintiff on Defendant for the value of his sheep but Defendant *34 refused to believe that her dogs were responsible due to their size.

No issue was submitted inquiring whether or not Defendant’s dogs were vicious, dangerous or mischievous, nor was any issue submitted inquiring whether or not Defendant had actual or constructive knowledge of such propensities. No request was made for either submission. Both issues are basic and fundamental to impose strict liability and, as stated in Moore v. McKay, supra, constitute the very gravamen of the cause of action. However, Defendant made no objection to the Court’s failure to submit such issues as contemplated by Rule 274, Texas Rules of Civil Procedure. Thus, the Defendant has waived any error in failing to present such objection.

The Defendant did object generally to the failure of the Court to submit issues that would be sufficient to support a verdict, which objection was carried forward in a motion for judgment non ob-stante veredicto, motion for new trial. The objections are all couched in general terms and are not sufficient to comply with Rule 274, T.R.C.P. in order to apprise the Court the basis of such objections. It is generally held that when there are no objections or requests concerning omitted special issues, they will be deemed found in support of the judgment if there is evidence to support such implied findings. Rule 279, T.R.C.P.; Boyett v. Enders, Tex.Civ.App., 456 S.W.2d 701 (n. w. h.); Kirk v. Standard Life and Accident Insurance Company, 475 S.W.2d 570 (Tex.Sup.Ct.1972); Wichita Falls & Oklahoma Ry. Co. et al. v. Pepper, 134 Tex. 360, 135 S.W.2d 79 (1940).

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
480 S.W.2d 31, 1972 Tex. App. LEXIS 2611, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/wells-v-burns-texapp-1972.