By James Halpin | CITIZENSVOICE.COM | Sep 4, 2024
A Luzerne County home caretaker is being sued for negligence after her pit bull viciously attacked the elderly man who hired her in what is alleged to have been a “near-fatal dog mauling” in Berwick.
Jennifer Ann Ungureit, 31, of Hunlock Creek
Jennifer Ann Ungureit, 31, of Hunlock Creek, and her former employer, Comfort Keepers, are targeted in the lawsuit filed by the Wilkes-Barre law firm Anzalone & Doyle Trial Lawyers.
The suit was brought on behalf of Berwick residents Ronald R. Rupp Sr. and his wife Mary L. Rupp, who employed Comfort Keepers to assist with care for Mary Rupp’s dementia.
According to the complaint, Ungureit lacked reliable transportation to their home at 1937 Spring Garden Ave., and eventually moved into their attached garage along with her “violent pit bull.”
On Dec. 18, 2023, Ungureit failed to report for work, leading Ronald Rupp to search for her in the garage. When he opened the door, the dog began a vicious attack that lasted between 30-60 minutes, ending only after he struggled to get inside his house and call 911, attorneys Patrick J. Doyle Sr. and Kelly M. Ciravolo wrote in the complaint.
Medics found Ronald Rupp in a pool of blood, with puncture wounds to his face, body and arms, the suit alleges. The complaint also says “his right arm had several tearing bite wounds with a large chunk of flesh completely missing on his lower right forearm just above his wrist up to the elbow.”
The dog, a black-and-white pit bull, was found with a blood-stained face in the backyard. Ungureit claimed she had been asleep in the garage and had not heard the commotion of the hour-long attack in progress, according to the complaint.
Ronald Rupp was rushed to Geisinger Medical Center in Danville in critical condition, and suffered permanent incapacitation as a result of the “catastrophic injuries he sustained,” the complaint says.
Berwick police previously charged Ungureit with allowing a dog attack that resulted in serious injury and harboring a dangerous animal in connection with the incident. Court records show she is free on $5,000 unsecured bail as she awaits trial in Columbia County.
The lawsuit alleges that Ungureit, who has over a dozen traffic violations on her record along with allegations of retail theft and harassment, should never have been hired to a trusted position as a caretaker with Comfort Keepers.
“Not only was Ms. Ungureit unqualified to work as a caregiver for Mrs. Rupp, she also had a questionable criminal history, an invalid driver’s license and lacked a permanent residence, which should have been identified as red flags by Comfort Keepers prior to hiring Ms. Ungureit,” the attorneys wrote.
The suit alleges negligence and recklessness, among other violations, against Comfort Keepers as well as Ungureit.
A spokeswoman for Comfort Keepers did not immediately return a message seeking comment.
