We left our beloved cockapoo with a ‘canine whisperer’ – just for our household’s life to be turned the wrong way up
A wine critic suing an actress-turned-dogsitter in a £180,000 court battle has told how he blames her for his beloved cockapoo being run over by an estate agent which has put his family through five years of hell.
Harry Eyres, 66, is involved in a legal fight with Kendra Torgan after adorable Ebony suffered serious spinal injuries when it was hit by an estate agent’s car.
At the time the black cockapoo was being looked after by Ms Torgan but escaped from her garden and into the road where she was hit.
It left her with a fractured spine, and she so badly hurt it was initially feared she would have to be put down, but she was saved by brilliant work from a vet who inserted 13 screws and a plate into her.
Cuddling his dog on the doorstep of his north London home, Mr Eyres said told MailOnline: ‘The whole thing has been so traumatic for us and for Ebony.
‘The case hasn’t been resolved yet but thankfully she is doing okay now, although she will never really be the same again.
‘Anyone who has a cockapoo will know how energetic and full of life they are, but Ebony won’t be able to jump around as we have been told it won’t do her any good.
‘She has 13 screws in her back and an implant, and she has to see the vet, but it wouldn’t be correct to go into details of the case before it’s been heard.
Wine critic Harry Eyres, 66, and his black cockapoo dog Ebony, who he describes as ‘a beloved member of the family’
Harry Eyres, 66, sits by the water with wife Ching Ling and the couple’s pet cockapoo Ebony
Mr Eyres said the cockapoo’s accident was ‘extremely traumatic’ for both him, his wife and Ebony
‘We are all incredibly upset by what happened, it was extremely traumatic. We are pursuing it because we have incurred considerable costs as a result.’
Publicly available court documents reveal he is seeking up to £30,000 in damages at the Central London County Court, including £24,714 for ‘past losses’ which is believed to cover the vet bills.
However, the case is also set to run up more than £150,000 in legal costs and Mr Eyres is also suing the estate agents Dexter’s but both they and Ms Torgan are refuting any blame for the accident.
Lawyers for Mr Eyres and his wife Ching Ling say ‘Ebony wandered into the road’ while being looked after by Ms Torgan at her home in Kensal Rise, in October 2022 and was then struck by a car driven by an employee of Dexter’s.
Ms Torgan is a former actress who starred as a ‘beautiful assassin’ in 1998 British crime thriller Killing Time and insists Ebony was at fault for her own injury.
MailOnline can reveal that Ebony was saved after brilliant work from Italian born vet Lorenzo Mari, head of neurology and neurosurgery at The Ralph, a veterinary clinic in Marlow, Buckinghamshire.
The Ralph was named in honour of a cat, saved by its founder fellow vet Shailen Jasani, after being hit by a car.
Old Etonian Mr Eyres added to MailOnline: ’Ebony has had two big operations and now has 13 screws in her and has to be constantly monitored.
Ebony required ‘two big operations’ after the accident and now has 13 screws in her back, an an implant and has to be constantly monitored
Ebony was saved by Italian-born vet Lorenzo Mari, head of neurology and neurosurgery at The Ralph, a veterinary clinic in Marlow, Buckinghamshire
Mr Eyres is involved in a legal fight with ‘dog whisperer’ Kendra Torgan after adorable Ebony (not pictured) suffered serious spinal injuries when it was hit by an estate agent’s car while under her care
Mr Eyres said Ebony ‘was so young when this happened and will never be the same dog as before but she’s happy and has a good quality of life’
‘The Ralph have done a fantastic job and the surgeon has been excellent, although we have been told Ebony has to avoid extreme jumping.
‘When it happened, I was at a wedding and to be given this news was nerve wracking, it was appalling not knowing how she was and whether she would survive.
‘We have had her for almost five years, since she was a puppy and she is part of our family but we know she will never go back to being a normal dog.
‘Cockapoos are very energetic and love to run around and jump and because of what happened Ebony can’t do that as she has to be very careful.
‘We have to be careful with her and she requires monitoring and aftercare physiotherapy which costs money, but we are doing this because we love her so, so much.
‘She was so young when this happened and will never be the same dog as before but she’s happy and has a good quality of life.
‘We went through all the surgery to save her because we love her, and she was a young dog, full of life and we wanted her to have a life and thankfully she is now having it.’
Mr Eyres claims in the court documents that Ms Torgan ‘negligently failed to supervise the dog’ and also ‘failed to call the dog back once it left her side’.
Mr Eyres said ‘Anyone who has a cockapoo will know how energetic and full of life they are, but Ebony won’t be able to jump around as we have been told it won’t do her any good’
Ms Eyre’s wife Ching Ling talks cockapoo Ebony out for a woodland walk
The couple say their beloved dog requires monitoring and aftercare physiotherapy which costs money, but ‘we are doing this because we love her so, so much’
Ms Torgan is a former actress, who starred in 1998 British crime thriller Killing Time, before setting up a business offering pet ‘whispering’ and ‘outdoor adventures for dogs’
Kendra Torgan outside Central London County Court after a hearing in relation to the injured dog Ebony
The estate agent and Ms Torgan took Ebony to an emergency vet before she was transferred to the specialist unit at Marlow where the reconstructive surgery took place.
Ms Torgan set up her dog sitting business after retiring from acting and offers walking, puppy training, as well as more exotic pet ‘whispering’ and outdoor adventures for dogs.’
Following the accident in October 2022, after Ebony escaped from Ms Tondra’s then home, Mr Eyres as part of his evidence says he was ‘left aghast’ when Ms Torgan allegedly wrote to his lawyers an email suggesting ‘euthanasia’ might be a cheaper option to surgery.
Ms Torgan claims she should not be sued personally over the incident but rather that Mr Eyres should target her company, despite it being dissolved two years ago.
Lawyers representing Dexter’s say the driver was driving with utmost care and had no chance to avoid Ebony after she shot out into the street.
Speaking outside court after an earlier hearing Ms Torgan said: ‘It was completely out of character as (Ebony) bolted out of the gate.’
The case management hearing was told the loser could face a bill of more than £180,000, with £30,000 damage being sought and Mr Eyres costs budgeted at £112,390, while those of Dexter’s are said to be £40,337.
A full trial is expected later this year and Ms Torgan was unavailable for further comment having moved out of her flat.
