A North County man has filed a claim against the city of Escondido for $1.5 million after his assistance dog was clawed by a library cat. Hear From Espinosa, Librarians Rik Espinosa (pictured, right) entered the downtown branch of the Escondido library last November with his dog, Kimba. As they walked into the library they were immediately approached by L.C., the library cat. According to Espinosa, a fight between the animals ensued and Kimba suffered scratches from L.C. The cat was not injured. Espinosa claims that his mixed-breed dog helps him because he suffers from a panic disorder and Kimba can sense his attacks before they actually happen. Espinosa says that the fight caused him mental anguish. In his claim, Espinosa says that his federal and state constitutional rights were violated and that "...the defendants actions' and subsequent inactions' caused Espinosa to suffer significant lasting, extreme and severe mental anguish and emotional distress including, but not limited to, terror, humiliation, shame, embarrassment, mortification, chagrin, depression, panic, anxiety, flashbacks, nightmares, loss of sleep..." L.C. (pictured, right) has been a fixture at the library for the past eight years. Patrons often stop to pet the black cat as they enter the library. The cat even has a Web site dedicated to him. The library has been ordered by the City of Escondido not to discuss the incident, but says that it has had a dog-alert system in place for some time. Espinosa says that he is not trying to have the cat removed from the library, but he wants the library to warn people with assistance animals better, and he wants the city to pay for his pain and suffering. Additional Resources:

• Learn More About L.C. The Cat
• Find Library Cats Around The United States