Was the McRat's name Terrell?

DALLAS (AP) - Dallas Cowboys assistant coach Todd Haley is suing a suburban McDonald's, claiming his wife and the family's live-in baby sitter found a dead rat in their salad.

The lawsuit filed Thursday in state district court seeks $1.7 million in damages, The Dallas Morning News reported on its Web site.

In addition to Haley, the Cowboys' passing game coordinator who got in a well-publicized shouting match with Terrell Owens earlier this month, the suit was also filed on behalf of his wife Christine and the family's au pair, Kathryn Kelley.

A message left for McDonald's Corp. spokesman Walt Riker on Thursday evening was not immediately returned.

According to the lawsuit, Christine Haley and Kelley had eaten part of the salad purchased June 5 at a McDonald's in Southlake before the dead rodent was uncovered.

The women became violently ill and endured long-lasting physical injuries, the lawsuit said.

In the Cowboys' loss to Philadelphia on Oct. 8, Owens (above right) was seen screaming at Haley (above left) on the sidelines. Owens later said his relationship with Haley was ruined, but then said after his three-touchdown game against the Texans on Oct. 15 that there was mutual respect between the two.