In the 15-year period of 2005 through 2019, canines killed 523 Americans. Pit bulls contributed to 66% (346) of these deaths. Combined, pit bulls and rottweilers contributed to 76% of the total recorded deaths. | More »
Statistical information gathered by DogsBite.org is verifiable through news reports and other criteria.1 Our Fatality Citations section documents sources used in our dog bite fatality research.
| 2008 fatal dog attacks by breed |
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In 2008, 1 dog bite fatality involved canines from 2 or more different breeds, thus producing a death count total of 25, rather than 24. Six dog breeds each contributed to 1 death: Australian shepherd-mix, doberman pinscher, golden retriever-mix, Jack Russell terrier, Labrador retriever-mix and Old English sheepdog-mix.
Andrew Stein, 8-months old, was killed by his family’s doberman pinscher. The attack occurred in Brooklyn shortly after 1:30 pm, police said. Andrew was lying on a blanket on the living room floor of the apartment at 71 Ocean Parkway under the care of his 62-year old grandmother, when the dog attacked, biting the baby's head and piercing his skull. The grandmother was unable to free the child and ran next door, screaming for help. Neighbor Jesus Rivera rushed in and wrestled the infant from the dog's grip. The superintendent of the building, Leonardo Collado, 46, said the grandmother “told me she was screaming for help because the dog had the baby on the floor, but she couldn’t get him away,” he said. “She said the dog was chewing on his head.” The infant was rushed to Kings County Hospital Center, where he was pronounced dead at 3:06 pm. Officers shot the dog with a tranquilizer dart and took him to the Brooklynn Animal Care and Control shelter. The 7-year old dog, "Maccabee," was neutered. He was euthanized the next day at the family's request. [source citations]
| Date of death: | January 3, 2008 | Chained: | No |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breed of dog: | Doberman pinscher | 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 |
Justin Mozer, 6-weeks old, was killed by a Jack Russell terrier while sleeping. The attack occurred around 3:40 pm at the family's home in the 1900 block of Seven Pines Drive, Lexington police said. The infant was lying on a king-size bed taking a nap when, without any warning, the family Jack Russell terrier of 7-years attacked and killed him. The mother was bathing another child while the baby was sleeping in the same room as the dog, police said. There were no witnesses to the attack, police said. The baby was transported to University of Kentucky Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. An autopsy conducted by the Fayette County Coroner's Office said the boy died of traumatic asphyxia, or suffocation, and blood loss due to the attack. The manner of death was an accident. The family also owned a pit bull. Both dogs were taken away by Fayette County Animal Control at the owner's request. The child's father, Justin Mozer, was at work at a pool company at the time. The father's brother, Jeff Mozer, characterized the attack as "the most freakish accident." [source citations]
| Date of death: | January 18, 2008 | Chained: | No |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breed of dog: | Jack Russell terrier | Relationship to dog: | Family |
| Sex of dog: | Unreleased | Owner of dog: | Parents |
| Spay/Neuter: | Unreleased | Multiple dogs: | No |
| On/Off property: | On | Criminal charges: | No |
Kelli Chapman, 24-years old, was killed by her pit bulls while sleeping. Deputies were dispatched to the 500 block of Martin-Baggett Loop around 6:45 pm, after the woman's husband called 911. Jason Chapman found her body in the couple's bed when he returned home from work. He said she had been sleeping when he left between 10:00 and 10:30 am. Both dogs were in the house, said Chief Deputy Robert McCullough with the Beauregard Parish Sheriff's Office. The victim had bite injuries on her forearms, indicating defensive wounds. A preliminary autopsy showed she died of bite trauma and blood loss. The two pit bulls -- a 4-year old male and 1-year old female -- slept with the family, McCullough said. After Jason found her body, he locked the dogs inside a bathroom. When deputies arrived, they shot and killed both pit bulls. In 2006, another pit bull incident occurred at their home. The Chapmans were the targets of a drug raid. While officers searched the premises, an officer was bitten by a pit bull. He shot and killed the dog after it tried to bite a second time. [source citations]
| Date of death: | January 20, 2008 | Chained: | No |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breed of dog: | Pit bull (2) | Relationship to dog: | Family |
| Sex of dog: | Both | Owner of dog: | Victim |
| Spay/Neuter: | Unreleased | Multiple dogs: | Yes |
| On/Off property: | On | Criminal charges: | No |
Melvin Taylor, 57-years old, was killed by at least one of his two pit bulls. Detroit police were called to the 5200 block of 24th Street around 6:20 pm for a report of a suspicious death. The victim's son, Clifford, found him in the basement lying "face down on the floor in a puddle of dry blood," states the police report. One of Taylor's two pit bulls was roaming the house. His son had last seen him alive three days earlier. He was pronounced dead at the scene. An autopsy conducted by the Wayne County Medical Examiner's Office determined the cause of death was "multiple injuries sustained as he was mauled by a dog(s)." There was "massive trauma to the front and both sides of the head," states the report. There were tearing lacerations on his face, forehead and the back of his head, along with a "gaping tearing laceration" on the right side of his neck. "There was traumatic amputation of both right and left ears," states the report. "There were no other injuries or any diseases present that contributed to his death." The manner of death was ruled an accident. [source citations]
| Date of death: | February 18, 2008 | Chained: | No |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breed of dog: | Pit bull (2) | Relationship to dog: | Family |
| Sex of dog: | Unreleased | Owner of dog: | Victim |
| Spay/Neuter: | Unreleased | Multiple dogs: | Yes |
| On/Off property: | On | Criminal charges: | No |
Abraham Tackett, 23-months old, was killed by a dog after wandering into his neighbor's yard of chained dogs. He was pronounced dead at the village clinic, Fort Yukon police officer Chris Inderrieden said. The attack occurred at about 3:00 pm, when the boy and his father were getting to run errands on a four-wheeler, Inderrieden said. They were in the front yard when the father put the child down to run back inside quickly, he said. The toddler drifted into the neighbor's backyard about 50 yards away, where a number of chained dogs were still eating, he said. The boy approached a 3-year old husky-mix, and the dog attacked him. When his father, Clayton Tackett, 33, returned, he began looking for his son. A neighbor girl pointed him in the direction of the dogs. He ran into the backyard and found the dog still attacking his son. The father pulled the dog off the boy and took him to the Yukon Flats Health Center, where he was pronounced dead. "As of right now, we're calling it an accidental death," Inderrieden said. "The community is pretty shocked." [source citations]
| Date of death: | April 28, 2008 | Chained: | Yes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breed of dog: | Husky-mix | Relationship to dog: | Non-family |
| Sex of dog: | Unreleased | Owner of dog: | Neighbor |
| Spay/Neuter: | Unreleased | Multiple dogs: | No |
| On/Off property: | On | Criminal charges: | No |
Julian Slack, 3-years old, was killed by a pit bull aboard Camp Lejeune. The child was at home under the care of a babysitter at the time, base officials said. The attack occurred around 4:00 pm, when an friend of the Slack family, who was neither a Marine nor base resident, stopped by the Slack home in Tarawa Terrace with her two pit bulls. At some point after being let inside, the male dog attacked the boy, said Major Nat Fahy, spokesman for Camp Lejeune and Marine Corps Installations East. The boy's parents pulled into the driveway just after the attack. They transported the boy to Onslow Memorial Hospital, Fahy said. He was pronounced dead at 5:08 pm. The Onslow County Medical Examiner’s Office said the boy bled to death as a result of injuries to his face, head and neck suffered in an attack by a pit bull. Julian's mother, Shannon Easton-Hamer, said her son had known the male pit bull, "Killian" since he was born, and the dog's sister, "Little Bit." One year after his death, Camp Lejeune banned pit bulls, rottweilers and wolf-dog hybrids from base housing. [source citations]
| Date of death: | May 14, 2008 | Chained: | No |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breed of dog: | Pit bull | Relationship to dog: | Family |
| Sex of dog: | Male | Owner of dog: | Friend |
| Spay/Neuter: | Unreleased | Multiple dogs: | No |
| On/Off property: | Off | Criminal charges: | No |
Tanner Monk, 7-years old, was killed by multiple pit bulls while playing outside his Breckenridge home. Just after 4:00 pm, a driver saw him lying dead in a ditch on a roadside near Hubbard Lake with two pit bulls nearby. The dogs became aggressive when the witness approached and again toward the Stephens County sheriff's deputies who responded. Deputies shot and killed two of the pit bulls on site. A total of four dogs belonging to a neighbor were involved. His cause of death was blood loss from lacerations to the neck due to mauling by canines. The dogs' owner, Jack Wayne Smith, 45, and his partner, Crystal Michelle Watson, 28, were arrested and charged with dog attack resulting in death, a second-degree felony. Their trial was the first to be held under the new Texas "Lillian's Law," which holds owners criminally responsible for unprovoked dog attacks beyond their property. A Young County jury found both Smith and Watson guilty. They were each sentenced to seven years in prison. In 2011, the 11th Court of Appeals upheld their conviction. [source citations]
| Date of death: | May 18, 2008 | Chained: | No |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breed of dog: | Pit bull (4) | Relationship to dog: | Non-family |
| Sex of dog: | Both | Owner of dog: | Neighbor |
| Spay/Neuter: | Unreleased | Multiple dogs: | Yes |
| On/Off property: | Off | Criminal charges: | Yes |
Pablo Lopez, 5-years old, was killed by his uncle's pit bull. The attack occurred around 8:00 pm at a home on North Beto Garcia Road, just north of the intersection of Mile 12 1/2 North and Farm-to-Market Road 888, Hidalgo County Sheriff Lupe Treviño said. Deputies arrived to find the child's aunt holding the boy's lifeless body in her arms. The dog was still in the front yard. A deputy fired on the dog, wounding it. Pablo was under the care of a babysitter when the family pit bull, "Greco," flew into a rage at a dog passing by the home. When Pablo stepped out the back door, Greco tackled him and clamped his jaws around his throat, killing him. The boy was pronounced dead at the scene by Hidalgo County Justice of the Peace Rosa Treviño. Authorities seized the dog, along with a pit bull-mix from the family's home that was not involved in the attack. Though Greco had a history of being chained, a witness said the dog was not restrained before the attack. The boy had been living with his aunt and uncle after Child Protection Services placed the boy with him. [source citations]
| Date of death: | June 18, 2008 | Chained: | No |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breed of dog: | Pit bull | Relationship to dog: | Family |
| Sex of dog: | Male | Owner of dog: | Uncle |
| Spay/Neuter: | Unreleased | Multiple dogs: | No |
| On/Off property: | On | Criminal charges: | No |
Lorraine May, 74-years old, was killed by two of her three dogs. The attack occurred at her home in the 4400 block of Elliot Avenue. The attack dislocated her shoulder and left her with too many bite injuries to count. "This poor woman endured a vicious attack," Lieutenant Todd Hutchinson, a Titusville police spokesman, said. Police believe May was breaking up a fight between the dogs, a mother and a male offspring, when the dogs attacked her. The dogs had a history of fighting. An unidentified relative said the female golden-retriever mix, "Sammy," is 11-years old and the male Australian-shepherd mix, "Seth," is 6-years old. The dogs are being held in separate kennels at Brevard County Animal Services. May lived with her son, Steven Howard May, 47. He discovered her body after returning home from work at about 5:00 pm, police said. Investigators believe she may have been dead for several hours by then. A preliminary autopsy determined she died of "blunt-force trauma." Police do not believe the third dog in the home, a cocker spaniel, was involved. [source citations]
| Date of death: | June 26, 2008 | Chained: | No |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breed of dog: | Golden retriever-mix (1) Australian shepherd-mix (1) |
Relationship to dog: | Family |
| Sex of dog: | Both | Owner of dog: | Victim |
| Spay/Neuter: | Unreleased | Multiple dogs: | Yes |
| On/Off property: | On | Criminal charges: | No |
Tony Evans Jr., 3-years old, was killed by his neighbor's chained pit bull. The attack occurred at 112 Maple Ridge Drive after Evans got too close to the dog, his uncle, Ray Powell said. He was the first person to reach Evans after the dog attack. "I grabbed him and waited for the ambulance," Powell said. The child was rushed to University Medical Center, where he died. The attack occurred just before 9:00 pm, Jackson police said. That evening, the boy's mother, Chassidy Vardaman, went to her porch and called her children in, but one child never came. She began searching the neighborhood. She knocked on the door of Shannon Reason, asking if he had seen Evans. He had not. A while later, Reason walked out to his carport, where his male pit bull "Blue Eyes," was chained. He saw the child's lifeless body next to the dog. The dog clamped onto his neck and upper torso and dragged him into the doghouse. When police got to the scene, the dog charged them, causing officers to open fire on the dog. The dog survived. Blue Eyes was euthanized a month later. [source citations]
| Date of death: | July 22, 2008 | Chained: | Yes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breed of dog: | Pit bull | Relationship to dog: | Non-family |
| Sex of dog: | Male | Owner of dog: | Neighbor |
| Spay/Neuter: | Unreleased | Multiple dogs: | No |
| On/Off property: | On | Criminal charges: | No |
Addison Sonney, 14-months old, was killed by a family dog. The attack happened just after 10:00 am at the Laurel Hill Cemetery caretaker’s cottage, 4523 Love Road. The baby's father is the grounds supervisor at the cemetery and the family lives in the cottage. The toddler died at 1:38 pm at Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh, according to the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s office. She died of wounds to her head, neck and torso. Her death was accidental. The baby and her mother were in the home's living room when, "Oliver," an Old English sheepdog-mix, attacked the baby. The mother was severely bitten trying to protect her child. The dog fled into the woods afterward. Millcreek Township police hunted the dog down, tracking it through the woods. At one point, police cornered the dog and shot it five times, but the dog fled again. The dog took refuge on a porch in the 5300 block of Cristina Drive. Police approached the dog again with guns drawn. Two officers with nooses attempted to capture the animal. When that failed, officers fired three shots into the dog, killing it. [source citations]
| Date of death: | July 24, 2008 | Chained: | No |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breed of dog: | Old English sheepdog-mix | Relationship to dog: | Family |
| Sex of dog: | Male | Owner of dog: | Parents |
| Spay/Neuter: | Unreleased | Multiple dogs: | No |
| On/Off property: | On | Criminal charges: | No |
Zane Earles, 2-months old, was mutilated and eaten by his family's Labrador retriever-mix puppy. The child's 17-year old mother found the baby dead in an infant swing at about 10:20 am, Tulsa police spokesman Leland Ashley said. The attack occurred in the 2900 block of East 102nd Street. The child's father, 18, and grandfather left the home that morning at 8:00 am and 8:30 am, respectively, Ashley said. The grandfather placed the infant into the swing in the dining room prior to leaving the home. The child's mother and grandmother were asleep in rooms on the other side of the home. When officers arrived, they found the infant had been "eaten alive." First responders called the scene "horrific." The 8-week old dog was taken to the Tulsa Animal Shelter and euthanized. Prosecutors charged the baby's mother, Linzy Leigh Earles, who had a history of drug abuse and juvenile probation, with second-degree manslaughter. Due to the mother's age, the case was filed in juvenile court. Earles was found "delinquent" of charges and placed on probation. [source citations]
| Date of death: | July 28, 2008 | Chained: | No |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breed of dog: | Labrador retriever-mix | Relationship to dog: | Family |
| Sex of dog: | Unreleased | Owner of dog: | Parents |
| Spay/Neuter: | Unreleased | Multiple dogs: | No |
| On/Off property: | On | Criminal charges: | Yes |
Isis Krieger, 6-years old, died after being attacked by her family pit bull on August 12th. She was under the care of a babysitter, who was watching Isis and her younger sister. Isis had been playing with the red-nosed pit bull, "Dozer," at her East Anchorage mobile home when the dog latched onto her neck, breaking it. The babysitter tried to stop the attack and was also bitten and injured. Two neighbors heard the babysitter screaming and ran to help. Troy Danforth shot the attacking pit bull, and Specialist 4th Class Kyle Mayeaux of the U.S. Army Alaska tried to stop the bleeding until emergency responders arrived. Isis was transported to Alaska Native Medical Center and underwent immediate surgery. Her father, who was deployed to Iraq, was flown home on emergency leave. The family kept her on life support systems until her father could see her one last time. Upon his return, she was taken off the machines and died after she went into an irreversible vegetative state. The child's great-grandmother, Wanda Injasoulian, said the dog had a history of aggression. [source citations]
| Date of death: | August 14, 2008 | Chained: | No |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breed of dog: | Pit bull | Relationship to dog: | Family |
| Sex of dog: | Male | Owner of dog: | Parents |
| Spay/Neuter: | Unreleased | Multiple dogs: | No |
| On/Off property: | On | Criminal charges: | No |
Robert Howard, estimated to be 55-years old, was killed by a loose pit bull. The attack occurred near the intersection of Mack Avenue and Lakepointe Street. According to Detroit police, a woman came out of her home and saw a loose pit bull attacking her two dogs. When she intervened to stop the attack, the pit bull went after her. Howard came out of his house to help her, and the dog latched onto his calf. "The dog had tore into his calf and when he let go, he just snatched and pulled all the arteries out," said Howard's friend, Saiah Brown. "He was lying on the steps, and when I checked his vital signs, he was already dead then." Police said the dog bit a main artery in Howard's leg, and he later died of his injuries. An autopsy conducted by the Wayne County Medical Examiner's Office determined the cause of death was "due to perforation of blood vessels on the left lower extremity as a result of a dog bite." The autopsy also disclosed significant coronary disease, hepatic steatosis and nephrosclerosis. The manner of death was ruled an accident. [source citations]
| Date of death: | August 14, 2008 | Chained: | No |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breed of dog: | Pit bull | Relationship to dog: | Non-family |
| Sex of dog: | Unreleased | Owner of dog: | Unknown |
| Spay/Neuter: | Unreleased | Multiple dogs: | No |
| On/Off property: | Off | Criminal charges: | No |
Henry Piotrowsky, 90-years old, died after being attacked by his neighbor's pit bulls. The attack occurred on July 1, 2008 around 11:00 am in the backyard of Henry's home at 94 John Street. "The [dogs] ate him," said neighbor Reginald Bell. "They consumed this man." He was taken to Richmond University Medical Center in critical condition, where doctors amputated his left leg. He died on August 17. The owner of the pit bulls, James McNair, 28, was immediately arrested on minor violations. Police corralled the two male dogs, "Popeye" and "Brutus," which were swiftly euthanized. Prosecutors charged McNair and the dogs' co-owner, Kim DiPrima, with second-degree assault in connection to the attack. The charges escalated to manslaughter after Henry died. DiPrima was sentenced to five years' probation under a plea deal. McNair was sentenced to three years in prison under a plea deal. Piotrowsky's family sued the city of New York for $7 million, alleging the city "failed to take appropriate measures to control the vicious dogs." A judge dismissed the case. [source citations]
| Date of death: | August 17, 2008 | Chained: | No |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breed of dog: | Pit bull (2) | Relationship to dog: | Non-family |
| Sex of dog: | Male | Owner of dog: | Neighbor |
| Spay/Neuter: | Unreleased | Multiple dogs: | Yes |
| On/Off property: | Off | Criminal charges: | Yes |
Luna McDaniel, 83-years old, died after being attacked by three pit bulls. The attack occurred early in the morning on August 24, while Luna collected cans in the 700 block of East Wilson Street. Arriving Ville Platte police officers fired on the dogs, killing one and wounding the other. Luna was taken to the ICU at Opelousas General Hospital. Witnesses reported that her foot was nearly severed by the dogs. Relatives confirmed that her leg was amputated below the knee and that she faced 20 surgeries. She died on September 4. Police initially cited the dogs' owner, Theo Doucet, with nine animal violations. After Luna's death, the charges escalated to negligent homicide. The following year, state Representative Ricky Hardy introduced House Bill 155, dedicated to Luna McDaniel and Michael Blaise Landry. The legislation authorized negligent homicide charges if a dog kills a person, a sentence of up to five years in jail; and negligent injuring charges if a dog seriously injures a person, a sentence of up to six months in jail. The bill passed both chambers unanimously. [source citations]
| Date of death: | September 4, 2008 | Chained: | No |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breed of dog: | Pit bull (3) | Relationship to dog: | Non-family |
| Sex of dog: | Both | Owner of dog: | Neighbor |
| Spay/Neuter: | Unreleased | Multiple dogs: | Yes |
| On/Off property: | Off | Criminal charges: | Yes |
Alexis Hennessy, 6-days old, died after being bitten by the family husky while lying in her crib. The 3-year old male husky, "Shadow," bit the baby on the head, Sussex County Prosecutor David Weaver said. The bite occurred on Saturday afternoon, he said. Paramedics transported the infant to Morristown Memorial Hospital in Morristown, where she was pronounced dead. The girl's parents, whose names were not released, were at their Hopatcong Borough residence at the time of the attack, Weaver said. No other children were in the house, Hopatcong Police Chief John Swanson said. The infant's mother "left the room momentarily and came back in and discovered it (the bite) either going on or just done," he said. The 40-pound dog, which is being held at the Hopatcong shelter, had no history of aggression, Swanson said. The dog was euthanized at the request of the owner, said Hopatcong Animal Control Officer Dale Sloat. "The owner walked up to me said, 'It needs to be put down. I'm afraid it will bite someone else,'" he said. No criminal charges were filed. [source citations]
| Date of death: | September 6, 2008 | Chained: | No |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breed of dog: | Husky | Relationship to dog: | Family |
| Sex of dog: | Male | Owner of dog: | Parents |
| Spay/Neuter: | Unreleased | Multiple dogs: | No |
| On/Off property: | On | Criminal charges: | No |
Cenedi Carey, 4-months old, was killed by her family's two pit bulls while being watched by her grandmother. The attack occurred just before 11:25 am at the family's home in the 1700 block of Eagle View Way, North Las Vegas police said. The dogs were in the backyard of the home but managed to get inside, possibly by busting through a screen door, and began attacking the baby as she lay in a stroller, North Las Vegas police Chief Joseph Forti said. The grandmother grabbed the baby and fled into a room. She tried to close the door behind her, but one of the dogs forced its way in, he said. The child suffered "very severe bite and head wounds," Forti said. She was pronounced dead at the scene. The Clark County Coroner's Office determined she died of severe blunt force trauma from dog bites to her head. Arriving officers observed the dogs "acting very aggressively." Police shot and killed both dogs. The grandmother, who also sustained bite injuries, told the 911 dispatcher the two pit bulls belonged to the "boyfriend of Cenedi's mother." [source citations]
| Date of death: | September 12, 2008 | Chained: | No |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breed of dog: | Pit bull (2) | Relationship to dog: | Family |
| Sex of dog: | Male/Unreleased | Owner of dog: | Mother's boyfriend |
| Spay/Neuter: | Unreleased | Multiple dogs: | Yes |
| On/Off property: | On | Criminal charges: | No |
Kylie Daum, 3-days old, was killed by the family husky three days after being born. The attack occurred around 10:00 am inside the family's home at 955 Riverview Drive. The husky attacked the newborn while she was lying in a bassinet. The infant suffered bite injuries and scratch injuries all over her body, Warren Township police Lieutenant Don Bishop said. The baby was in full cardiac arrest when the rescue squad arrived, Fire Chief Kenneth Schick said, but still had a pulse. She was transported to Forum Health Trumbull Memorial Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. The baby's mother had fed the child before 10:00 am, put her back in her bed and went to the kitchen to make breakfast. At about 10:00 am, the mother and father realized the husky had the baby in its mouth in the family room, according to police. The dog let go of the newborn when the husband ordered it to, but the baby had already sustained multiple blunt force and sharp force injuries to her head. The 7-year old Siberian husky was held at the Trumbull County dog pound prior to euthanasia. [source citations]
| Date of death: | September 22, 2008 | Chained: | No |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breed of dog: | Husky | Relationship to dog: | Family |
| Sex of dog: | Unreleased | Owner of dog: | Parents |
| Spay/Neuter: | Unreleased | Multiple dogs: | No |
| On/Off property: | On | Criminal charges: | No |
Katya Todesco, 5-years old, was killed by a pit bull-mix while visiting a home. The attack occurred on September 23 around 8:45 pm in the 1000 block of Appleton Road, said Lieutenant Paul Fitzpatrick of the Simi Valley Police Department. She was transported to Simi Valley Hospital then transferred to Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, where she died three days later. "The dog was loose in the backyard; the kids were in the backyard and for some reason the dog turned on the little girl," Fitzpatrick said. The residents of the Appleton Road home did not own the dog, but were keeping it for friends, authorities said. When the girl's mother, Katia Todesco, heard screams, she rushed outside and saw the dog latched onto her daughter. "It was a horrible attack," she said. "With my own hands I was pulling the dog's jaw." The Ventura County Medical Examiner's Office determined she died of lack of oxygen to her brain due to blood loss from bites to the head and neck. The death was ruled an accident. The 2-year old, unneutered pit bull-mix named "Bubba" was euthanized. [source citations]
| Date of death: | September 26, 2008 | Chained: | No |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breed of dog: | Pit bull-mix | Relationship to dog: | Non-family |
| Sex of dog: | Male | Owner of dog: | Friend |
| Spay/Neuter: | No | Multiple dogs: | No |
| On/Off property: | On | Criminal charges: | No |
Iokepa Liptak, 2-months old, was killed by his great-aunt's dog. The attack occurred just after midnight at 86-137 Kakaiapola Street. According to a police report, an officer arrived to a "hysterical female carrying an infant" in front of the home. That female, later identified as the baby's mother, was also bleeding. The Honolulu Medical Examiner's Office determined the baby died from "cranial cerebral injuries" from a dog attack. The baby's aunt, Opal Sao, said she left the baby on her bed to get a drink of water in the kitchen and returned to a gruesome scene. "The dog went wild," Sao said. "Penny grabbed my niece's leg. She was attacking her. I attacked the dog to get her off. Penny's behavior was something I'd never seen before. I didn't recognize her." The mother and baby had been staying at Sao's home. Police described the female dog as a knee-height "Sharpie/pit bull mix." Four years earlier, Robert Vidinha, built a 4-foot-high iron fence because the dog, "Penelope Rose," (Penny) would bark violently at his grandchildren. The dog was euthanized. [source citations]
| Date of death: | October 5, 2008 | Chained: | No |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breed of dog: | Pit bull-shar pei mix | Relationship to dog: | Family |
| Sex of dog: | Female | Owner of dog: | Great-aunt |
| Spay/Neuter: | Unreleased | Multiple dogs: | No |
| On/Off property: | On | Criminal charges: | No |
Chester Jordan, 62-years old, was killed by three pit bulls. Muncie police were called to 1109 West Tilmor Drive around 3:20 pm about a man found dead. Jordan had been living in the basement of his daughter's home. Her boyfriend, DeWayne Benning, found the body when he returned from work. The victim lived with the dogs -- three adult pit bulls and six puppies -- in the open basement, police said. Jordan was last seen alive when his daughter, Aretha Jordan, and Benning left for work that morning. The victim suffered major tissue damage and was repeatedly bitten, Delaware County Coroner James Clevenger Jr. said. The victim had a history of dementia and also had older bite marks on his body. "It looks like he had been bitten before," Clevenger said. Detectives interviewed Aretha and Benning. An autopsy confirmed that Jordan was alive when he was attacked and killed by three pit bulls. The dogs were taken to the Muncie Animal Shelter. In January 2009, Delaware County Prosecutor Mark McKinney said he intended to present the case to the grand jury. [source citations]
| Date of death: | October 31, 2008 | Chained: | No |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breed of dog: | Pit bull (3) | Relationship to dog: | Family |
| Sex of dog: | Both | Owner of dog: | Daughter |
| Spay/Neuter: | No | Multiple dogs: | Yes |
| On/Off property: | On | Criminal charges: | Unknown |
Alexander Adams, 2-years old, was killed by his family's pit bull-mix. The attack occurred at approximately 4:30 pm at a residence in the 6200 block of Warm River Road, Las Vegas police said. Alexander and his younger sibling were at their home under the care of his grandmother, when one of the dogs, and possibly the second one, attacked him, said Bill Cassell, a spokesman with the Metropolitan Police Department. The boy was dead by the time medical responders arrived. His younger sibling was not hurt. The parents of the children were away at the time. The attack occurred after Alexander followed his grandmother, who was carrying a bowl of dog food into a room where the dogs are normally fed, Cassell said. Police might never know with certainty what triggered the attack, but Cassell said the food might have been the cause. The grandmother suffered superficial injuries during the attack. The two dogs, both described as pit bull-mixes, weighed between 40 and 45 pounds, Cassell said. Las Vegas animal control officers impounded both dogs. [source citations]
| Date of death: | November 26, 2008 | Chained: | No |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breed of dog: | Pit bull-mix | Relationship to dog: | Family |
| Sex of dog: | Unreleased | Owner of dog: | Parents |
| Spay/Neuter: | Unreleased | Multiple dogs: | No |
| On/Off property: | On | Criminal charges: | No |
Gerald Adelmund, 60-years old, was killed by two family pit bulls in his backyard. The man died around 12:20 pm at his home in the 5700 block of Kenwood Place, according to information from the Riverside County Coroner's Department. The man was taking a smoking break in the backyard of his Rubidoux home when a male and female pit bull attacked him, Riverside County sheriff's Sergeant Dennis Gutierrez said. "Deputies arrived and found the [60-year-old] man still in the backyard of this residence." It was a "vicious attack and very tragic for the family right before the holidays," Gutierrez said. Adelmund was a relative of the dogs' owner, he said. The owner surrendered the animals to authorities. The dogs were euthanized later in that day, Riverside County Animal Services spokesman John Welsh said. Both dogs -- a 4-year old, 107 pound male and a 6-year old, 52 pound female -- were intact, Welsh noted. Investigators said there were also nine puppies in the backyard. No one witnessed the attack. Adelmund lived at the residence with relatives. [source citations]
| Date of death: | December 19, 2008 | Chained: | No |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breed of dog: | Pit bull (1) Pit bull-mastiff mix (1) |
Relationship to dog: | Family |
| Sex of dog: | Both | Owner of dog: | Son |
| Spay/Neuter: | No | Multiple dogs: | Yes |
| On/Off property: | On | Criminal charges: | No |
Deaths involving minor dog bite injury, dog-related caused injury (killed by a car while fleeing a dog) and cases that lacked a "reasonably clear" determination of death after dog bite injury are not included in our fatality statistical data. Deaths involving fatal non-bite injury (struck by dog death) or deaths due to untreated severe dog bites (sepsis) may be added to our statistical data at a future time.
Fatal Pit Bull Attacks: An archive of U.S. fatal pit bull maulings from 1833 to December 2024, maintained by DogsBite.org.
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