92-year-old Alzheimer's patient mauled by stray dog at Texas care facility, attorney says

TOMBALL, Texas -- Warning: The moment the dog leaps on the woman in the above video may be hard to watch.

A 92-year-old woman with advanced Alzheimer's was viciously attacked by a stray dog allowed into the facility where she was a patient, her attorney says.

Mike Kerensky said his client, Norma Graves, was a resident at the Village Green Alzheimer's Care Home on Medical Complex Drive in Tomball, Texas when she was attacked on Feb. 12 and Feb. 22.

On Tuesday, Kerensky alleged the facility adopted the dog and allowed it to roam the halls and rooms unrestrained. He also claimed it bit another resident.

Kerensky says that, when Graves was attacked the first time, the facility covered it up and didn't notify her family.

He added that the second time she was allegedly attacked, the dog knocked her to the ground and mauled her face. Kerensky also claims Graves may need plastic surgery, that she almost lost one of her eyes, and she will have scars.

Graves has advanced Alzheimer's, operating on the level of a 3-year-old, but she loves dogs.

"She loves dogs. We all do. This isn't the dog's fault. Dogs who are allowed into facilities like this need special training because for a dog to interpret the actions of people who have Alzheimer's is very difficult. It scares them. They don't understand what to do, and that's probably why this dog attacked Norma," Kerensky told reporters.

After the incident, Kerensky says the dog went missing and was supposed to go into quarantine but alleges that didn't happen until a week later.

Kerensky filed a temporary restraining order Tuesday against Village Green to protect potential evidence including surveillance video and documents, accusing the home of ignoring previous requests to preserve the footage.

The attorney says they also want to make sure nothing happens to the dog so they can see it and test it.

According to Kerensky, Graves' family demanded to see surveillance video and recorded what they saw on a cellphone.

"Two things: One is justice for Norma. The second thing is somehow get the owners of this facility to understand that if you're going to use dogs for companions, therapy, support, they have to be properly trained. They have to be properly supervised, and you have to do it the right way. You just can't take a stray off the side of the street and put it in a home," Kerensky said.

Graves is no longer a resident at the facility.

Our sister station, ABC13, has reached out to Village Green for comment.