Settlement Reached in Lawsuit Over Wild Dog Mauling at Pittsburgh Zoo

A settlement was reached this week in a lawsuit filed by the parents of a toddler who was mauled to death by wild dogs at the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium.

The suit was filed by the parents of 2-year-old Maddox Derkosh, who died in November 2012 after being mauled by a pack of African painted dogs.

Maddox’s mother had set her son on the railing of a viewing platform when he fell in to the enclosure of the wild dog exhibit. He was attacked by 11 African painted dogs, which is slightly smaller in stature than the grey wolf – the largest breed among wild canines.

According to lawsuit documents, the zoo had allegedly received several warnings from employees that the African painted dog exhibit was unsafe.

The official terms of the settlement were not publicly released.