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.
| 2010 fatal dog attacks by breed |
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In 2010, 2 dog bite fatalities involved canines from 2 or more different breeds, thus producing a death count total of 37 rather than 34. Five dog breeds each contributed to 1 death: American bulldog, boxer, bullmastiff-mix, husky and a wolf-dog hybrid. In one case involving several dogs, the breed information was unknown or unreleased.
Omar Martinez, 3-years old, was killed by a family pit bull. A call was received by 911 dispatchers at 2:52 pm about a boy not breathing after a dog attack. Deputies from the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Office were sent to the boy's home in the 23500 block of Goshute Avenue. According to Art Bishop, a deputy chief with the Apple Valley Fire Protection District, when firefighters arrived, the pit bull, covered in blood, came out and started to attack them. Paramedics were forced to retreat to their vehicles until deputies arrived. "They actually had to retreat back into their vehicles until deputies got there," Bishop said. Upon arrival, a deputy shot the dog, killing it. Rescuers transported the boy to St. Mary Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 4:41 pm. The toddler was bitten on the throat by the dog in the backyard after his father briefly stepped away, fire officials said. The dog had no history of aggression, according to the boy's father. Investigators concluded there was no evidence of negligence and that the boy's death was a "misfortunate incident." [source citations]
| Date of death: | January 9, 2010 | Chained: | No |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breed of dog: | Pit bull | Relationship to dog: | Family |
| Sex of dog: | Male | Owner of dog: | Father |
| Spay/Neuter: | No | Multiple dogs: | No |
| On/Off property: | On | Criminal charges: | No |
Johnny Wilson, 56-years old, was killed by his daughter's six pit bulls. The attack occurred inside the victim's home at 10206 South Aberdeen Street in Washington Heights. The daughter told authorities that she came home around 10:20 pm and found her father lying on the living room floor covered in blood. Investigators from the Chicago Police Department said he sustained severe head trauma, both of his ears were bitten off and one of his eyes was mauled. He also sustained injuries to both arms. Wilson was pronounced dead at 2:15 am at the Stein Institute. An autopsy performed by the Cook County medical examiner’s office determined the cause of death was hemorrhaging from multiple injuries from a dog attack. His death was ruled as accidental. Chicago Animal Care and Control officers seized four adult pit bulls and two puppies from the home. A source indicated the daughter was breeding the dogs, and there was no history of mistreatment to the dogs. The daughter told police her dogs were afraid of her father because he had a "loud voice." [source citations]
| Date of death: | January 17, 2010 | Chained: | No |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breed of dog: | Pit bull (6) | Relationship to dog: | Family |
| Sex of dog: | Both | Owner of dog: | Daughter |
| Spay/Neuter: | No | Multiple dogs: | Yes |
| On/Off property: | On | Criminal charges: | No |
Anastasia Bingham, 5-years old, was killed by a pit bull. The attack occurred after she walked out of her mobile home at 1911 Green Drive around 7:30 am, Hinds County sheriff's deputies said. School had been cancelled due to snow. Anastasia had gone outside to get a playmate to play in it. She was found bloody and dead in a ditch near her home by a neighbor. "Her neck looked like someone might have cut her throat. It was just really terrible," Marriera Jordan said. The Hinds County Coroner pronounced her dead at the scene. No one witnessed the attack. Authorities confiscated a pit bull believed to be involved. Months later, a Hinds County grand jury determined there was not enough evidence to indict anyone. DNA testing on the suspected pit bull showed it did not attack the girl. DNA testing on a different pit bull -- found beaten to death near the scene -- was inconclusive. Investigators said they received confidential tips about three other pit bulls, belonging to the child's relatives, that were killed and dumped in a wooded area off Sawmill Road after the girl's death. [source citations]
| Date of death: | February 12, 2010 | Chained: | Unknown |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breed of dog: | Pit bull | Relationship to dog: | Non-family |
| Sex of dog: | Unknown | Owner of dog: | Unreleased |
| Spay/Neuter: | Unknown | Multiple dogs: | Unknown |
| On/Off property: | Off | Criminal charges: | No |
Robert Hocker, 11-days old, was killed by his family's husky. The attack occurred around 12:30 pm in the 3500 block of Lake Haughey Road, the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office said. The boy "died of head injuries suffered in [a] canine attack," the office said in a statement. According to West Hennepin Public Safety Director Ray McCoy, "The infant boy was in his car seat on a bed in the bedroom, when he was bitten by the family Siberian husky." Emergency personnel "exhausted all life-saving measures, and the infant was pronounced dead at the scene," McCoy said. No one witnessed the attack, but four family members were home at the time. The 71-pound male husky, "Dealer," was taken into custody by the Wright County Humane Society and euthanized after a 10-day quarantine. McCoy said his department, which patrols Independence and Maple Plain, had responded to "numerous" calls to the home in the past, but for "nothing that would be more than just a nuisance violation." The Hennepin County Attorney's office declined to pursue criminal charges. [source citations]
| Date of death: | February 18, 2010 | 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 |
Christine Staab, 37-years old, was brutally killed one of her mother's six pit bulls. Philadelphia police officers responded to the 1400 block of East Oxford Street around 7:00 am for reports of a woman being attacked by multiple pit bulls. Upon arrival, officers "observed approximately six pit bulls attacking a woman inside the property," said police spokesperson Lieutenant Frank Vanore. The victim had gone to her mother's home that morning and the two started arguing. While arguing, Stabb stepped backward and tripped over a mirror, causing her to crash to the floor. That is when "Jade," a female pit bull, latched onto her throat. "I couldn't get her off," said her mother Barbara Erb. The dog did not release its hold until officers shot the animal to death. Officers shot and killed a second pit bull at the scene as well. Erb described the six pit bulls as "house dogs" that were well cared for and even microchipped for identification. "They were spoiled rotten," Erb said. "They were not neglected in any way." The remaining four pit bulls were taken into custody. [source citations]
| Date of death: | February 20, 2010 | Chained: | No |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breed of dog: | Pit bull | Relationship to dog: | Family |
| Sex of dog: | Female | Owner of dog: | Mother |
| Spay/Neuter: | No | Multiple dogs: | No |
| On/Off property: | On | Criminal charges: | No |
Violet Haaker, 3-years old, was killed by her mother's prize breeding dog. The attack occurred at 6540 NE 25th Avenue around 5:15 pm, the Marion County Sheriff's Office said. The child's mother, Lori Haaker, kept four bulldogs chained to separate trees inside of a pen. Haaker was outside cleaning the dog pen and her 3-year old was playing in the yard outside the pen. When Haaker briefly stepped into the house, Violet slipped into the pen. She became entangled in one dog's chain and was attacked. When Haaker came back outside, she saw the dog "tossing the child in the air," according to the police report. "It was a bad dog attack," said Jennifer Fisher, public information officer for the Marion County Sheriff's Office. The Haaker property was demarked by the signage, "Haaker's Dream Bulldog Ranch," where they bred, raised and showed the dogs. The culprit dog, "Uno," was a male Scott-type American bulldog -- commonly recognized as a pit bull variety. Authorities confiscated all four dogs, Uno and three females, and euthanized them. [source citations]
| Date of death: | February 20, 2010 | Chained: | Yes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breed of dog: | American bulldog | Relationship to dog: | Family |
| Sex of dog: | Male | Owner of dog: | Mother |
| Spay/Neuter: | No | Multiple dogs: | No |
| On/Off property: | On | Criminal charges: | No |
Infant Jane Doe, 5-days old, was killed by a family pit bull. The attack occurred on February 18, around 10:45 am, the Rockdale County Sheriff’s Office said. "As [the mother] entered the room, she was shocked to find the family pet on top of her daughter's bassinet," said Rockdale County sheriff's Sergeant Jodi Shupe. "As she approached the bassinet, she realized that the dog had bitten her daughter." The mother and father drove the infant to Rockdale Medical Center, where she was airlifted to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston. The infant, whose name was not released, remained in critical condition until she died on February 23. After the attack, the male pit bull was taken into custody by Rockdale County Animal Services and euthanized. Dr. Mark Wulkan, the Children's Healthcare surgeon in chief and an associate professor at Emory, told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, "There's no place for pit bulls or rottweilers around children." As far as children are concerned, he added, pit bulls and rottweilers in particular are responsible for the most severe injuries. [source citations]
| Date of death: | February 23, 2010 | Chained: | No |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breed of dog: | Pit bull | Relationship to dog: | Family |
| Sex of dog: | Male | Owner of dog: | Mother |
| Spay/Neuter: | Unreleased | Multiple dogs: | No |
| On/Off property: | On | Criminal charges: | No |
Ashlynn Anderson, 4-years old, was killed by one of her stepfather's rottweilers. The Clatsop County Sheriff's Office received a 911 call around 1:00 pm about a child seriously injured by a dog in the 42900 block of Hillcrest Loop. The child was flown to Oregon Health & Science University, where she was pronounced dead on arrival. The girl's mother, D'ette Browning, was the first to be alerted, Sheriff Tom Bergin said. "This mom just happened to look out and saw the dog and the child laying there," he said. The two-and-a-half-year old female rottweiler, "Cornelia," apparently just "snapped," Bergin said. The spayed rottweiler was usually fenced in a nearby area; the dog apparently jumped the fence and attacked the girl in the front yard. Four months earlier, a sheriff's deputy removed a third rottweiler from the Browning home after reports it was "showing aggression" and bit an adult family member. That dog was destroyed. At the time of the mauling, Ashlynn's stepfather, Jesse Browning, was starring in The History Channel's reality TV show, "Ax Men." [source citations]
| Date of death: | February 28, 2010 | Chained: | No |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breed of dog: | Rottweiler | Relationship to dog: | Family |
| Sex of dog: | Female | Owner of dog: | Stepfather |
| Spay/Neuter: | Yes | Multiple dogs: | No |
| On/Off property: | On | Criminal charges: | No |
Ethel Horton, 65-years old, was killed by her nephew's pit bull. The attack occurred around 11:41 am in the 500 block of Stokes Bridge Road West, the Lee County Sheriff's Office said. Ethel and her husband Jerry were dog sitting their nephew's 10-year old male pit bull, "Brutus," while he was out of town, Lee County Sheriff E.J. Melvin said. Their nephew lived next door. Prior to the attack, the pit bull had been tied to a 15-foot chain attached to a stake in the ground. The dog grew agitated when Jerry began feeding six beagles and two huskies that were kept in his backyard. As he was feeding the dogs, the pit bull broke free from its chain and attacked him. Ethel tried to fight the dog off with a plastic pipe when the dog turned on her and attacked. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Jerry was taken to Carolina Pines Regional Medical Center with serious injuries. Lee County Coroner Alfred Elmore said Horton suffered severe injuries in the attack and died of heart failure. The Hortons were familiar with the dog since it was a puppy. The dog was euthanized. [source citations]
| Date of death: | March 4, 2010 | Chained: | No |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breed of dog: | Pit bull | Relationship to dog: | Family |
| Sex of dog: | Male | Owner of dog: | Nephew |
| Spay/Neuter: | Unreleased | Multiple dogs: | No |
| On/Off property: | On | Criminal charges: | No |
Justin Lopez, 9-months old, was killed by two rottweilers. The attack occurred at 750801 South 3380 Road in Tryon, Iowa Tribal Police said. Officers were dispatched to the home around 11:11 am. Upon arrival, they found the baby badly injured. The child died at the scene, Stillwater fire Battalion Chief Rick Hauf said. A spokesman for the state medical examiner's office, Cherokee Ballard, said the boy died of blunt force trauma to the head. A source close to the family said the two rottweilers were brought to the home the night before. The attack occurred in a hallway outside a bedroom where the baby and his brother were sleeping with their father. It is not known how Justin got out of his crib. The children’s grandfather came to visit the family that morning and found the baby shortly before 11:00 am. The baby’s father was still sleeping when he arrived. The boy's mother, Stephanie Easley, was at work. Easley was later taken to Stillwater Medical Center to be treated for emotional distress and shock. Both rottweilers, a male and female, were destroyed. [source citations]
| Date of death: | March 8, 2010 | Chained: | No |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breed of dog: | Rottweiler (2) | Relationship to dog: | Non-family |
| Sex of dog: | Both | Owner of dog: | Parents |
| Spay/Neuter: | Unreleased | Multiple dogs: | Yes |
| On/Off property: | On | Criminal charges: | No |
Thomas Carter Jr., 7-days old, was killed by a family pit bull. The attack transpired at 10548 Olsen Street in Moon Lake Estates. Around 11:45 am, a friend of the baby's mother came to the front door. Jackie Welch, who spent the previous night with the baby's parents, opened the door. The friend then knocked on the mother's bedroom door, waking her up. At that point, the mother, Nicole Koezeno, 16, saw her bloody baby. "She started screaming, 'My baby! My baby!,'" Welch said. The parent's dog, "Sidon," had been locked in the bedroom with the mother and baby overnight. Welch gave the infant CPR, but it was too late. The baby's body was covered in "puncture holes from the dog's teeth," she said. During the chaos, Sidon attacked a roommate's dog, "Buddy," who was chained in the backyard. Welch said she arose at 7:00 am, but never heard any sounds from the dog. Welch heard the baby cry for about two minutes around 9:30 am, but then quieted. By 7:00 am, the baby's father had already left for work. Sidon had a history of animal and human aggression. [source citations]
| Date of death: | April 14, 2010 | Chained: | No |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breed of dog: | Pit bull-mix | Relationship to dog: | Family |
| Sex of dog: | Male | Owner of dog: | Parents |
| Spay/Neuter: | No | Multiple dogs: | No |
| On/Off property: | On | Criminal charges: | No |
Krystal Brink, 3-years old, was killed by a chained sled dog after wandering into a neighbor's yard. Alaska State Troopers were called to the home at 7:35 pm. Krystal was visiting relatives in Napaskiak at the time. She and some other children had been playing outside that afternoon. When adults called the children in at about 5:00 pm, they discovered Brink was missing. Her great-uncle, Fritz Larson, found her body in a yard of tied up sled dogs at a nearby home. The suspect dog, a male mutt, was chewing on a diaper. "I went nuts. I lost it," Larson said. "I remember hollering at the dog. I grabbed the baby and I pulled her away from the dog. I picked her up and I saw her face." Krystal had been bitten on the face and head. After Larson brought the dead child home, his brother, Joe Larson, grabbed a shotgun and killed six adult dogs in the yard. Raymond Steven, who owned the dogs, was not home. The dogs were his sprint mushing team. He'd only recently gotten "Blue Eye," the dog that killed the girl. Steven was upset, but told troopers he did not want to press charges. [source citations]
| Date of death: | May 20, 2010 | Chained: | Yes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breed of dog: | Mixed-breed | 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 |
Nathan Aguirre, 2-years old, was killed by a family pit bull. The attack occurred around 7:19 pm in the 1500 block of Kendall Drive, the San Bernardino Police Department said. The child was rushed to Loma Linda University Medical Center with severe head and neck injuries. He was pronounced dead at 1:18 am the next morning. Prior to the attack, the boy had been riding his tricycle and playing with his father in the family's fenced-in backyard, police Sergeant Gary Robertson said. When his father stepped away briefly, the mother, who was in the house, came out to check on the child. "She found the boy in the pit bull's mouth. The mom yelled and the pit bull just dropped the child," he said. The one-and-a-half-year old male pit bull, who had been with the family for about three months, was seized along with an older family pit bull that was not involved in the attack. While at the scene, a Press-Enterprise reporter saw a sticker for Atomic Dogg, a magazine dedicated to the "bully breed" -- pit bulls and American bullies -- pasted on the family's front window. [source citations]
| Date of death: | May 28, 2010 | 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 |
Savannah Gragg, 9-years old, died after being attacked by a family pit bull. The attack occurred on May 29, around 10:00 am at 4650 East County Road 200 South, the Howard County Sheriff's Office said. Deputy John Cipriano arrived minutes later. The girl sustained a life-threatening neck wound, Cipriano said. She was unconscious and stopped breathing twice before medics arrived, he said. She was rushed to Howard Regional Health System then airlifted to Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis. Investigators learned Gragg was opening the door of her home to let the dog outside when the dog knocked her to the ground, latched onto her neck and shook violently. Gragg's grandmother witnessed the attack and tried to free the child from the dog's jaws. "They said ... this dog has never shown aggression before ... that it's a freak thing, a freak accident," Cipriano said. She survived five days before succumbing to a "lacerated trachea, which resulted in a lack of oxygen to the brain," said Howard County Sheriff Marty Talbert. No criminal charges were filed. [source citations]
| Date of death: | June 3, 2010 | Chained: | No |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breed of dog: | Pit bull | Relationship to dog: | Family |
| Sex of dog: | Unreleased | Owner of dog: | Family member (generic) |
| Spay/Neuter: | Unreleased | Multiple dogs: | No |
| On/Off property: | On | Criminal charges: | No |
Mychael Wynters, 30-years old, was killed by a pack of large dogs. The attack occurred in the 48000 block of State Route 511, the Lorain County Sheriff's Office said. Investigators said the man's father, Michael Kywa, left around 11:30 am and returned at about 12:15 pm to find his son bloody and dead in the driveway. "He had hundreds of bite wounds all over his body," county Coroner Paul Matus, said. "His clothes were ripped off. He was bleeding heavily." Deputies shot and killed two dogs and rounded up seven others that were outside. All of the dogs were euthanized at the scene, and included: 5 bullmastiff-mixes, 3 pit bull-mixes and a rottweiler-mix. No one witnessed the violent attack. Over the years, Wynters and Kywa had been collecting and caring for large breed dogs. The canines were well-cared for, investigators said. Wynters died of cardiopulmonary arrest due to hypoglycemic shock due to multiple arterial lacerations due to dog bites, Matus said. About a year-and-a-half earlier, deputies were called to the home due to dogs attacking another dog. [source citations]
| Date of death: | June 15, 2010 | Chained: | No |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breed of dog: | Bullmastiff-mix (5) Pit bull-mix (3) Rottweiler-mix (1) |
Relationship to dog: | Family |
| Sex of dog: | Both | Owner of dog: | Father |
| Spay/Neuter: | Unreleased | Multiple dogs: | Yes |
| On/Off property: | On | Criminal charges: | No |
Kyle Holland, 5-years old, was killed by a wolf-dog hybrid. The attack occurred at 1534 Empire Avenue, Lincoln Park police said. Kyle's mother, Debralynn Holland, found him mutilated and dead on the floor by his bedroom around 9:30 am. Police believe the boy had already been dead for several hours. The Wayne County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled the child’s death a homicide "due to multiple crush wounds due to multiple dog bites." Holland last saw her son about 10:30 pm the night before. Police seized two dogs from the home, including the wolf-dog. Both dogs belonged to the mother's live-in boyfriend, Earl Adkins. Prosecutor's charged Holland with manslaughter and second-degree child abuse. Adkins was charged with dangerous animal causing death. During the preliminary examination, Dr. Carl Schmidt, chief Wayne County medical examiner, testified the boy's chest cavity was crushed and parts of his anatomy missing. "His buttocks were gone to the point that his sacrum was gone," Schmidt said. Both Holland and Adkins pleaded guilty to all charges. [source citations]
| Date of death: | July 12, 2010 | Chained: | No |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breed of dog: | Wolf-dog hybrid | Relationship to dog: | Family |
| Sex of dog: | Male | Owner of dog: | Mother's boyfriend |
| Spay/Neuter: | Unreleased | Multiple dogs: | No |
| On/Off property: | On | Criminal charges: | Yes |
William Parker, 71-years old, was killed by two pit bulls. Memphis police officers were called to 230 North Manassas Street at 12:04 pm for a report of a dog attack. Parker was in cardiac arrest when paramedics arrived and died shortly thereafter. The victim's daughter, Gardenia Parker, sustained critical injuries trying to save her father. "When I got there, the dog had already torn both his legs to pieces. No skin, just bones," she said. The dogs also attacked two paramedics at the scene, and 30 minutes earlier, attacked Kevin Stringfellow, biting his finger off. Police received a call about the dogs two days earlier, but when they arrived, their owner, Bernard Humphrey, had secured them. Police arrested Humphrey on an unrelated charge, leaving the dogs behind. Two days later, Sherry Wooten, 23, a friend of Humphrey, let the dogs loose, which led to Parker's death and the injury of four others. Wooten was charged with reckless homicide and four counts of felony reckless endangerment. Gardenia later sued the apartment complex owner and received a $2.5 million award. [source citations]
| Date of death: | July 20, 2010 | Chained: | No |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breed of dog: | Pit bull (2) | Relationship to dog: | Non-family |
| Sex of dog: | Unreleased | Owner of dog: | Neighbor |
| Spay/Neuter: | Unreleased | Multiple dogs: | Yes |
| On/Off property: | Off | Criminal charges: | Yes |
Jacob Bisbee, 2-years old, killed by his step-grandfather's pit bull-mix dogs. The attack occurred at 1785 Trailcreek Court around 8:45 am, Concord police said. When the boy walked into the garage, three of the family's five pit bulls attacked him. He was pronounced dead at a hospital. The boy's grandmother and uncle were inside the house, as was his 4-year old brother and cousin. The dogs' owner, Steven Hayashi, was not home. Police arrested Hayashi on suspicion of child endangerment and owning a mischievous animal that causes death. The dogs were seized along with two other pit bulls that were tied in the front yard. Hayashi later admitted that one of his dogs killed his chihuahua a year earlier. Prosecutors added that during the same time period, Hayashi's pit bulls killed the family's akita -- by tearing off the akita's head -- and a parrot. The pit bulls had also shown aggression to Jacob and his brother. Hayashi was convicted of involuntary manslaughter and two other felonies in connection to Jacob's death. He was sentenced to 3-years' probation. [source citations]
| Date of death: | July 22, 2010 | Chained: | No |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breed of dog: | Pit bull-mix (3) | Relationship to dog: | Family |
| Sex of dog: | Both | Owner of dog: | Step-grandfather |
| Spay/Neuter: | Mixed | Multiple dogs: | Yes |
| On/Off property: | On | Criminal charges: | Yes |
Aaron Carlson, 2-years old, was killed by a family dog. The attack occurred around 11:33 am in the 3500 block of Lofberg Street, the San Diego Police Department said. Aaron was killed in an upstairs bedroom in front of his three siblings, ages 3, 5 and 7, while his mother slept on the couch. An autopsy confirmed the boy died of mauling injuries to his head and neck. The dog, a one-and-a-half year old rescued German shepherd-mix, had been living with the family for four to six months. The family lives in Tierrasanta, a military housing complex. At the time of the attack, Aaron's father, a Navy serviceman, was deployed overseas. Nine months later, the child's mother, Valerie Carlson, 29, was charged with 11 felony counts of cruelty to a child. Prosecutors said she was passed out drunk on the couch during the attack. According to court documents, the left side of the boy's face had been torn off and he had no skin in the middle of his face. The child's nose and cartilage were absent. Valerie was sentenced to 5-years’ probation and ordered to complete a 1-year jail term. [source citations]
| Date of death: | July 31, 2010 | Chained: | No |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breed of dog: | German shepherd-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 |
Tracy Payne, 46-years old, killed by a pack of abandoned pit bulls. Macon police were dispatched to 1284 Glendale Avenue around 2:00 pm after an anonymous caller reported a fully-clothed white female dead in the bushes in the backyard. She had been dead between six to eight hours, Bibb County Coroner Leon Jones said. She died of blunt force trauma and lacerations from the dog attack, Jones said. The same pit bulls attacked a man the night before, police said. Kerry Whisby, who walked by the vacant home around 11:30 pm, was severely bitten by one of the dogs. Whisby was cutting through an alley when he encountered the dogs. “The dog tore me up and kept biting even as I was trying to run away,” he said. "Eventually, I was able to climb on the roof of someone’s car and ride away." The dogs belonged to the home's previous tenant, who left them behind after moving out, Whisby said. After Payne's death, other neighbors reported being bitten by the dogs in the past few days. None of the previous victims reported the attacks to police or animal control. [source citations]
| Date of death: | August 19, 2010 | Chained: | No |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breed of dog: | Pit bull (3) | Relationship to dog: | Non-family |
| Sex of dog: | Both | Owner of dog: | Stray |
| Spay/Neuter: | Unreleased | Multiple dogs: | Yes |
| On/Off property: | On | Criminal charges: | No |
Jerry Yates, 69-years old, was killed by two pit bulls belonging to a tenant. His body was found bloody and dead by his son, Jared, just after 5:00 pm, the Calaveras County Sheriff's Office said. At 4:30 pm, Yates went to check on Sheryl Sellers, 49, who lives in a trailer on Yates' property at 6987 Doster Road. She kept two pit bulls nearby in a flimsily loose hog wire fence. While searching for his father, Jared had to use a shotgun to scare the dogs off. The dogs had a history of vicious behavior, police said. Investigators arrested Sellers and charged her for allowing vicious animals at large. Authorities later upped the charge to a felony for knowingly having a mischievous animal that caused human death. An autopsy determined the cause of death was the severing of a brachial artery, the main blood vessel of the upper arm. Seven months later, during a preliminary hearing, Calaveras Superior Court Judge Thomas A. Smith dismissed the felony charges under the bizarre theory that what precipitated the fatal dog mauling lacked a witness. [source citations]
| Date of death: | August 22, 2010 | Chained: | No |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breed of dog: | Pit bull (2) | Relationship to dog: | Non-family |
| Sex of dog: | Both | Owner of dog: | Tenant |
| Spay/Neuter: | Unreleased | Multiple dogs: | Yes |
| On/Off property: | On | Criminal charges: | No |
Jason Walter, 7-years old, was killed by up to four dogs while visiting Varna. The Marshall County Sheriff's Office received a call around 7:15 am about a dog attack at 2389 Wenona Road. Walter died at 8:18 am before a rescue helicopter could transport him to Peoria, Coroner Dave Lenz Jr., said. Family members found the boy lying in the driveway and called 911. Authorities confiscated four dogs -- three pit bulls and a shepherd-mix -- from the scene. The boy's mother, Diane Walter, was in a relationship with Shanklin; the two had spent the night at his farm. Shanklin owned the shepherd-mix. The pit bulls belonged to a rental tenant, Karen Brady, who had moved into a mobile home on the property a few months earlier. No one witnessed the attack. An autopsy determined Walter died from multiple puncture wounds, including to his carotid and femoral arteries. After his death, a cable installer and mechanic reported they had been menaced by at least one of Brady's pit bulls in the past. No criminal charges were filed in connection to Jason's death. [source citations]
| Date of death: | August 25, 2010 | Chained: | No |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breed of dog: | Pit bull (3) German shepherd-mix (1) |
Relationship to dog: | Non-family |
| Sex of dog: | Both | Owner of dog: | Tenant and family friend |
| Spay/Neuter: | Unreleased | Multiple dogs: | Yes |
| On/Off property: | On | Criminal charges: | No |
Taylor Becker, 4-years old, was killed by a boxer while visiting the owner's home. The attack occurred in the backyard of a home on East Neda Road just before 1:00 pm, the Dodge County Sheriff's Office said. The child was rushed to Beaver Dam Community Hospital, where she was pronounced dead at 2:00 pm. The 5-year old male boxer, "Rocky," had been chained to a post in the backyard of Steven and Stefanie Beauprey's home. The two families knew each other and Taylor had been to the home before. Taylor was playing in the backyard, alone with the dog. Before or during the attack, the dog pulled out of its collar, but the chain was still long enough for the dog to access the whole backyard. Troy Erickson, a neighbor, witnessed the end of the attack, which he described as "the dog chewing on her and dragging her around." At that point, the dog did not have a chain on its neck, he said. The Beauprey's had owned the dog for three or four months. But the dog had already sired five puppies that were inside the Beauprey home. The dog was euthanized. [source citations]
| Date of death: | August 25, 2010 | Chained: | Yes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breed of dog: | Boxer | Relationship to dog: | Non-family |
| Sex of dog: | Male | Owner of dog: | Family friend |
| Spay/Neuter: | No | Multiple dogs: | No |
| On/Off property: | On | Criminal charges: | No |
Mattie Daugherty, 85-years old, was killed by her daughter's pit bull. The attack occurred at 151 County Road 492 around 11:30 am, McMinn County Sheriff Joe Guy said. Prior to the attack, family members were outside working in the yard. Construction was also being done to the home's roof. Daugherty left the group to check on the dog that was inside the home and never made it out alive -- the dog attacked her head and neck. Prior to deputies arriving, a neighbor shot the pit bull to stop the attack, but it took two deputies firing on the dog to finally kill it. Daugherty died at the scene. The victim's daughter had owned the dog for nine years without any previous incidents, Sheriff Guy said. One report said the pit bull lived outside the home and "the elderly woman was not used to being around the pet." But friends of the family, Dale and Laverne Holbrook, said the pit bull was a big part of the Daugherty family. They said the dog "even had its own room in the house." Family members said the "noise" from the roof construction must have triggered the deadly attack. [source citations]
| Date of death: | September 4, 2010 | Chained: | No |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breed of dog: | Pit bull | Relationship to dog: | Family |
| Sex of dog: | Unreleased | Owner of dog: | Daughter |
| Spay/Neuter: | Unreleased | Multiple dogs: | No |
| On/Off property: | On | Criminal charges: | No |
John Reynolds, 84-years old, was killed by his son's pit bull pack. Calloway County sheriff's deputies responded to 9500 Osage Court in Kingdom of Callaway Estates for a report of a deceased man. His son, John Reynolds Jr., 52, came home around 7:37 pm and found his father severely bitten and dead in a pen that he used to house his 17 pit bulls. Reynolds Junior bred and raised pit bulls on his father's property and also lived at his father's home. Reynolds Junior did not believe his pit bulls killed his father. He described the dogs as his dad's "best buddies." He speculated that a stray dog or a mountain lion was the real culprit. Rex Martensen, a field specialist with the Missouri Department of Conservation, was asked to examine photographs of the severe bite injuries the victim sustained. Investigators said it was his opinion that "no way" were those bite marks caused by a mountain lion. After the attack, the Calloway County Sheriff's Office left the 17 pit bulls with Reynolds Junior because they did not have the resources to manage so many dogs. [source citations]
| Date of death: | October 13, 2010 | Chained: | No |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breed of dog: | Pit bull (17) | 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 |
Justin Valentin, 4-days old, was killed by a family pit bull. The attack occurred in an Arlington neighborhood in the 5800 block of Dickson Road around 10:00 pm, the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office said. The newborn was transported to Shands Hospital, but did not survive. Shortly after the baby's death, police and the Florida Department of Children and Families began an investigation into the parents. "Our investigation will reveal if the incident was abuse, neglect or an accident," said the DCF spokesman. The infant's father, Mark Valentin, claimed accident. "My wife went to the restroom and the dog got to the baby. We're not neglectful parents." Valentin supplied a photograph depicting the newborn in his arm next to his 4-year old sibling, the pit bull, and a family member. Valentin described the dog as "very loving" and that he had raised the dog from puppyhood. Jacksonville animal control officers, who picked up the 2-year old dog, however, said the male pit bull, "Briggs," was "extremely aggressive" with them. The dog was euthanized at the owner's request. [source citations]
| Date of death: | October 24, 2010 | Chained: | No |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breed of dog: | Pit bull | Relationship to dog: | Family |
| Sex of dog: | Male | Owner of dog: | Father |
| Spay/Neuter: | Unreleased | Multiple dogs: | No |
| On/Off property: | On | Criminal charges: | No |
Christina Casey, 53-years old, was killed by her neighbor's two dogs. She was found dead in the backyard of her rented home in the 22000 block of Aqueduct Way, Moreno Valley police said. She sustained "multiple dog bites that ultimately lead to her death," states a release from the agency. A forensic dentist confirmed that two large pit bull-weimaraner mix dogs owned by neighbors were responsible for the bites. Sometime during the night, the dogs dug a hole under the fence that separated the properties and got into her yard, police said. It is believed the dogs attacked her in the early morning hours of November 2. The victim's brother, William Casey, said his sister was in the process of moving, "the dogs being one of the reasons." He added, "In two more days, she'd have been completely out of there." Christina had complained about the dogs to her brother, city animal control officials and the dogs' owners. Casey filed a civil lawsuit against the City of Moreno, which identified the dog owners as Joaquine Rios and Veronica Rios of Dracaea Avenue. [source citations]
| Date of death: | November 2, 2010 | Chained: | No |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breed of dog: | Pit bull-weimaraner mix (2) | Relationship to dog: | Non-family |
| Sex of dog: | Male | Owner of dog: | Neighbor |
| Spay/Neuter: | Yes | Multiple dogs: | Yes |
| On/Off property: | Off | Criminal charges: | No |
Shirley Bird, 79-years old, was killed by her German shepherd. On November 15, at about 10:00 am, Ida County sheriff's deputies were called to 502 Moorehead Street after being notified by Bird's nephew that she has been unreachable for a few days. Inside the home, deputies found Bird's body with multiple bite marks in the bathtub. Ida County Sheriff Wade Harriman believes Bird sustained severe bite wounds from her dog in the kitchen and went into the bathroom to stop the bleeding. Family members said the dog had bitten her before and she struggled to control the dog. "It was a pretty aggressive dog," Harriman said. "It wouldn't let anyone in the house when she wasn't there." An autopsy conducted by the Iowa State Medical Examiner's Office determined that she died from blood loss. Bird had been taking a blood thinner, which contributed to her death, Harriman said. It would have been difficult for her blood to clot after the lacerations and wounds inflicted by the dog, he said. Authorities determined that she died on November 9. The dog was euthanized. [source citations]
| Date of death: | November 9, 2010 | Chained: | No |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breed of dog: | German shepherd | Relationship to dog: | Family |
| Sex of dog: | Unreleased | Owner of dog: | Victim |
| Spay/Neuter: | Unreleased | Multiple dogs: | No |
| On/Off property: | On | Criminal charges: | No |
Kaden Muckleroy, 2-years old, was killed by his grandfather's pit bull. The attack occurred at 1950 County Road 421 North before 11:00 am, the Rusk County Sheriff's Office said. Deputies were sent to the East Texas Medical Center due to a deceased child after a dog attack. The boy's mother, Helen Muckleroy, drove the boy to the hospital. The boys' grandfather, Kelvin Muckleroy, owned the dog. The dog had formerly belonged to the boy's father who was murdered in Longview in 2009. The child was playing on a swing set in the backyard when the pit bull, chained to a tree at the time, broke free and attacked the boy. Hours later, a relative hanged herself because of grief over Kaden's death. Muckleroy surrendered his pit bull to authorities along with nearly 40 other dogs he had collected on his property. Ronnie Whittington, Henderson Animal Shelter supervisor, said one-third to half of the dogs were pit bulls or pit bull-mixes. After the boy's death, Muckleroy climbed into his pickup truck and plowed through the many dog pens in his yard, demolishing them. [source citations]
| Date of death: | November 10, 2010 | Chained: | Yes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breed of dog: | Pit bull | Relationship to dog: | Family |
| Sex of dog: | Unreleased | Owner of dog: | Grandfather |
| Spay/Neuter: | Unreleased | Multiple dogs: | No |
| On/Off property: | On | Criminal charges: | No |
Cason Bryant, 5-years old, was killed by a pack of mixed-breed dogs. The attack occurred after 1:00 pm outside of 82 McElvey Road, said Lieutenant Heath Taylor of the Russell County Sheriff’s Office. The boy was taken to Columbus Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 2:32 pm. Up to 12 dogs participated in the attack, Russell County Coroner Arthur Sumbry said. One neighbor, Carlton Brown, ran to help. "I heard screaming, didn't know what it was so I come outside," he said. "All I seen was a little naked boy in the backyard, clothes [had] been shredded." Brown and several others performed CPR on the boy, but it was too late. The investigation revealed that 11 dogs belonging to a neighbor "slipped under" the fence behind the house of 84 McElvey Road and got into a fight with a dog owned by Bryant's family. Only five dogs were involved, but all 12 dogs were euthanized. "There was no way to tell which five it was without putting them down," Taylor said. The autopsy determined Bryant died from hypovolemic shock. [source citations]
| Date of death: | November 15, 2010 | Chained: | No |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breed of dog: | Mixed-breed (5) | Relationship to dog: | Non-family |
| Sex of dog: | Unreleased | Owner of dog: | Neighbor |
| Spay/Neuter: | Unreleased | Multiple dogs: | Yes |
| On/Off property: | Off | Criminal charges: | No |
Justin Lane, 25-years old, was killed by his own pit bull. The attack occurred at 927 Skillet Road in Latta, the Dillon County Sheriff's Office said. He was discovered bloody and dead on a couch in a home he shared with his mother around 11:00 am on November 17. His mother found his body. Investigators determined that Lane's one and a half-year old pit bull, "Smoke," fatally attacked him. According to neighbors, the dog was typically chained outside, but due to bad weather the night before, Lane brought the dog inside. The dog attacked and killed him in the hours afterward. According to close friends, Lane got the dog when it was about 6-weeks old, and the dog had never harmed anyone before. An autopsy performed at the Grand Strand Regional Medical Center confirmed that Lane was killed by the pit bull. Sheriff's officials confiscated the dog and held it at an undisclosed location. The family eventually surrendered the dog for euthanasia, said Captain Cliff Arnette, a spokesman for the Dillon County Sheriff's Office. No criminal charges were filed. [source citations]
| Date of death: | November 17, 2010 | Chained: | No |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breed of dog: | Pit bull | Relationship to dog: | Family |
| Sex of dog: | Unreleased | Owner of dog: | Victim |
| Spay/Neuter: | Unreleased | Multiple dogs: | No |
| On/Off property: | On | Criminal charges: | No |
Edward Mitchell, 67-years old, died after being attacked by his nephew's pit bull. The attack occurred in the late afternoon of October 14 in the 24400 block of Tuscola Circle, Murrieta police said. First responders described finding flesh and blood all over the patio when they arrived at the scene. Mitchell was alone with the dog, "Shadow," and two family chihuahuas when the attack occurred. Mitchell had reportedly been "disciplining" the dog when it attacked him, biting his arm, throat and groin, Murrieta police Lieutenant Dennis Vrooman said. Officers shot two tranquilizer darts into the 1.5-year old unneutered male pit bull to subdue it. Mitchell, who lost a lot of blood in the attack, was transported to the intensive care unit of a local hospital. He died of "complications of his injuries after being attacked by a family's pit bull" on December 5, according to the Riverside County Coroner’s Office. Mitchell died at his at his home on Tuscola Circle, where the mauling occurred two months earlier. The unnamed nephew, in his 20s, surrendered the dog to be euthanized. [source citations]
| Date of death: | December 5, 2010 | Chained: | No |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breed of dog: | Pit bull | Relationship to dog: | Family |
| Sex of dog: | Male | Owner of dog: | Nephew |
| Spay/Neuter: | No | Multiple dogs: | No |
| On/Off property: | On | Criminal charges: | No |
Larry Armstrong, 55-years old, was killed by a pack of dogs. McKinley County sheriff's deputies were dispatched to the scene around 1:20 pm and found the dogs still gnawing on the man. The attack occurred just west of Sundance Road on Navajo Nation land near Gallup. Deputies found Armstrong lying unconscious along the side of a road with the dogs, all appearing malnourished, biting him. Deputies had to pepper spray the dogs to keep them away while EMTs attended to the victim. Armstrong was later pronounced dead at a hospital. Navajo Nation animal control officers rounded up dozens of dogs in the area and killed them after his death. The state Office of the Medical Investigator did not release the autopsy report until the following year. The investigator determined that dog bites killed Armstrong, and that he may have suffered a seizure before the attack, rendering him unconscious when the mauling began. He sustained multiple puncture wounds, tears and scrapes on his head and neck, and wounds all over his body. His death was ruled an accident. [source citations]
| Date of death: | December 8, 2010 | Chained: | No |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breed of dog: | Unreleased | Relationship to dog: | Non-family |
| Sex of dog: | Unreleased | Owner of dog: | Unreleased |
| Spay/Neuter: | Unreleased | Multiple dogs: | Yes |
| On/Off property: | Off | Criminal charges: | No |
Jeannette Vaughn, 3-months old, was killed by a family rottweiler. The attack occurred around 4:00 pm in the 5900 block of Caruso Forest Drive, the Harris County Sheriff's Office said. "Upon our arrival, EMS had started CPR on the infant child. The infant had sustained numerous lacerations and bite marks on the arms and upper body," said deputy Thomas Gilliland. The baby was transported to Willowbrook Methodist Hospital, where she died. The mother, Alva Vaughn, had been washing a 200-pound rottweiler in the bathroom, while the infant was in a baby swing in the living room. The other eight dogs were in the backyard. Vaughn had secured the home's back door by sliding a "washing machine and slab of marble" behind it, before bathing the dog. But one rottweiler forced its way inside and attacked the baby. Upon hearing barking in the next room, Vaughn went into the living room and found her baby. The infant’s hands were mangled and her head was crushed, police said. Four rottweilers and five mixed-breeds were seized from the home. [source citations]
| Date of death: | December 19, 2010 | Chained: | No |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breed of dog: | Rottweiler | 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 |
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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