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Information gathered by DogsBite.org is verifiable1 through Internet archive services and our Fatality Citations section, which contains a copy of each article cited.
2007 statistics
- 35 U.S. fatal dog attacks occurred in 2007. Pit bull type dogs were responsible for 60%. Pit bulls make up approximately 5% of the U.S. dog population.2
- The combination of pit bulls (21), rottweilers (4) and American bulldogs (3) accounted for 80% of all fatal attacks.
- 51% of the attacks occurred to children (11 years and under) and 49% occurred to adults (21 years and older). Of the adults, 76% occurred to ages 55 and older.
- 46% of fatal attacks in 2007 involved multiple dogs; 23% involved chained dogs.
- 80% of the attacks occurred on owner property and 20% off owner property. Of the off-property attacks, 57% (4) were attributed to pit bulls.
- 60% of the victims were female; 40% of the victims were male. Of the female victims, nearly half (10) were 55 years and older.
- The state of Texas had the most fatalities (7). Of these fatalities, 86% (6) were attributed to pit bulls.
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2007 fatality chart
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In 2007, two fatalities involved dogs from two different breeds, thus producing a "death credit" total of 37, rather than 35. Four dog breeds each contributed to one death and included a mastiff-mix, doberman pinscher, husky and wolf hybrid.
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2007 victims
Each victim circumstance is recorded below. Items listed as "unknown" are areas of incidences not found in news reports. If you have further information, please contact dogsbite.org.
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10-years old | San Antonio, TX
Amber Jones, 10-years old, had been practicing cheerleading moves in her backyard that day. Next door, the neighbor's dog was attempting to jump over the fence. By doing so, his collar got caught in the chain-link. This had happened in the past. Amber did not fear the dog; she had a history of playing with him. When Amber went to free his collar, as she had done many times before, the pit bull attacked and killed her.
| Date of death: |
January 12, 2007 |
|
Chained: |
Unknown |
| Breed of dog: |
Pit bull |
|
Relationship to dog: |
Non-family |
| Sex of dog: |
Unknown |
|
Owner of dog: |
Neighbor |
| Spay/Neuter: |
Unknown |
|
Multiple dogs: |
No |
| On/Off property: |
On |
|
Criminal charges: |
No |
|
69-years old | Affton, MO
Linda Mittino, 69-years old, had been mauled by the same family dog three months earlier. The injury required plastic surgery to repair. Linda loved animals, and despite the attack, wanted the dog to stay in the house. The second attack was fatal. The son, and owner of the dog, found his mother on the floor of the bedroom bleeding with severe wounds. The family gravely regrets keeping the dog after the first attack.
| Date of death: |
January 15, 2007 |
|
Chained: |
No |
| Breed of dog: |
German shepherd |
|
Relationship to dog: |
Family |
| Sex of dog: |
Male |
|
Owner of dog: |
Son |
| Spay/Neuter: |
Unknown |
|
Multiple dogs: |
No |
| On/Off property: |
On |
|
Criminal charges: |
No |
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6-years old | Richmond, VA
Matthew Logan Johnson, 6-years old, was fatally mauled by a rottweiler that had recently been adopted into the family. Paul Johnson, the father, maintained 6 rottweilers at his home. At the time of the attack, Paul was inside the house when his son entered the backyard to see the dogs. Authorities said that an investigation would follow. DogsBite.org has found no follow-ups to this investigation.
| Date of death: |
January 24, 2007 |
|
Chained: |
Unknown |
| Breed of dog: |
Rottweiler |
|
Relationship to dog: |
Family |
| Sex of dog: |
Unknown |
|
Owner of dog: |
Parents |
| Spay/Neuter: |
Unknown |
|
Multiple dogs: |
No |
| On/Off property: |
On |
|
Criminal charges: |
Unknown |
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18-months old | Brewton, AL
Taylor Kitlica, 18 months old, was fatally attacked by a chained rottweiler. Taylor's family had recently found the male dog wondering the neighborhood. In hopes the owner would see the animal, they chained it in their front yard. The family already owned a female rottweiler that was also chained in the yard. At the time of the attack, the father was working on a vehicle, just a few feet from where the male rottweiler was tied. Taylor suffered massive head injuries. Her two-year old brother was also attacked.
| Date of death: |
January 28, 2007 |
|
Chained: |
Yes |
| Breed of dog: |
Rottweiler |
|
Relationship to dog: |
Non-family |
| Sex of dog: |
Male |
|
Owner of dog: |
Unknown |
| Spay/Neuter: |
No |
|
Multiple dogs: |
No |
| On/Off property: |
On |
|
Criminal charges: |
Unknown |
|
2-years old | Lithonia, GA
Robynn Bradley, 2-years old, was visiting a relative's home when the attack happened. The dogs, a pit bull and a mastiff-mix, escaped a fenced-in pen that resided in the backyard. Robynn, who had wandered outside, was attacked and killed by the loose dogs. Authorities from the DeKalb Police department investigated the incident. It is unknown if any arrests were made.
| Date of death: |
February 16, 2007 |
|
Chained: |
No |
| Breed of dog: |
Pit bull and mastiff-mix |
|
Relationship to dog: |
Non-family |
| Sex of dog: |
Unknown |
|
Owner of dog: |
Relative |
| Spay/Neuter: |
Unknown |
|
Multiple dogs: |
Yes |
| On/Off property: |
On |
|
Criminal charges: |
Unknown |
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50-years old | Friendswood, TX
Pamela Rushing, 50-years old, was found bleeding severely in her backyard by a team of landscapers. Three dogs were found at the scene when police arrived: a pit bull-mix, a golden retriever and another dog of undetermined breed. The pit bull-mix was shot on site after charging an officer. Police believed the pit bull-mix was the only dog that attacked and killed Pamela.
| Date of death: |
March 16, 2007 |
|
Chained: |
Unknown |
| Breed of dog: |
Pit bull-mix |
|
Relationship to dog: |
Family |
| Sex of dog: |
Unknown |
|
Owner of dog: |
Victim |
| Spay/Neuter: |
Unknown |
|
Multiple dogs: |
No |
| On/Off property: |
On |
|
Criminal charges: |
No |
|
2-years old | Combine, TX
Carolina Sotello, 2-years old, was killed by the family's pit bull. At the time of the attack, the father said he was using the weed trimmer while his daughter rode her bicycle. The family's male pit bull was chained nearby. One glance later, Carolina was on the ground -- blood covering herself and the dog. The first officer to arrive on the scene was so shaken, witnesses said he spent much of the afternoon crying. The family also owned a female pit bull and a litter of puppies.
| Date of death: |
March 23, 2007 |
|
Chained: |
Yes |
| Breed of dog: |
Pit bull |
|
Relationship to dog: |
Family |
| Sex of dog: |
Male |
|
Owner of dog: |
Parents |
| Spay/Neuter: |
No |
|
Multiple dogs: |
No |
| On/Off property: |
On |
|
Criminal charges: |
Unknown |
|
1-years old | Charleston, SC
Brian Palmer, 1-years old, was killed by the family pit bull after it escaped the laundry room, where it was normally kept. Brian was found in an upstairs room fatally mauled. A month before, the dog had killed the family cat and attacked another dog. There were no adults present at the time of the attack, but his four siblings were (the oldest being 16). The mother, Natasha Wilson, was arrested and charged with unlawful conduct toward a child.
| Date of death: |
April 27, 2007 |
|
Chained: |
No |
| Breed of dog: |
Pit bull |
|
Relationship to dog: |
Family |
| Sex of dog: |
Unknown |
|
Owner of dog: |
Parents |
| Spay/Neuter: |
Unknown |
|
Multiple dogs: |
No |
| On/Off property: |
On |
|
Criminal charges: |
Yes |
|
90-years old | San Antonio, TX
Celestino Rangel, 90-years old, was fatally attacked by two pit bulls as he lay sleeping. Sarah Green, the owner of the pit bulls, had recently moved into Rangel's home. She left the house that evening with the dogs secured in a backyard pen. After she was gone, the dogs escaped the pen, managed to unlatch the backdoor to the house and fatally mauled Celestino. The dogs pulled the victim from his bed, then dragged him into the living room biting him the whole while.
| Date of death: |
May 13, 2007 |
|
Chained: |
No |
| Breed of dog: |
Pit bulls (2) |
|
Relationship to dog: |
Non-family |
| Sex of dog: |
Unknown |
|
Owner of dog: |
Relative |
| Spay/Neuter: |
Unknown |
|
Multiple dogs: |
Yes |
| On/Off property: |
On |
|
Criminal charges: |
Unknown |
|
59-years old | Memphis, TN
James Chapple Jr., 59-years old, had just gotten off the bus and was walking home when two dogs ran out from an auto repair shop and attacked him. The pit bulls ripped off his entire left hand and badly mauled his right arm. The injuries Chapple sustained required amputation of his lower left arm. James died several months later from complications stemming from the attack.
| Date of death: |
May, 2007 |
|
Chained: |
No |
| Breed of dog: |
Pit bulls (2) |
|
Relationship to dog: |
Non-family |
| Sex of dog: |
Unknown |
|
Owner of dog: |
Stranger |
| Spay/Neuter: |
Unknown |
|
Multiple dogs: |
Yes |
| On/Off property: |
Off |
|
Criminal charges: |
Unknown |
|
96-years old | El Paso, TX
When officers arrived at the scene, Magdelena Silva, 96-years old, was already lifeless. The preliminary investigation revealed that on the morning of the attack, she had entered the side yard to feed the dogs. This was her normal routine. But on this morning, the dogs attacked and killed her. Mrs. Silva's daughter attempted to stop the attack and was also bitten.
| Date of death: |
May 25, 2007 |
|
Chained: |
Unknown |
| Breed of dog: |
Doberman pinscher
German shepherd |
|
Relationship to dog: |
Non-family |
| Sex of dog: |
Unknown |
|
Owner of dog: |
Victim |
| Spay/Neuter: |
Unknown |
|
Multiple dogs: |
Yes |
| On/Off property: |
On |
|
Criminal charges: |
No |
|
3-years old | Hunter Army Airfield, GA
Dandre Fisher, 3-years old, and his mother were visiting a friend when the deadly attack occurred. The mother lost sight of her son briefly. She went outside to look for him and found Dandre being mauled by two pit bulls in the neighbor's fenced-in backyard. Army investigators declined to press charges against the dogs' owner. They determined the young boy climbed the chain-link fence. The mother disagreed. "I don't think a 3-year-old would have climbed all the way over a fence like that."
| Date of death: |
May 26, 2007 |
|
Chained: |
Unknown |
| Breed of dog: |
Pit bulls (2) |
|
Relationship to dog: |
Non-family |
| Sex of dog: |
Unknown |
|
Owner of dog: |
Stranger |
| Spay/Neuter: |
Unknown |
|
Multiple dogs: |
Yes |
| On/Off property: |
On |
|
Criminal charges: |
No |
|
71-years old | Golden Gates, FL
Carshena Benjamin, 71-years old, left her home that morning for a walk. Later that day, she was found face down in a ditch. So badly was her body mutilated, she could hardly be identified. After the attack, the two loose pit bulls ran home. Linda Billie, a friend of the dog owner, washed the blood off the dogs, then dumped the animals at distant locations. The owner of the dogs, Shirley Fay Newell, lied to authorities for months before telling the truth. Benjamin's family filed a wrongful death suit against Newell and Billie.
| Date of death: |
May 26, 2007 |
|
Chained: |
No |
| Breed of dog: |
Pit bulls (2) |
|
Relationship to dog: |
Non-family |
| Sex of dog: |
Unknown |
|
Owner of dog: |
Neighbor |
| Spay/Neuter: |
Unknown |
|
Multiple dogs: |
Yes |
| On/Off property: |
Off |
|
Criminal charges: |
No |
|
63-years old | Connersville, IN
Phyllis Carroll, 63-years old, had two chow-mixes, a male and a female. The dogs came from the same litter and shared the same age, about 1-year old. As she went into the backyard to feed them that evening, the dogs attacked and killed her. There were no witnesses, but authorities believe the male was responsible for the attack. Friends reported that Carroll had grown increasingly afraid of the aggressive dogs.
| Date of death: |
June 17, 2007 |
|
Chained: |
Unknown |
| Breed of dog: |
Chow-mix |
|
Relationship to dog: |
Family |
| Sex of dog: |
Male |
|
Owner of dog: |
Victim |
| Spay/Neuter: |
Unknown |
|
Multiple dogs: |
No |
| On/Off property: |
On |
|
Criminal charges: |
No |
|
62-years old | Deltona, FL
Mary Diana Bernal, 62-years old, had been staying at her sister's house for about a month when the family pit bull attacked her as she picked up a small dog. After ripping off her scalp and dragging her on the ground, the pit bull attacked her sister who wrestled with the dog and subsequently lost one or both thumbs. At the time of the attack, there were at least nine dogs in the house. The sister's husband, Eliasar and owner of the dog, said the dog had never shown aggression before.
| Date of death: |
June 29, 2007 |
|
Chained: |
No |
| Breed of dog: |
Pit bull |
|
Relationship to dog: |
Family |
| Sex of dog: |
Male |
|
Owner of dog: |
Relative |
| Spay/Neuter: |
No |
|
Multiple dogs: |
No |
| On/Off property: |
On |
|
Criminal charges: |
Unknown |
|
5-years old | Carrollton, GA
Tiffany Pauley, 5-years old, suffered from Down syndrome. While her mother and siblings slept, she wandered away from the home. She walked about 200 yards up the street into an unfenced yard where 5 dogs were kept. Three of these dogs were chained, including a 10-year old rottweiler that attacked and killed her. The mother was later charged with involuntary manslaughter. She was reportedly under the influence of methamphetamine the morning of the attack.
| Date of death: |
July 12, 2007 |
|
Chained: |
Yes |
| Breed of dog: |
Rottweiler |
|
Relationship to dog: |
Non-family |
| Sex of dog: |
Unknown |
|
Owner of dog: |
Neighbor |
| Spay/Neuter: |
Unknown |
|
Multiple dogs: |
No |
| On/Off property: |
On |
|
Criminal charges: |
Yes |
|
11-months old | Cookeville, TN
Trey Paeth, 11-months old, and his family were visiting the home of Allen McCaffrey when the attack occurred. Though the child was in a playpen, McCaffrey's two huskies tore through the siding and killed the child. The adults were in a different part of the house and did not hear the attack. The boy's father was in the Marines, assigned to Florence, Alabama. Putnam County sheriff's Detective Jimmy Patterson stated in a report that McCaffrey's huskies had never caused any problem before. No charges were brought. Please view the family's memorial website.
| Date of death: |
July 23, 2007 |
|
Chained: |
No |
| Breed of dog: |
Huskies (2) |
|
Relationship to dog: |
Non-family |
| Sex of dog: |
Unknown |
|
Owner of dog: |
Friends |
| Spay/Neuter: |
Unknown |
|
Multiple dogs: |
Yes |
| On/Off property: |
On |
|
Criminal charges: |
No |
|
6-years old | Bath, NY
Sabin Jones-Abbott, 6-years old, was last seen feeding the young family pit bull outside his home. Shortly thereafter, the father found the child unresponsive near the chained dog. The father had previously been warned by officials about supervising the child around the dog. He was later charged with endangering the welfare of a child.
| Date of death: |
July 29, 2007 |
|
Chained: |
Yes |
| Breed of dog: |
Pit bull-mix |
|
Relationship to dog: |
Family |
| Sex of dog: |
Unknown |
|
Owner of dog: |
Parents |
| Spay/Neuter: |
Unknown |
|
Multiple dogs: |
No |
| On/Off property: |
On |
|
Criminal charges: |
Yes |
|
7-years old | Minneapolis, MN
Zachary King Jr., 7-years old, was violently attacked by the family's pit bull. The male dog had previously bitten a contractor (who was awarded $22k in damages) and two other adults. At the time of the fatal attack, the dog was chained to a pole in the basement of the home. It is speculated that the child went into the basement to see the puppies; the family also owned a female pit bull. Authorities charged the father with second-degree manslaughter. He was found not guilty.
| Date of death: |
August 16, 2007 |
|
Chained: |
Yes |
| Breed of dog: |
Pit bull |
|
Relationship to dog: |
Family |
| Sex of dog: |
Male |
|
Owner of dog: |
Parents |
| Spay/Neuter: |
No |
|
Multiple dogs: |
No |
| On/Off property: |
On |
|
Criminal charges: |
Yes |
|
15-months old | McMinn County, TN
Elijah Rackely, 18-months old, was killed by the family's new dog. Elijah's family had recently found the stray animal and taken it under their wing. The female chow-mix subsequently had puppies. At the time of the attack, the child was with his grandfather in the yard. When the grandfather stepped away, the child picked up one of the puppies and wandered too close to the chained mother.
| Date of death: |
August 18, 2007 |
|
Chained: |
Yes |
| Breed of dog: |
Chow-mix |
|
Relationship to dog: |
Family |
| Sex of dog: |
Female |
|
Owner of dog: |
Parents |
| Spay/Neuter: |
No |
|
Multiple dogs: |
No |
| On/Off property: |
On |
|
Criminal charges: |
No |
|
6-years old | Dallas, TX
Scott Warren, 6-years old, was lying on his mother's bed watching TV with his sister when his pet pit bull Tippy leapt off the floor and attacked him. Family members say the 1-year old dog did not have a history of aggression. The tragedy fell one day before a new Texas state law went into effect that severely punishes owners of dogs that seriously injure or kill a person. It is later learned, however, that Lillian's law only addresses "off-property" and loose dog attacks, neither of which were the case in this instance.
| Date of death: |
August 31, 2007 |
|
Chained: |
No |
| Breed of dog: |
Pit bull |
|
Relationship to dog: |
Family |
| Sex of dog: |
Male |
|
Owner of dog: |
Victim |
| Spay/Neuter: |
Unknown |
|
Multiple dogs: |
No |
| On/Off property: |
On |
|
Criminal charges: |
No |
|
4-months old | Warren, MI
Kylie Cox, 4-months old, was violently killed by a rottweiler while strapped in a safety seat. The mother had just entered into a home, set the car seat down with Kylie in it and stepped away to warm a bottle. The rottweiler attacked and killed the infant while she was strapped in the seat. The dog was adopted to Jason Winters and Christopher Fura just 10 days prior. According to authorities, the owners knew the dog had a history of attacking children. Both men were charged with involuntary manslaughter and second-degree child abuse.
| Date of death: |
September 12, 2007 |
|
Chained: |
No |
| Breed of dog: |
Rottweiler |
|
Relationship to dog: |
Non-family |
| Sex of dog: |
Male |
|
Owner of dog: |
Stranger |
| Spay/Neuter: |
Unknown |
|
Multiple dogs: |
No |
| On/Off property: |
Off |
|
Criminal charges: |
Yes |
|
56-years old | Livingston, MI
Cheryl Harper, 56-years old, was walking down a gravel road near her home when a pack of American bulldog-mixes attacked and killed her. The owner of the dogs, Diane Cockrell, had at least 10 of these dogs at her residence. On the day of the attack, half of them managed to escape. Just a short while later, the same pack of dogs killed Edward Geirlach on his front porch. Both attacks were extremely violent and happened in such a short time span that authorities could not determine which victim had been attacked first.
| Date of death: |
September 13, 2007 |
|
Chained: |
No |
| Breed of dog: |
American bulldogs (4) |
|
Relationship to dog: |
Non-family |
| Sex of dog: |
Unknown |
|
Owner of dog: |
Neighbor |
| Spay/Neuter: |
No |
|
Multiple dogs: |
Yes |
| On/Off property: |
Off |
|
Criminal charges: |
Yes |
|
91-years old | Livingston, MI
Edward Gierlach, 91-years old, was killed in the same attack. Edward's son Eugene discovered his father's body lying in the family's driveway, stripped of clothing and covered with bite marks. He said his father's body was missing flesh on his leg, including a portion that was "just bone." Both families sued Diane Cockrell for wrongful death and conscious pain and suffering. Cockrell is also facing 15 years in prison on each of two counts of keeping dangerous dogs, causing death, and a misdemeanor charge of allowing the dogs to stray.
| Date of death: |
September 13, 2007 |
|
Chained: |
No |
| Breed of dog: |
American bulldogs (4) |
|
Relationship to dog: |
Non-family |
| Sex of dog: |
Unknown |
|
Owner of dog: |
Neighbor |
| Spay/Neuter: |
No |
|
Multiple dogs: |
Yes |
| On/Off property: |
Off |
|
Criminal charges: |
Yes |
|
2-years old | Boger City, NC
Karson Dilan Gilroy, 2-years old, was staying with his great-grandmother at the time of the attack. She went inside for a moment leaving the toddler in the yard. When she came back, the child had disappeared. They found Karson about an hour later. He had wandered into an area where two German shepherd-mixes where chained. Karson got tangled in the chain and was mauled to death by the dogs.
| Date of death: |
September 25, 2007 |
|
Chained: |
Yes |
| Breed of dog: |
German shepherd-mix (2) |
|
Relationship to dog: |
Non-family |
| Sex of dog: |
Unknown |
|
Owner of dog: |
Neighbor |
| Spay/Neuter: |
Unknown |
|
Multiple dogs: |
Yes |
| On/Off property: |
On |
|
Criminal charges: |
Unknown |
|
42-years old | Middleburg, FL
Tina Marie Canterbury, 42-years old, was fatally attacked by her two red-nosed pit bulls. She had raised both dogs since they were pups. It is reported that they often slept with her at night. According to police, Tina was walking to her backyard when the dogs attacked. Her son attempted to stop the assault and was also bitten. Police officers arrived at the scene and shot both dogs. Animal Crimes Detective Annie Henderson said, "This was a responsible owner. These animals never had any history of any type of aggression."
| Date of death: |
October 2, 2007 |
|
Chained: |
No |
| Breed of dog: |
Pit bulls (2) |
|
Relationship to dog: |
Family |
| Sex of dog: |
Male |
|
Owner of dog: |
Victim |
| Spay/Neuter: |
Yes |
|
Multiple dogs: |
Yes |
| On/Off property: |
On |
|
Criminal charges: |
No |
|
73-years old | Pahrump, NV
A 73-year-old Pahrump woman, whose identity remains private, was killed after being attacked by eight wolf hybrids that were owned by her son. The attack occurred as the woman walked into her backyard. News sources were told that her sons were not home at the time of the killing.
| Date of death: |
October 5, 2007 |
|
Chained: |
No |
| Breed of dog: |
Wolf hybrids (8) |
|
Relationship to dog: |
Family |
| Sex of dog: |
Mixed |
|
Owner of dog: |
Son |
| Spay/Neuter: |
No |
|
Multiple dogs: |
Yes |
| On/Off property: |
On |
|
Criminal charges: |
No |
|
65-years old | Ada, OK
Rosalie Bivins, 65-years old, was checking her mail in the front of her residence when a pack of pit bulls attacked her. A postman attempted to help, but was forced back into his vehicle by the aggressive dogs. He left and flagged down a neighbor who owned a shotgun. By the time he returned, several neighbors were in the road trying to stop the attack. It is reported that Bivin's son-in-law had used the dogs to hunt feral hogs. He denied this claim and ownership of the dogs.
| Date of death: |
October 15, 2007 |
|
Chained: |
No |
| Breed of dog: |
Pit bull-mix (7) |
|
Relationship to dog: |
Non-family |
| Sex of dog: |
Unknown |
|
Owner of dog: |
Unknown |
| Spay/Neuter: |
Unknown |
|
Multiple dogs: |
Yes |
| On/Off property: |
Off |
|
Criminal charges: |
Unknown |
|
4-years old | Phoenix, AZ
Tori Whitehurst, 4-years old, was killed by her family's American bulldog. Tori and the dog named Cane were good friends; he even slept in her room at night. At the time of the attack, Tori and her older sister were playing in the backyard with Cane and three small dogs. The Whitehurst family had adopted the dog 3 months earlier through an unnamed party. The unnamed party, however, had adopted the animal 3 months prior from the Arizona Humane Society. Three behaviorists at the society had evaluated the dog before releasing it to its new owner.
| Date of death: |
November 5, 2007 |
|
Chained: |
No |
| Breed of dog: |
American bulldog |
|
Relationship to dog: |
Family |
| Sex of dog: |
Male |
|
Owner of dog: |
Parents |
| Spay/Neuter: |
Yes |
|
Multiple dogs: |
No |
| On/Off property: |
On |
|
Criminal charges: |
No |
|
11-years old | Killeen, TX
Seth Lovitt, 11-years old, and his brother were "running through the house yelling" when the family pit bull suddenly leapt off the couch, knocked Seth to the ground and bit him on the neck. The boy's mother and grandmother got the dog to release the child then called 911. The boy was transported to Darnall Army Medical Center at Ft. Hood where he later died. At the time of the attack, his father was deployed to Korea. In August 2009, a grand jury indicted both his mother and grandmother on one count of manslaughter and a count of reckless serious bodily injury to a child. (Please see: related post)
| Date of death: |
November 7, 2007 |
|
Chained: |
No |
| Breed of dog: |
Pit bull |
|
Relationship to dog: |
Family |
| Sex of dog: |
Male |
|
Owner of dog: |
Grandmother |
| Spay/Neuter: |
Unknown |
|
Multiple dogs: |
No |
| On/Off property: |
On |
|
Criminal charges: |
Yes |
|
21-years old | Knox County, TN
Jennifer Lowe, 21-years old, was alone in the house when her friend's two pit bulls attacked and severely injured her. She fought back both dogs as they tore away her face, neck, shoulder and arms. Jennifer died shortly after reaching the University of Tennessee Medical Center. Until her death, she did not lose consciousness. Prior to the mauling, animal control officers had visited the home 5 times, and both dogs had been declared "dangerous." The attack occurred on owner property, so the owner of the dogs, Charles Smallwood, faced no criminal penalty.
Please visit: Jennifer Lowe Foundation - Just New Laws
| Date of death: |
November 12, 2007 |
|
Chained: |
No |
| Breed of dog: |
Pit bulls (2) |
|
Relationship to dog: |
Non-family |
| Sex of dog: |
Male & female |
|
Owner of dog: |
Friend |
| Spay/Neuter: |
No |
|
Multiple dogs: |
Yes |
| On/Off property: |
On |
|
Criminal charges: |
No |
|
61-years old | Placer County, CA
Cora Lee Suehead, 61-years old, was found mauled to death by animals near her home. Authorities removed 4 pit bulls from her property to undergo DNA sampling. Just 16 days later, Cora's daughter was found dead in her Auburn, California home. It is suspected that her daughter, Tammy Cummins, was despondent over the death of her mother and committed suicide. Seven months later, it was determined that the pit bulls did kill Suehead. On the tail of the DNA results, another tragedy occurred. Walter Suehead, 70, Cora's husband, died of natural causes. Some believe he died of a broken heart.
| Date of death: |
December 4, 2007 |
|
Chained: |
No |
| Breed of dog: |
Pit bulls (4) |
|
Relationship to dog: |
Non-family |
| Sex of dog: |
Unknown |
|
Owner of dog: |
Relative |
| Spay/Neuter: |
Unknown |
|
Multiple dogs: |
Yes |
| On/Off property: |
On |
|
Criminal charges: |
No |
|
2-years old | Summerville, SC
In the second fatal dog attack this year in Dorchester County, 2-year old Holden Jernigan was killed by the family's pit bull. Apparently the grandmother was in the house when Holden wandered outside unnoticed. The 40-pound pit bull was unleashed in the backyard at the time. The dog latched onto Holden's throat and head and inflicted fatal wounds. After the first fatal attack in this county, PETA asked the Dorchester County Council to restrict ownership of pit bulls. Their attempt was unsuccessful; South Carolina state law disallows breed-specific laws.
| Date of death: |
December 13, 2007 |
|
Chained: |
No |
| Breed of dog: |
Pit bull |
|
Relationship to dog: |
Family |
| Sex of dog: |
Male |
|
Owner of dog: |
Family |
| Spay/Neuter: |
Unknown |
|
Multiple dogs: |
No |
| On/Off property: |
On |
|
Criminal charges: |
Yes |
|
76-years old | Mountain City, GA
Blanch Brodeur, 76-years old, was killed by her son-in-law's pit bull. She had agreed to watch the five pit bulls shared by her daughter Joan and her husband while the two were jailed. Five days prior to the attack both had been arrested for the possession of marijuana. When first responders arrived at the scene, they could not reach Blanch's body. The pit bull that killed her was on a rope long enough to reach anyone who might help. It took 18 minutes and a phone call to the dog's jailed owner to get permission to shoot the dog so that first responders could safely approach the body.
| Date of death: |
December 17, 2007 |
|
Chained: |
Yes |
| Breed of dog: |
Pit bull |
|
Relationship to dog: |
Non-family |
| Sex of dog: |
Male |
|
Owner of dog: |
Son-in-law |
| Spay/Neuter: |
Unknown |
|
Multiple dogs: |
No |
| On/Off property: |
On |
|
Criminal charges: |
No |
|
45-years old | Yermo, CA
Kelly Caldwell, 45-years old, was attacked and killed by loose pit bulls late Christmas day while walking outside her home. A resident heard the attack and called authorities. By the time first responders arrived, the wounds Kelly inflicted were too severe. She was pronounced dead upon reaching the hospital. During the investigation, two dogs were shot as officials attempted to secure the crime scene and gather evidence. After DNA sampling, two of the three pit bulls were identified. Charges against the dog owner are pending.
| Date of death: |
December 25, 2007 |
|
Chained: |
No |
| Breed of dog: |
Pit bulls (2) |
|
Relationship to dog: |
Non-family |
| Sex of dog: |
Unknown |
|
Owner of dog: |
Neighbor |
| Spay/Neuter: |
Unknown |
|
Multiple dogs: |
Yes |
| On/Off property: |
Off |
|
Criminal charges: |
Yes |
|
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DogsBite.org |
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