A PET whisperer has blamed a cockapoo for getting itself mown down by a car while in her care.
Beloved dog Ebony suffered serious spinal injuries after being run over by an estate agent's car outside her home in Walthamstow, London, in October 2022.
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Writer and renowned wine critic Harry Eyres is blaming actress-turned-dog-sitter Kendra Torgan in a £180,000 court fight.
Mr Eyres, 66, says he was forced to spend thousands on life-saving spinal reconstruction surgery for his dog, which he regards as a “beloved member of his family”.
He is now trying to recoup the cost from Ms Torgan, who he blames for letting the cockerpoo escape from her garden and into the road.
Mr Eyres is seeking up to £30,000 in damages at Central London County Court with the case also set to run up over £150,000 in legal costs.
Ms Torgan starred as a “beautiful female assassin” in 1998 British crime thriller Killing Time before setting up a business offering pet “whispering” and “outdoor adventures for dogs”.
She denies the accident was her fault and blames the dog for its own injury.
Mr Eyres' lawyers say Ebony somehow “wandered into the road” while being looked after by Ms Torgan at her then home.
The 66-year-old ex-Etonian claims Ms Torgan “negligently failed to supervise the dog” and also “failed to call the dog back once it left her side”.
The Dexter's driver took Ebony and Ms Torgan to an emergency vets' clinic from where it was transferred to an animal hospital in Marlow for urgent treatment, court documents revealed.
Although Mr Eyres' pet survived the smash, it was found to have suffered a fractured spine which needed repeated reconstructive surgery with metalwork and screws inserted to hold the broken bones together.
He says he was left aghast when Ms Torgan allegedly wrote his lawyers an email suggesting “euthanasia” might be a cheaper option to surgery.
Mr Eyres, of Queens Park, is also suing the estate agents but both Ms Torgan and Dexter's are denying blame for the accident.
Ms Torgan claims she should not be sued personally over the incident but rather that Mr Eyres should target her company, despite it having been dissolved in 2023.
Ms Torgan is claiming the accident was “unforeseeable” as the dog took her by surprise when it suddenly wriggled out of her garden having “forced the gate open herself”.
Outside court after a brief pre-trial hearing at Central London County Court last week, Ms Torgan added of the incident: “It was completely out of character as (Ebony) bolted out of the gate.”
For his part, the Dexter's driver insists he was driving with the utmost care and the company's lawyers claim their driver had no chance to avoid hitting the dog which shot out into the street, said their solicitor Elaine Everett.
“Dexter's will aver that (Ms Torgan) failed to control the dog in question, resulting in it suddenly running into the road,” she added.
The pet payout fight reached court before Judge Daniel Bunting for a case management hearing.
Lawyers argued over issues including the extent of the expert medical evidence to be heard during the trial.
Ms Torgan was present at court but not represented by lawyers.
The case will return for a full trial at a later date.
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