Victim Tries to Take Dogs from Haddonfield Doctor

The parents of a toddler whose ear was torn off in 2009 after being bitten by the dog of a former Haddonfield surgeon are now suing the doctor for monetary damages and to take possession of his three remaining dogs.

Cindi and Dennis McVeigh filed the lawsuit in Superior Court in Camden last week for their daughter Claire, who was 3 years old when the incident occurred on Nov. 18, 2009, at a Salem County goat farm owned by Dr. Robert Taffet. Their attorney said the couple wants money for their pain and suffering and wants to put Taffet’s remaining three dogs in an animal rescue facility. 

The McVeighs fear the dogs may injure someone else, the lawyer added.

“The pattern here is repeated attacks, often involving children, and no effort appears to be being made by the Taffets to protect children,” said Randy Greene, the McVeighs' attorney. “This is exactly what they predicted would happen. They were the ones who requested that Duke be put down last summer. This lawsuit has been in the wings waiting for Claire to complete her treatment, but after the recent attack the decision was made that we would move forward.”

The Taffet dogs are all Rhodesian ridgebacks, originally bred as lion hunters in Africa. Last month, the Taffets voluntarily euthanized Duke, the dog that bit Claire, after he attacked another child at the family's Haddonfield home in the 100 block of Upland Way, an upscale neighborhood near the Tavistock Country Club.

Duke was voluntarily by the Taffets on April 29, two weeks after a teenage friend of one of the doctor’s daughters was bitten. Taffet said Duke was going after one of the other dogs when the girl bounded up cellar stairs and got in between, according to a police report last week.

The incident wasn’t reported to police until April 27. The police report and the Taffets said the girl did not initially know she was injured but later discovered she had a puncture wound on her shoulder.

Dr. Taffet said he had “no comment “ on the lawsuit after being reached by phone Monday.

“I don’t have an official comment yet,” he said. “I’m aware it’s pending, but how can I have any comment if I haven’t seen it yet?”

There have been at least five reported incidents of the Taffets' dogs attacking others. One of their dogs, Rocky, was declared a “vicious dog” by Haddonfield several years ago after two biting incidents. That designation required the Taffets to erect fences around their home, post signs on the fences about the dogs and increase their homeowner’s insurance.

Duke, the dog put down last month, is an offspring of Rocky. Another twist in this story involves how the Taffets, who once had six Rhodesian ridgebacks, acquired Duke. They said he was part of a litter that was being mistreated. They took in him and several other pups in the litter. One of the pups they gave away went to the McVeighs, formerly family friends. Greene, their lawyer, said they did not keep the dog long, but had no further details.

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