By ALYSSA KLEVEN
MyNorthwest.com

A man died last week when he contracted a bacterial infection from a dog bite, and his family is suing the dog owner.

Chris Davis, Kenneth Bock's family's attorney talked to KIRO Radio's Dave Ross on Monday about the case and whether a preexisting condition of Bock's would make a prosecuting the dog owner more difficult.

Bock, who was an employee at Chain Lake Mini-Storage, had gone out to talk to Konrad Haskins who was sitting in his car with his dog, after the dog had, reportedly, bit another customer at the storage facility, according to Davis.

Davis says that Haskins had brought his dog to the storage facility, where he rents a unit, and was letting the dog wander the property independently. When another customer came into the office to complain that they had been bitten by Haskin's dog, Haskins took his dog and sat in his truck.

According to Davis, Bock approached Haskins and his dog in the vehicle. The stories differ when Haskins reports that Bock approached his car window on the passengers' side, where his dog was sitting. Then according to Haskins' reports, Bock stuck his hand inside the vehicle and the dog bit it.

However, Davis said Bock approached Haskins on the drivers' side of the car. When he went to speak to Haskins, the dog that was sitting on his lap reached outside the car and bit Bock.

Bock treated the wound as a minor injury, cleaned it, wrapped it, and made plans to go to the doctor the next day. But Davis says that by the time Bock got to the doctor, his left leg was already numb due to a blood clot.

Bock died seven days later from a bacterial infection that he received from the dog bite, despite doctors identifying what was making Bock sick as early as the day after the dog bite.

Davis says Bock was susceptible to the bacteria because his spleen was removed several years ago. According to Davis that the infection could have happen to anyone, he just happened to be more vulnerable.

According to common law on dog ownership, dog owners are responsible from keep their animal away from humans if it shows signs of aggressive behavior, and can be handled by confining the animal to a place away from humans, or putting them down. Owners are also liable for dog bites when they occur on public property or the dog owner's property, if the person has been invited onto the property.

Haskins put the dog to sleep two days before Bock died.