Tapia Faces Suit Over Dogs’ Attack

The family of a 13-year-old boy is suing boxer Johnny Tapia to replace a goat herd destroyed by two of Tapia’s dogs.

His bull mastiffs got loose from his Alto home on May 7, entered a pen at Wesley Hall’s home and attacked the goats, according to a lawsuit filed in June.

Nineteen goats and 13 fetuses carried by pregnant goats were lost, the lawsuit said.

Hall said he would have settled for an apology from Tapia, but never received one.

“It would have been a lot better if he had apologized,” Hall said. “No, it’s not because he’s rich. I just wanted the dogs put down and money to replace my herd with.”

Tapia’s lawyer, Billy Blackburn, said that a representative of the boxer apologized and offered a settlement shortly after the attack.

But Hall’s mother, Kourtney, said the family never received an apology and that the offer was too low.

The Hall family wants to be paid for the goats and is seeking punitive damages, according to the lawsuit filed in state District Court in Carrizozo. One estimate placed on the goat losses by the Hall family attorney was between $148,000 and $168,000.

“We want to make sure we are not in a position to pay $160,000 for goats where Joe Smith, if he was down the street, would pay $20,000 for the same thing,” Blackburn said.