A lawsuit filed in Linn County alleges a man suffered serious medical issues after being attacked by an “abnormally dangerous” cat at Albany Helping Hands.
Filed in March, the suit claims the faith-based nonprofit that serves the homeless community was negligent in allowing the cat to reside on the property and seeks more than $560,000 in damages.
Albany Helping Hands is being sued after a cat, described as "abnormally dangerous," allegedly attacked a client at the nonprofit.
In the suit, Christopher Avlonitis says he was diagnosed with sepsis and cellulitis in his legs, among other medical issues, after the cat scratched and bit him. He spent a week in the hospital, the suit says.
But in a different court document, the organization denies it was negligent and asserts any damages Avlonitis sustained were the result of his own negligence. Helping Hands Executive Director David Steele declined to comment on the details of the suit.
According to the lawsuit, Helping Hands staff warned Avlonitis about the cat when he moved in, and he had never interacted with it because of warnings that it was “temperamental.”
Early one morning in August 2024, Avlonitis says he went outside for a cigarette and saw the cat lying about a foot from the building entrance. He claims that without provocation, the animal sprung at him, aggressively biting and scratching his leg.
He knocked the cat off him, but it went after his other leg, he alleges. Once he shook the cat off, he found lacerations on both of his legs. A staff member reportedly gave him napkins and bandages to treat his bleeding limbs.
In the suit, Avlonitis says two days later he began feeling sick. He alleges when he asked for a ride to the hospital, a staff member laughed at him and called him a derogatory word and made a joke about him having “cat scratch fever.”
The following day, still unable to get a ride to the hospital from staff, he paid for someone to take him in. He says he was in extreme pain and couldn’t walk properly. Experiencing heart palpitations and a fever of 101 degrees with chills, he was diagnosed with sepsis and cellulitis, according to the lawsuit.
While in the hospital, Avlonitis was given an MRI, the results of which suggested a developing abscess in his right leg, which had severe cellulitis, the suit claims. His chest was X-rayed to evaluate potential pulmonary edema, and he underwent a transthoracic echocardiogram due to congestive heart failure, the suit says.
Discharged from the hospital after a week, Avlonitis says when he returned to Helping Hands, the cat was still there. About a month later, he returned to the hospital with swelling of his right big toe and was diagnosed with cellulitis in the digit, requiring a new round of antibiotics, he says.
The lawsuit calls for a jury trial and seeks $62,000 in economic damages and $500,000 in noneconomic damages, amounts that may be amended prior to trial. A case management hearing was held in November and another is set for March.
Court documents show Avlonitis’ attorney withdrew representation in August, “citing irreconcilable differences.” Avlonitis is currently proceeding without an attorney.
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