A Fox Business anchor is suing Whole Foods Market after she says an unauthorized dog attacked her inside a Manhattan store, leaving her with permanent injuries, significant scarring, and continuing physical limitations.
Jacqueline “Jackie” DeAngelis, 46, filed the lawsuit against Whole Foods Market Group in Manhattan Supreme Court on Aug. 20, nearly three years after the encounter at the company’s Columbus Circle location.
The verified complaint says DeAngelis was lawfully shopping inside the grocery store at 10 Columbus Circle on Sept. 20, 2023, when another customer’s dog suddenly attacked and bit her.
The dog, described in media reports as a black pit bull, and its unidentified owner reportedly left the store before responding police officers arrived.
DeAngelis underwent surgery following the attack and alleges that she suffered injuries involving “significant scarring and disfigurement,” along with pain, emotional distress and ongoing medical expenses.
“Plaintiff’s injuries and resulting damages are permanent and continuing in nature,” the lawsuit states.
The complaint further alleges that DeAngelis has been “unable to perform her usual activities and duties for periods of time and may continue to suffer limitations in the future.”
Her attorneys contend that the dog was neither a trained service animal nor otherwise authorized to be inside the grocery store under Whole Foods’ posted animal-admission policy.
According to the filing, Whole Foods displayed signs near the store’s entrance informing customers that pets were prohibited and distinguishing trained service animals from emotional-support animals.
The lawsuit argues that the company possessed the authority to direct customers with unauthorized animals to remove them from the store but failed to exercise that authority before DeAngelis was bitten.
The complaint alleges that the dog entered through an area “monitored, staffed, supervised and/or controlled” by Whole Foods employees and that its presence inside the store was “open and visible.”
“The subject dog was present within the store for a sufficient period of time and under such circumstances that defendant, in the exercise of reasonable care, should have discovered its presence prior to the attack upon plaintiff,” the filing states.
DeAngelis alleges that employees either knew or should have known the animal was inside and had sufficient time to determine whether it was permitted to remain on the premises.
The lawsuit goes further by alleging that Whole Foods “routinely and knowingly” failed to control and regulate unauthorized animals inside the store both on the day of the attack and before it occurred.
Her attorneys cite New York retail food-store sanitation regulations generally excluding live animals from operational and immediately adjacent areas, subject to specified exceptions such as those covering service animals.
The filing maintains that the dog involved in the attack did not qualify for any applicable exception and should have been removed under the store’s own policies.
DeAngelis also alleges that she “did not provoke, threaten or otherwise engage” the dog in any manner that caused or contributed to the attack.
The complaint accuses Whole Foods of failing to monitor the premises adequately, enforce its animal policies, train its employees and protect customers from unauthorized animals in close proximity to them.
Her attorneys characterize the attack and resulting injuries as “reasonably preventable” if the company had exercised appropriate care under the circumstances.
The allegations have not been tested in court, and Whole Foods will have an opportunity to dispute both its alleged responsibility for the attack and the damages DeAngelis is seeking.
DeAngelis is asking for the maximum damages permitted by law beyond the jurisdictional limits of lower courts, along with litigation costs, but the complaint does not identify a specific dollar amount.
Whole Foods declined to comment to Mediaite because the litigation remains pending, while Fox Business did not provide the outlet with a statement about its anchor’s lawsuit.
DeAngelis joined Fox Business Network as a financial correspondent in April 2019 and currently co-hosts “The Big Money Show” alongside Taylor Riggs, Brian Brenberg and Dagen McDowell.
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