Family files wrongful death law against Holiday Lakes, dog owner

The family of a 13-year-old boy killed in a dog attack has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Holiday Lakes Homes Association and Damon Leonard in Linn County District Court. (Journal file photo)

By Charlene Sims, Journal staff

LCJeditor@icloud.com

MOUND CITY - The parents of Airen Andula, 13-year-old Pleasanton student who was mauled by dogs owned by Damon Leonard at Holiday Lakes on December 21, 2025 filed a civil lawsuit against the Holiday Lakes Homes Association, et al and Damon Leonard on July 9, 2026 in the Linn County District  Court.

Airen’s parents, Anita Gunn and Charles J. Andula, represented by Lucas Law Firm, Kansas City, Missouri, charge in the lawsuit that Holiday Lakes Association “failed to exercise its authority and enforce its own rules and regulations to address and abate the known danger within the  community’s common areas.”

The lawsuit states that “upon information and belief, Defendant Holiday Lakes Association had a rule or rules purporting to prevent residents’ dogs from running at large” and also “had a ‘restricted breed list,’ preventing residents from owning or possessing dogs of certain breeds known to be dangerous to humans.”

The suit states that “Defendant Damon Leonard possessed numerous dogs known to be dangerous breeds, including pit bulls, mastiffs, and Cane Corsos.”

Also stated in the lawsuit, “Defendant Holiday Lakes Homes Association knew, or in the exercise of reasonable care should have known, that Defendant Leonard repeatedly allowed his dogs to run at large within the Holiday Lakes community and that those dogs posed a foreseeable danger to residents, including children using the community’s common areas.”

The lawsuit points out that Leonard tried to cover up the incident on December 21, 2025. It states, “upon information and belief, Defendant Leonard took the dog he believed to be responsible for the mauling, shot it, and buried it.” And “then took Airen’s body, traveled across state lines, and dumped him in a remote creek bed in Bates County, Missouri.”

The lawsuit provides the information that “Defendant Leonard has been charged criminally for his actions related to Airen’s death.” And “Most recently, on May 29, 2026, Defendant Leonard pleaded guilty to Abandonment of a Corpse (RSMo § 194.425) in Bates County, Missouri, and was sentenced to four years’ incarceration.”

The lawsuit addresses the negligence of both Holiday Lakes and Damon Leonard. The “Plaintiffs Anita Gunn and Charles Andula are the heirs at law of decedent Airen

Andula and individually assert their claims under the Kansas Wrongful Death Act, K.S.A. 60-1901 et seq. and any other applicable Kansas law for any and all damages to which they are entitled related to the death of their son, Airen Andula, including funeral expenses.”

In the lawsuit, the plaintiffs demand that a jury trial on all issues and claims in the suit.

Also, stated in the lawsuit, the “Plaintiffs Anita Gunn and Charles Andula, respectfully request this Court enter judgment against Defendant Holiday Lakes on Count I of Plaintiffs’ Petition,award a fair and reasonable amount in excess of this Court’s minimum requirement for jurisdiction to lie – in excess of Seventy-five Thousand Dollars ($75,000.00), and to adequately compensate Plaintiffs for all their damages allowed under the law, including prejudgment interest, interest on the judgment, all the costs of this action, as well as such other and further relief as the Court deems just and fair.”

The lawsuit asks for the same judgment against Damon Leonard.

The summons for both Holiday Lakes and Damon Leonard say, “Within 21 days after service of this summons on you (not counting the day you received it), you must serve on the plaintiff an answer to the attached petition or a motion under K.S.A. 60-212. Under Kansas Supreme Court Rule 113, you may seek from the clerk of the court an extension of up to 14 additional days to serve and to file an answer or a K.S.A. 60-212 motion.

“If you fail within 21 days to serve and to file an answer or a K.S.A. 60-212 motion or

obtain a Rule 113 extension, the court may enter default judgment against you for the relief demanded in the petition. If you were served outside of Kansas, however, the court may not enter default judgment against you until at least 30 days after service of this summons.”

Both summons were electronically filed on July 9, 2026.  According to an “Affidavit of Service,” Leonard received his summons on July 21, 2026. No reply has been recorded in the district court records as of 5 p.m., July 29. The records do not show the Holiday Lakes summons being delivered.

Also, as of 5 p.m., July 29, in the district court records, there were no attorneys listed for either Holiday Lakes or Leonard.