Bucks County Man Who Sued Over Food Stamps For Dog Pleads Guilty To Perjury

An Upper Makefield man who made international headlines after suing the government for denying his dog food stamps has pleaded guilty to felony perjury.

The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that James George Douris, 60, on Wednesday admitted he lied about his disabilities that were cited in more than 30 lawsuits against various government agencies.

Douris was charged with perjury nearly a year ago, after he was seen doing physical tasks that led authorities to believe he was not being truthful about the disabilities he said he had under oath.

PennLive.com reports Douris was seen painting his house on a ladder and unloading his wheelchair from his car before a court hearing, despite testifying that he had trouble walking and holding objects.

In 2010, Douris sued the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare because they wouldn’t provide food stamps for a service dog he said was needed to pull his wheelchair.

In that lawsuit, Douris claimed his dog should be treated as a dependent member of his household for purposes of determining his food stamp allotment. According to the lawsuit, the $176 monthly allotment was not enough for Douris to provide his dog, which he said he used to help him pull his wheelchair, with the fresh meat and poultry that was part of the canine’s diet.

Douris has filed additional lawsuits against various agencies, including one that alleged he was not able to apply for a job with Bucks County because the bathrooms did not have the bidet toilets he needed for his disabilities, according to the Inquirer.