2019 dog bite fatalities ::

It often takes several weeks to identify fatal dog attack parameters.1 This is why recent dog bite fatalities may not appear on this page. In the interim, please visit the DogsBite.org blog.

2019 dog bite fatality victims

Dianne Reves

70-years old | Grenada, Mississippi

Dianne Reves, 70-years old, was mauled to death by a pack of loose dogs in her own backyard. Sheriff's deputies responded to a home in the 1600 block of Carpenter Road at 3:30 pm on January 10 after a neighbor discovered Reves dead. Investigators believe the attack happened a day earlier. "We're talking about several hundred dog bites here," Investigator Josh Dale said. Seven mixed-breed dogs, weighing about 80 pounds each, were seized through a warrant from Grenada County Justice Court and taken into custody. They were tested by a veterinarian and later euthanized. The dogs belonged to a neighbor living two houses down. Reves had worked for many years as a nurse in Grenada. Shirley Holiday, Reeves' co-worker and friend, said that Reves retired about 5 years ago. "She was just looking so forward to it. She had plans," Holiday said. As of January 19, 2019 no one has been charged in connection to her death. [source citations]

Date of death:	January 9, 2019	Chained:	No
Breed of dog:	Mixed-breed (7)	Relationship to dog:	Non-family
Sex of dog:	Mixed	Owner of dog:	Neighbor
Spay/Neuter:	Unknown	Multiple dogs:	Yes
On/Off property:	Off	Criminal charges:	Pending

Lana Bergman

70-years old | San Bernardino County, California

Lana Bergman, 70-years old, was killed by four pit bulls belonging to guests on her property. At about 10:11 pm, deputies from the Morongo Basin Sheriff's Station responded to a report of a vicious dog attack in the 59000 block of Sunflower Drive. She was first discovered dead by her roommate, Joe Fairbanks, and one of the owner's of the dogs. All four pit bulls were taken into custody. The dogs belong to Stephanie Johnston and her husband, who live in a converted school with their four children. Two weeks before the fatal mauling, the couple parked their bus on Bergman's property and began living there. Lana's brother, Jay Barnett, characterized the dogs' owners as "squatters" who had had overstayed their visit at his sister's home. The day the dogs killed Lana, she left a message on her sister-in-law's phone stating that she had ordered them off her property and that tomorrow "they are being pulled out" and that "they have to leave this premises." The dogs killed her before "tomorrow" arrived. [source citations]

Date of death:	January 16, 2019	Chained:	No
Breed of dog:	Pit bull (4)	Relationship to dog:	Non-family
Sex of dog:	Mixed	Owner of dog:	Visitor
Spay/Neuter:	No	Multiple dogs:	Yes
On/Off property:	Off	Criminal charges:	No

Ed Stanley

85-years old | Amarillo, Texas

Ed Stanley, 85-years old, died two weeks after he was attacked by loose dogs on his driveway. On January 7, Amarillo Animal Management and Welfare responded to a 911 call about a man being attacked by two dogs in the 4400 block of Evelyn Street in Amarillo. "911 was notified that a citizen was being attacked. Police, fire, and EMS, as well as us responded," said Richard Havens, Director of Amarillo Animal Management and Welfare. "His legs were attacked, his face was attacked, his arms were attacked," Havens said. This was not just a dog attack, the man was mauled by a pit bull-mix and shepherd-mix, officials said. Havens said the attack "was definitely headed towards a fatality had it not been for the tremendous nature of this citizen willing to put their life and limb at risk to save another." The next-door neighbor who rushed to help Stanley was never named in the media reports. Both dogs were taken into custody. The District Attorney's Office is reviewing the case for possible criminal charges. [source citations]

Date of death:	January 21, 2019	Chained:	No
Breed of dog:	Pit bull-mix and shepherd-mix	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:	Pending

Patricia Henson

8-months old | Tucson, Arizona

Patricia Henson, 8-months old, was horrifically mauled by a dog while her mother slept. On January 24, Tucson police responded to a home in the 7700 block of East Apple Tree Drive about 1:30 am after receiving a call of an unresponsive child. Police said Henson was extremely intoxicated when they arrived. The baby was found with puncture wounds and scrapes, consistent with injuries caused by a dog. The autopsy report, released in March, stated she "sustained several injuries during the incident, including abrasions, lacerations, contusions, and puncture wounds; absence of soft tissues; hemorrhages; hematomas and lacerations; among other injuries," reported media outlets. The child's mother, Breanna Henson, 30, was arrested and charged with one count of felony child abuse and released into the custody of her parents. Pima County Animal Control confiscated a dog from the home that neighbors said was a German shepherd. As of March 18, 2019, the manner of death is still undetermined. [source citations]

Date of death:	January 24, 2019	Chained:	No
Breed of dog:	German shepherd	Relationship to dog:	Family
Sex of dog:	Unknown	Owner of dog:	Mother
Spay/Neuter:	Unknown	Multiple dogs:	No
On/Off property:	On	Criminal charges:	Yes

Ashton McGhee

1-year old | Guthrie, Kentucky

Ashton McGhee, 1-year old, was mauled to death by a family pit bull-mix. Guthrie police responded to a home on North Ewing Street where they found a 1-year old boy on the couch, unresponsive, but breathing. The child had "deep abrasions to the head, chest, and neck" from being mauled by the family pit bull-mix, police said. The child's grandmother and great-grandmother suffered injuries while trying to pull the dog off the toddler. The baby had been playing with a ball on the floor when the dog came inside from outdoors. The dog attacked the baby, including breaking the baby's jaw. The baby and grandmother were transported to Tennova Medical Center in Clarksville, where the baby died of his injuries. According to family members, Ashton lived in Hopkinsville, Kentucky with his mother, Miranda McGhee, and his two siblings. Ashton had been playing at his grandparent's home in Guthrie when the dog attacked him. His grandfather told police the dog normally played with the boy calmly. [source citations]

Date of death:	February 7, 2019	Chained:	No
Breed of dog:	Pit bull-mix	Relationship to dog:	Family
Sex of dog:	Unknown	Owner of dog:	Grandparents
Spay/Neuter:	Unknown	Multiple dogs:	No
On/Off property:	On	Criminal charges:	No

Angela Johnson

54-years old | Anza, California

Angela Johnson, 54-years old, died nearly two months after a violent pit bull mauling. The attack occurred on December 15 as Johnson was hanging laundry in her yard in rural Anza. Riverside County Fire Department said they were called to a home in the 55000 block of Mitchell Road about 9:30 am. Johnson suffered severe bite injuries and was airlifted to a trauma center. "All three [dogs] were pit bulls or pit bull mixes and there is a known owner," John Welsh, a spokesman for Riverside County Department of Animal Services, said. The agency confiscated the dogs; they were euthanized on January 7. The dogs' owner, Jesse Leon Miranda, 61, of Anza, was arrested on an outstanding felony warrant. On December 19, a GoFundMe page for Johnson stated that she remained on life support. The dogs ripped out a "main artery in her throat, causing a severe stroke to the left side of her brain, leaving her half brain dead," her son stated on the page. On February 9, Johnson succumbed to her injuries and died. [source citations]

Date of death:	February 9, 2019	Chained:	No
Breed of dog:	Pit bull (3)	Relationship to dog:	Non-family
Sex of dog:	Mixed	Owner of dog:	Neighbor
Spay/Neuter:	Unknown	Multiple dogs:	Yes
On/Off property:	Off	Criminal charges:	Pending

Two deaths during February remain under investigation. The death 66-year old Elaine Richman, of Houston, Texas, and the death of 77-year old Brenda Hamilton, of Pantego, North Carolina. The Hamilton case is undergoing DNA tests, which may take up to six months to determine. As of February 22, Canis latrans (coyote) cannot be excluded as a possibility.

Nancy Burgess-Dismuke

52-years old | Greenville, South Carolina

Nancy Burgess-Dismuke, 52-years old, suffered horrific injuries and died after a wrestling game with her two dogs turned into a violent attack. Neighbors heard her cries for help and came to her aid. They found one dog latched onto each of her arms tearing into her flesh, "eating her." Denzel Whiteside grabbed a blunt axe and William Long a crankshaft and started striking the dogs. By the time they got the dogs off her, Whiteside said, "One arm was already bit completely off, the other arm was barely hanging on by a piece of meat." She was rushed to Greenville Memorial Hospital where she later died. Senior Deputy Coroner Kent Dill said the victim suffered "multiple, extremely severe, dog bites to her upper extremities resulting in a large volume of blood loss." Katora Strickland, the victim's niece, said the two were inseparable. Strickland stated on social media that one of the boxer-mixes, a male, had attacked Burgess-Dismuke in the past, but her aunt still loved the dog and would not put it down. [source citations]

Date of death:	February 21, 2019	Chained:	No
Breed of dog:	Boxer-mix (2)	Relationship to dog:	Family
Sex of dog:	Mixed	Owner of dog:	Victim
Spay/Neuter:	Unknown	Multiple dogs:	Yes
On/Off property:	On	Criminal charges:	No

Bessie "Jill" Peterson

88-years old | Pall Mall, Tennessee

Bessie "Jill" Peterson, 88-years old, was savagely mauled to death by a pack of dogs belonging to her neighbor. The attack occurred about 5:00 pm in the 100 block of Evans Lane in Pall Mall. Her sister, Nina Brown, 85, witnessed part of the attack. Brown said Jill had gone to the back of her home to clear a drainage ditch. The pack of six German shepherds came from behind and viciously attacked her. "They dragged her down the yard and all of her clothes were off, her shoes, everything. They tore all of her hair out, the casket can't be open, it's like a nightmare," Brown said. She tried to reach her sister to help, but three of the dogs then charged her. Brown called 911. Suffering catastrophic injuries, Jill was airlifted to Vanderbilt University Medical Center where she died. The sisters had complained to authorities multiple times in the past about these dogs. District Attorney Bryant Dunaway said that criminal charges against the dogs' owner are possible, including negligent homicide. The dogs were euthanized. [source citations]

Date of death:	February 26, 2019	Chained:	No
Breed of dog:	German shepherd (6)	Relationship to dog:	Non-family
Sex of dog:	Mixed	Owner of dog:	Neighbor
Spay/Neuter:	Unknown	Multiple dogs:	Yes
On/Off property:	Off	Criminal charges:	Pending

2019 dog bite fatality, fatal pit bull attack, Johnnie Mae Garner

Johnnie Garner

88-years old | Lubbock, Texas

Johnnie Garner, 88-years old, was killed by a pack of dogs belonging to her neighbor. Police responded to the 1800 block of East Colgate Street about 6:30 pm after it was reported that six dogs were attacking an elderly woman. According to the police report, a neighbor told the dogs' owner that his dogs were at large. The owner went into the alley to find them and heard Garner screaming for help. He found his dogs attacking her. The dogs' owner jumped the fence to help, but his own "pack of dogs" then charged him. The owner was able to call 911. Garner was transported to Covenant Health where she later died. Steven Greene, director of Lubbock Animal Services, said his agency responded and impounded the dogs. Greene described all six dogs as pit bull-mixes. They were euthanized at the owner's request. In the City of Lubbock, no residence shall harbor more than four adult dogs on their property. On March 8, Courtney White, 47, was charged with a second-degree felony in connection to her death. [source citations]

Date of death:	February 27, 2019	Chained:	No
Breed of dog:	Pit bull-mix (6)	Relationship to dog:	Non-family
Sex of dog:	Mixed	Owner of dog:	Neighbor
Spay/Neuter:	Unknown	Multiple dogs:	Yes
On/Off property:	Off	Criminal charges:	Yes

Jacari Long

6-months old | Salisbury, North Carolina

Jacari Long, 6-months old, was killed by his babysitter's dog while under her care at her home. The attack occurred about 2:20 pm at 716 Wilson Road. The babysitter, who is the child's godmother, sat the child down in the living room in a car seat while she went outside to clean the backseat of her car to make room for the baby. She heard her mother scream and ran back inside, where she found her dog attacking the baby. The babysitter and her mother rushed the child to Novant Health Rowan Medical Center. He was then airlifted to Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, where he died. Police were not notified until after the child had been airlifted. "It was very horrific," said Lt. Greg Beam with Salisbury Police. "Especially for the first responders, the hospital staff involved," he said. Rowan County Animal Control took custody of the dog, a 4-year old male pit bull-boxer mix, named King. Shelter staff said the dog had displayed aggressive behavior at the facility. The dog was later put down. [source citations]

Date of death:	March 5, 2019	Chained:	No
Breed of dog:	Pit bull-boxer mix	Relationship to dog:	Non-family
Sex of dog:	Male	Owner of dog:	Babysitter
Spay/Neuter:	Unknown	Multiple dogs:	No
On/Off property:	On	Criminal charges:	Pending

Tanner Kinnamon

2-years old | High Springs, Florida

Tanner Kinnamon, 2-years old, was killed by two dogs while under the care of his grandmother. The attack occurred at a home on Northwest 210th Avenue, where the grandmother's daughter resides. The child was the son of a second daughter. The grandmother often tended to her daughter's six pit bull-type dogs, all described as "rescues," while her daughter was at work. Two of the dogs were let out in the yard. The child went out to play and the grandmother went inside. When she returned, "there were no dogs and no boy," Lt. Brett Rhodenizer of the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office said. She heard sounds from a shed behind the home, where she found the dogs attacking the child. She tried to rescue the boy and sustained "traumatic" injuries. Ed Williams, director of Alachua County Animal Services, said the six dogs were "housed in large, clean crates in multiple rooms." This indicates a crate-and-rotate multi-pit bull household, where the crated dogs cannot be kept in the same room. No charges are anticipated. [source citations]

Date of death:	March 8, 2019	Chained:	No
Breed of dog:	Pit bull-mix (1) American bulldog-mix (1)	Relationship to dog:	Family
Sex of dog:	Mixed	Owner of dog:	Aunt
Spay/Neuter:	Yes	Multiple dogs:	Yes
On/Off property:	On	Criminal charges:	No

Jimmy Grigg

53-years old | Galveston County, Texas

Jimmy Grigg, 53-years old, died after being attacked by three dogs belonging to a relative. The attack occurred in the 5600 block of Highland Road in the unincorporated area of Santa Fe in Galveston County. Police responded to the home after a 911 call by the victim's brother, saying Grigg had been attacked by the dogs and could be dead. The victim died en route to Mainland Medical Center. Grigg was on his family's property when the dogs attacked him, Galveston County Sheriff Henry Trochesset said. The cause of death was ruled to be blood loss from the dog attack. Katie Ewing, a neighbor, said she had filed several complaints with animal control about the dogs. "Every morning for a good month straight it sounded like there was like dog fights going on," Ewing said. Galveston County Animal Resource Center seized three dogs. Multiple county agencies described the dog breeds involved differently -- from all being "mixed-breeds" to all being "cattle dog-mixes" and a "heeler and mastiff-mix." [source citations]

Date of death:	March 13, 2019	Chained:	No
Breed of dog:	Pending	Relationship to dog:	Pending
Sex of dog:	Pending	Owner of dog:	Relative
Spay/Neuter:	Pending	Multiple dogs:	Yes
On/Off property:	On	Criminal charges:	Pending

Jaysiah Chavez

2-years old | Fresno, California

Jaysiah Chavez, 2-years old, was brutally killed by a pair of roaming rottweilers. Officers were dispatched to a home in the 5900 block of East Kaviland Avenue about 11:00 am and found the boy suffering severe dog bites. He was taken to Community Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. Police said the child had wandered out of the family's home into the front yard where the dogs attacked him. Other children in the home alerted the grandmother to the attack and she rushed outside. She tried to intervene, but the dogs attacked her too. The boy's grandfather was able to stop the attack. Investigators said the rottweilers dug a hole under the owner's fence that morning, ran through a neighbor's yard, crossed a street then attacked the boy. A neighbor of the rottweilers' owner, Theresa Davis, said the dogs had been in the neighborhood for eight or nine years and had a history of digging themselves out. Both rottweilers were euthanized. No criminal charges were filed. [source citations]

Date of death:	March 22, 2019	Chained:	No
Breed of dog:	Rottweiler (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

Johana Villafane

33-years old | Irving, Texas

Johana Villafane, 33-years old, was mauled to death by her own two pit bulls. The attack happened while Villafane was visiting her dogs in quarantine at O'Connor Animal Hospital due to biting a man eight days earlier. Villafane had to board her dogs at the private facility because the Irving Animal Shelter's quarantine space was "at capacity." Dr. James Kang, DVM, the veterinarian at the animal hospital, issued a statement afterward stating that Villafane's pit bulls were so aggressive his staff could not walk them. He told Villafane his clinic could not keep her dogs due to their aggressive behavior, unless she came and walked them twice a day. On March 23, Villafane went to clinic to perform this. She took her dogs into the backyard exercise area, where they brutally attacked her. It was 35 minutes before an employee saw her bloody body in the grass. An Irving police officer arrived and shot and killed both dogs. Villafane's male and female pit bulls were about 1-year old; the female was pregnant at the time. [source citations]

Date of death:	March 23, 2019	Chained:	No
Breed of dog:	Pit bull (2)	Relationship to dog:	Family
Sex of dog:	Mixed	Owner of dog:	Victim
Spay/Neuter:	No	Multiple dogs:	Yes
On/Off property:	Off	Criminal charges:	No

Additional victims - excluded

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 death due to untreated severe dog bites (sepsis) may be added to our data at a future time.

03/08/19: John Doe, 30s (Lubbock, TX)

DogsBite.org contains verifiable information about U.S. citizens killed by dogs including the name and age of each victim, location of attack, dog breed and up to 25 other factors. Our Fatality Citations section documents sources used in our dog bite fatality research. Learn more about our data collection method, which includes collecting breed identification photographs, police and coroner reports in certain cases, legal filings, court filings, legislative materials and more.