UPDATED JULY 2015

2009 dog bite fatalities ::

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.

2009 dog bite fatality statistics2

2009 U.S. Dog Bite Fatalities by Breed
2009 fatal dog attacks by breed

In 2009, 1 dog bite fatality involved canines from 2 or more different breeds, thus producing a death count total of 33, rather than 32. Eight dog breeds each contributed to 1 death: Alaskan malamute, American bulldog, Australian cattle dog-mix, chow chow-mix, collie-mix, great dane, Italian mastiff and weimaraner.

2009 analysis and 5-year period summary

32 U.S. dog bite-related fatalities occurred in 2009. Despite being regulated in Military Housing areas and over 600 U.S. cities, pit bulls contributed to 44% (14) of these deaths. Pit bulls make up about 5% of the total U.S. dog population.3
In 2009, the combination of pit bulls (14) and rottweilers (4) accounted for 56% of the attacks resulting in human death. This same combination accounted for 72% (107) of the total recorded deaths (149) during the 5-year period of 2005 to 2009.
The breakdown between these two breeds is substantial over this 5-year period. From 2005 to 2009, pit bulls killed 85 Americans, about one citizen every 21 days, versus rottweilers, which killed 22 Americans, about one citizen every 83 days.
2009 data shows that 59% (19) of the attacks involved children 9-years and younger and 38% (12) involved adults, 19-years and older. One victim fell between the ages of 10 and 18. Of all dog bite fatalities, males were most often victims, 59% (19).
In 2009, 38% (12) of all dog bite fatality victims were either visiting or living temporarily with the dog's owner when the fatal attack occurred, up from 17% in 2008. Children 9-years and younger accounted for 75% (9) of these deaths.
Annual data also shows that 38% (12) of all fatal dog attacks involved more than one dog; 13% (4) involved a pack attack of 4 or more dogs. 25% (8) occurred off the owner's property and 19% (6) of all dog bite fatalities involved chained dogs.
13% (4) of all deaths resulted in criminal charges; 75% (3) of these cases involved pit bulls. Texas filed criminal charges in 2 dog bite fatality deaths in 2009. Both cases involved felony injury to a child; in one case, the defendant died before the trial.
The state of Texas had the most dog bite-related fatalities (5). The combination of pit bulls and rottweilers (4) contributed to 80% of these deaths. Georgia and Illinois followed, each with 4 deaths, and California and Virginia each incurred 3 deaths.

2009 dog bite fatality victims

Cheyenne Peppers

5-years old | Thomasville, Georgia

Cheyenne Peppers, 5-years old, was mauled to death by her family's three pit bulls. Within the family's fenced-in yard marked by a "Beware of Dog," sign, the pit bulls savagely killed Cheyenne. One of the pit bulls was loose in the yard and the other two were chained, according to officials. The loose pit bull, a pregnant female, reportedly started the attack. The other two pit bulls, an adult male and its younger offspring, broke free of their chains and joined in the lethal attack. The child's mother and her live-in boyfriend owned the dogs. David Peppers, the child's father, and Thomas County Sheriff Carlton Powell hoped to pass a pit bull ordinance after her death. [source citations]

Date of death:	January 5, 2009	Chained:	Mixed
Breed of dog:	Pit bull (3)	Relationship to dog:	Family
Sex of dog:	Both	Owner of dog:	Mother and her boyfriend
Spay/Neuter:	No	Multiple dogs:	Yes
On/Off property:	On	Criminal charges:	No

Alex Angulo

4-years old | Chicago, Illinois

Alex Angulo, 4-years old, was mauled to death by at least one of his foster family's two rottweilers. The Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) placed Alex into the home about a year before the deadly dog attack. Alex was in the backyard playing with the dog when it attacked. His male caregiver was outside of the home using a snow blower. DCFS knew the child was placed into a home with two rottweilers and a fence yielding a Dangerous Dog sign. To add more tragedy to his death, Alex was scheduled to be moved from the home and placed with a family who hoped to adopt him, giving him an enduring home, just four days after the attack. [source citations]

Date of death:	January 11, 2009	Chained:	No
Breed of dog:	Rottweiler	Relationship to dog:	Family
Sex of dog:	Unreleased	Owner of dog:	Foster parents
Spay/Neuter:	Unreleased	Multiple dogs:	No
On/Off property:	On	Criminal charges:	Unknown

Brooklynn Grace Milburn

3-years old | Fort Worth, Texas

Brooklynn Milburn, 3-years old, was mauled to death by her neighbor's rottweiler. At the time of the attack, she and her 5-year old brother were under the care of her grandfather who was cooking. Brooklynn reportedly slipped out the back door, crawled through a hole in the fence separating the two yards and into an enclosure with the dog, police said. The dog's owner found the little girl bleeding and still breathing, but it was too late. The attacking dog was a 17-year old male, unneutered, black rottweiler, according to animal control. After her death the city passed an ordinance requiring stronger fencing and encouraging sterilization. [source citations]

Date of death:	January 16, 2009	Chained:	No
Breed of dog:	Rottweiler	Relationship to dog:	Non-family
Sex of dog:	Male	Owner of dog:	Neighbor
Spay/Neuter:	No	Multiple dogs:	No
On/Off property:	On	Criminal charges:	No

Olivia Rozek

3-weeks old | Bourbonnais, Illinois

Olivia Rozek, 3-weeks old, was fatally attacked by her family's pet husky. The dog pulled her from a bed in the master bedroom and dragged her by her head through a hallway. She was taken to a Kankakee hospital then airlifted to Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, where she died. The medical examiner's office said her death was caused by brain injuries due to dog bites. Olivia was one of two twins born the day after Christmas. Her twin, who also on the bed at the time, was not harmed. The family obtained the male husky from a Chicago rescue group in November 2007. The family also owned a female husky. [source citations]

Date of death:	January 19, 2009	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

Brianna Shanor

8-years old | Hanover Township, Pennsylvania

Brianna Shanor, 8-years old, was killed by a chained rottweiler-mix. The second grader had been temporarily living with her guardian, William John Renda, when the deadly attack occurred. At about 6:30 pm, the two were outside. She told Renda that she was cold and wanted to go inside. That was the last time Brianna was seen unharmed. Renda later discovered her badly mauled in an old camper his rottweiler used as a dog house. The dog was tethered to the camper by a 15 to 20 foot chain. No one witnessed the brutal attack, and at the time of the incident it was dark outside. On her path back to the home, Brianna crossed into the radius of the chained dog. Authorities seized and euthanized the dog. Renda later destroyed two other dogs on his property that were from the same litter as the attacker. [source citations]

Date of death:	January 19, 2009	Chained:	Yes
Breed of dog:	Rottweiler-mix	Relationship to dog:	Non-family
Sex of dog:	Unreleased	Owner of dog:	Guardian
Spay/Neuter:	Unreleased	Multiple dogs:	No
On/Off property:	On	Criminal charges:	No

Infant Jane Doe

2-weeks old | Mesa, Arizona

Jane Doe, 2-weeks old, was mauled to death by a family dog. The baby's mother, Myrna Ramirez, who is a police officer with the Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Community, stepped away from the baby to use the bathroom, leaving the infant in a low-lying bassinet, according to police. When she returned, she discovered the dog had severely bitten the infant, who had severe injuries on her head. When paramedics arrived, the baby was unresponsive. She was pronounced dead at the scene. The baby's father, Marcus Rudolph, who is a 7-year veteran of Mesa police, was on duty at the time of the attack. The family dog was euthanized the next day. [source citations]

Date of death:	March 4, 2009	Chained:	No
Breed of dog:	Chow chow-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

Hill Andrew Williams Jr.

38-years old | Rancho Mirage, California

Hill Andrew Williams Jr., 38-years old, was mauled to death by two dogs initially described as bullmastiff-mixes. Neighbors called 911 and said the man was bleeding profusely in his backyard. He died later that evening. His fiancée, Anna Tucker, who also owned the dogs, said the animals were Italian mastiffs. One dog was a 90-pound female named Ebony and the other was a 115-pound male named Butter. An autopsy confirmed that both dogs were responsible for killing Williams. Riverside County Sheriff's officials said Williams died of "significant physical trauma" he suffered in the attack. County animal services believed the female was in heat at the time of the attack, and were told that Williams may have been trying to breed the dogs. Ten days after Williams' death, Tucker contested the cause of death. Tucker believes Williams died due to heart problems and that her dogs had only been "trying to help him." [source citations]

Date of death:	March 16, 2009	Chained:	No
Breed of dog:	Italian mastiff (2)	Relationship to dog:	Family
Sex of dog:	Both	Owner of dog:	Fiancée
Spay/Neuter:	No	Multiple dogs:	Yes
On/Off property:	On	Criminal charges:	No

Dustin Elijah Faulkner

3-years old | Jesup, Georgia

Dustin Elijah Faulkner, 3-years old, was mauled to death by his neighbor's husky. The boy had played with the dog on previous occasions, according to police. Detective Bruce Williams of the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office said the boy and a 5-year old child, his neighbor, were walking between their two homes when Eli got a sand spur in his foot. When he cried out as his friend tried to remove it, the dog, named Tasha, broke free from her chain and fatally attacked the boy. The dog's owner, Aaron Ralph, pulled the dog off the boy and shot it. Questions to officials about why the two children were unattended outside went unanswered. [source citations]

Date of death:	March 22, 2009	Chained:	Yes
Breed of dog:	Husky	Relationship to dog:	Non-family
Sex of dog:	Female	Owner of dog:	Neighbor
Spay/Neuter:	Unreleased	Multiple dogs:	No
On/Off property:	On	Criminal charges:	Unknown

Tyson Miller

2-years old | Luling, Texas

Tyson Miller, 2-years old, was mauled to death by a pit bull. Police found the boy lying in the backyard of a mobile home already dead and a chained female pit bull nearby. The boy's mother, Melissa Miller, and her two children had been staying at the home for about two weeks. One or more of the adults at the home had agreed to look after the pit bull, which was pregnant, for a friend. The adults were asleep inside when Tyson wandered outside, where he was attacked and killed by the dog. None of the adults woke up until about 12:30 pm. This is when they began looking for Tyson. In May, a Caldwell County jury indicted Miller on charges of felonious injury to a child and criminally negligent homicide. Miller later pleaded no contest to criminally negligent homicide and was ordered to serve two years in jail. [source citations]

Date of death:	March 26, 2009	Chained:	Yes
Breed of dog:	Pit bull	Relationship to dog:	Non-family
Sex of dog:	Female	Owner of dog:	Friend
Spay/Neuter:	No	Multiple dogs:	No
On/Off property:	On	Criminal charges:	Yes

2009 dog bite fatality, fatal pit bull attack, Izaiah Gregory Cox

Izaiah Cox

7-months old | San Antonio, Texas

Izaiah Cox, 7-months old, was killed by his great-grandmother's two pit bulls while under her care. Irma Barrera left the boy in the bedroom and had gone into the kitchen to warm a bottle when her two pit bulls broke down a baby gate and attacked him. Barrera grabbed a knife and started stabbing the dogs. As she tried to protect Izaiah, the dogs attacked her. When EMS crews reached the home, they had to climb through a window to avoid the dogs, which had been forced into the backyard. Both dogs were later shot and killed by police. Izaiah and Barrera were rushed to University Hospital for their injuries. The boy did not survive. A grand jury indicted Barrera on a charge of felonious injury to a child -- her dogs had previously bitten another child. She died of natural causes just over 3-months after the indictment. [source citations]

Date of death:	March 31, 2009	Chained:	No
Breed of dog:	Pit bull (2)	Relationship to dog:	Family
Sex of dog:	Both	Owner of dog:	Great-grandmother
Spay/Neuter:	No	Multiple dogs:	Yes
On/Off property:	On	Criminal charges:	Yes

David Whitenack Jr.

41-years old | Dwight Township, Michigan

David Whitenack Jr., a 41-year old veteran, was found dead by two friends who went looking for him after he had not been seen in a few days. Douglas Ignash and Randy Franzel went to the property owned by Frank Leavine in search of Whitenack. While on the property, they encountered three vicious dogs. When the two found Whitenack in his small camper, he was shirtless, partially wrapped in a blanket and dead. The owner of the dogs died two days after Whitenack was found. Prior to Leavine's death, he had been living in a nursing home, leaving in question who had been caring for the dogs when they fatally attacked Whitenack. The Thumb County Animal Shelter said that someone from Leavine's family called the shelter just days before the attack and asked him to pick up the vicious dogs. The shelter, however, does not do any pick ups. [source citations]

Date of death:	April 9, 2009	Chained:	No
Breed of dog:	Australian cattle dog-mix (3)	Relationship to dog:	Non-family
Sex of dog:	Male	Owner of dog:	Landlord
Spay/Neuter:	No	Multiple dogs:	Yes
On/Off property:	On	Criminal charges:	No

Michael Blaise Landry

4-years old | Morganza, Louisiana

Michael Blaise Landry, 4-years old, was fatally attacked by three boxers after his next-door neighbor, off-duty Pointe Coupee Parish sheriff’s deputy Rob Roy, let the dogs out of their cages. It was reported that Roy (a member of the K-9 unit) was cleaning the kennels at the time. A chain-link fence ran between the two homes, but not behind either, and barbed-wire fencing ran behind the kennel. The dogs "slipped through" the barbed-wire fence and viciously attacked the boy while he played in his own yard. Michael, known as Blaise, died after being airlifted to Pointe Coupee General Hospital. A grand jury did not indict the dogs' owners. Several months later, on behalf of Michael Blaise and Luna McDaniel, the Louisiana legislature passed HB155, which permits negligent homicide charges after a fatal dog attack. [source citations]

Date of death:	April 10, 2009	Chained:	No
Breed of dog:	Boxer (3)	Relationship to dog:	Non-family
Sex of dog:	Both	Owner of dog:	Neighbor
Spay/Neuter:	No	Multiple dogs:	Yes
On/Off property:	Off	Criminal charges:	No

Gordon Lykins

48-years old | Winterhaven, California

Gordon Lykins, 48-years old, was viciously attacked by a pack of dogs on March 28. He was found in a ditch that lies between Imperial County and the Fort Yuma Indian Reservation, where the dogs were initially believed to have come. Lykins suffered catastrophic injuries in the attack. After arriving at the Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center in Phoenix, doctors had to amputate of both of his legs and one of his arms. He died of his injuries 2-weeks later. County authorities euthanized 11 adult dogs and a handful of puppies belonging to Larry Stubel after the attack. Stubel lived on a property near to the attack. Six months later, citing insufficient evidence -- Stubel allegedly washed the blood from his dogs after the attack -- Imperial County Assistant District Attorney Joe Beard determined that no criminal charges would be filed. [source citations]

Date of death:	April 10, 2009	Chained:	No
Breed of dog:	Mixed-breed (11)	Relationship to dog:	Non-family
Sex of dog:	Both	Owner of dog:	Property owner
Spay/Neuter:	No	Multiple dogs:	Yes
On/Off property:	Off	Criminal charges:	No

2009 dog bite fatality, fatal pit bull attack, Leonary Lovejoy Jr.

Leonard Lovejoy Jr.

11-months old | Eastpointe, Michigan

Leonard Lovejoy Jr., 11-months old, was mauled to death by his family's pit bull. Leonard had been standing on a bed inside the family's home when the pit bull suddenly attacked him. Both parents were in the room when the attack occurred. The boy's father grabbed a .45 caliber handgun and shot at the dog eight times, killing it. The 5-year old male pit bull had been raised by the victim's father since it was a puppy. In a press conference following the attack, the victim's uncle, Terrence Lovejoy, urged parents to "get rid" of pit bulls. He said the pit bull "didn’t growl, didn’t bark," just walked over and grabbed the child. He described the incident as "a sneak attack on my nephew." Leonard was known as a "miracle child." The couple, who have been married for 17-years, had been told they could not have children. [source citations]

Date of death:	April 22, 2009	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

Barbara Chambers

59-years old | Garland, Texas

Barbara Chambers, 59-years old, was attacked by her prize-winning great dane. According to Garland police spokesman Joe Harn, Chambers was in her backyard on April 11 with her two show dogs -- her great dane, named Lemonade, and a poodle -- when Lemonade suddenly attacked her. Chambers was taken to Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas with critical injuries. A neighbor who witnessed the attack said there was no apparent reason for the dog's sudden rage. Diana Oats of Garland Animal Control said that it was "unusual," especially for a show dog, to be aggressive. On May 14, The Dallas Morning News published Chambers' obituary indicating that she died May 11, unable to recover from her serious injuries. [source citations]

Date of death:	May 11, 2009	Chained:	No
Breed of dog:	Great dane	Relationship to dog:	Family
Sex of dog:	Male	Owner of dog:	Victim
Spay/Neuter:	Unreleased	Multiple dogs:	No
On/Off property:	On	Criminal charges:	No

Justin Clinton

10-years old | Leverett's Chapel, Texas

Justin Clinton, 10-years old, was brutally killed by two pit bulls belonging to a friend. Justin hopped on his skateboard that summer day to visit his friend, just like he had done many times before. This time, the animals broke through the owner's fence and attacked him. The Rusk County Sheriff 's Office said witnesses reported the dogs dragged the child down the side of the road. Christy and Ricky George had been caring for the two pit bull-mixes, Molly and Zeus, for four months. In this time, the female had a litter of puppies too. Prior to the vicious attack, Justin had been acquainted with both dogs and had visited the George's home on a number of occasions to play with their children. After Justin's death, his mother, Serena Clinton, filed a civil lawsuit against the Georges. In 2010, a Rusk County jury returned a $7 million dollar verdict against the Georges, finding them negligent in the death of Justin. [source citations]

Date of death:	June 15, 2009	Chained:	No
Breed of dog:	Pit bull-mix (2)	Relationship to dog:	Non-family
Sex of dog:	Both	Owner of dog:	Friend
Spay/Neuter:	Unreleased	Multiple dogs:	Yes
On/Off property:	On	Criminal charges:	No

Gabrial Mandrell-Sauerhage

3-years old | Johnson City, Illinois

Gabrial Mandrell-Sauerhage, 3-years old, was killed by at least two dogs. The boy reportedly "pushed out the screen" of his bedroom window and crawled outside while his mother thought he was sleeping. The family's outside dogs, two pit bull-mixes, and possibly a third, a collie-mix, then fatally mauled him. His near lifeless body was found about 200 feet away from his mother and boyfriend's home. Gabrial usually lived with his father, but had been visiting his mother's Johnson City home. Williamson County Sheriff Tom Cundiff issued a press release stating that Gabrial suffered at least one bite that would have made "yelling impossible," and that "numerous box fans running at the same time of the incident would have made it very hard for the adults in the house to hear anything outside." No criminal charges were filed. [source citations]

Date of death:	June 27, 2009	Chained:	No
Breed of dog:	Pit bull-mix (2) Collie-mix (1)	Relationship to dog:	Family
Sex of dog:	Unreleased	Owner of dog:	Mother and her boyfriend
Spay/Neuter:	Unreleased	Multiple dogs:	Yes
On/Off property:	On	Criminal charges:	No

2009 dog bite fatality, Kathleen Jeanette Doyle

Kathleen Doyle

90-years old | Phoenix, Arizona

Kathleen Jeanette Doyle, 90-years old, died 6-days after complications from a dog bite injury, according to Phoenix police. On July 20, a loose American bulldog attacker her, latching onto her leg, as she walked home from her friend's house. The dog's owners claimed the animal got out of their backyard because "windy weather blew down their fence." Gerald Doyle, Kathleen's son, said the dog bite injury required surgery, and his mother's health declined shortly thereafter. She died on July 26. Kathleen also suffered from cardio pulmonary disease, but Phoenix police opened a homicide investigation as a result of the dog bite. Prior to biting Kathleen, the same dog had bitten before. In fact, the dog had been out of quarantine for less than 10 days before attacking again, the second attack resulting in Kathleen's death. [source citations]

Date of death:	July 26, 2009	Chained:	No
Breed of dog:	American bulldog	Relationship to dog:	Non-family
Sex of dog:	Unreleased	Owner of dog:	Neighbor
Spay/Neuter:	Unreleased	Multiple dogs:	No
On/Off property:	Off	Criminal charges:	No

Carter Delaney

20-years old | Leesburg, Virginia

Carter Delaney, 20-years old, was attacked and killed by his brother's two pit bulls. Police were called to the scene after a relative grew concerned about not being able to contact him. Police found Carter in the basement lying near a small dog. Both had been dead for several hours. Authorities said it was a bloody scene inside the home. The medical examiner confirmed that Carter suffered multiple bite injuries. It was a bite to the neck that killed him. It is speculated that one or both pit bulls attacked the smaller dog and Carter intervened, costing him his life. Authorities seized five dogs from the home including a cocker spaniel, which was crated during the attack, and a pit bull puppy that had been contained in an upstairs room. Both dogs were released back to his family. The two attacking pit bulls were put down. [source citations]

Date of death:	August 10, 2009	Chained:	No
Breed of dog:	Pit bull (2)	Relationship to dog:	Family
Sex of dog:	Unreleased	Owner of dog:	Brother
Spay/Neuter:	Unreleased	Multiple dogs:	Yes
On/Off property:	On	Criminal charges:	No

Sherry Schweder

65-years old | Oglethorpe County, Georgia

Sherry Schweder, 65-years old, and her husband Lothar were attacked and killed by up to 16 mongrel dogs. Both bodies were found mutilated a few hundred yards from the Schweder home. Authorities believe that Sherry had gone out on a walk that evening. Her husband, worried when she did not return, took the couple's car and drove down the road looking for her. The dogs attacked Lothar when he found her and got out of his car. Both bodies were found lying next to the car the following day. The dogs were traced to the home of Howard Thaxton, who had been feeding them, but had recently moved away due to medical problems. Thaxton still visited the property every other day to feed the dogs and told authorities he did not believe they were responsible for the attacks. Authorities did not bring charges against Thaxton. [source citations]

Date of death:	August 15, 2009	Chained:	No
Breed of dog:	Mixed-breed (16)	Relationship to dog:	Non-family
Sex of dog:	Both	Owner of dog:	Neighbor
Spay/Neuter:	No	Multiple dogs:	Yes
On/Off property:	Off	Criminal charges:	No

Lothar Schweder

77-years old | Oglethorpe County, Georgia

Lothar Schweder, 77-years old, and his wife Sherry, were attacked and killed by up to 16 mongrel dogs. Both bodies were found mutilated a few hundred yards from the Schweder home. Authorities believe that Sherry had gone out on a walk that evening. Her husband, worried when she did not return, took the couple's car and drove down the road looking for her. The dogs attacked Lothar when he found her and got out of his car. Both bodies were found lying next to the car the following day. The dogs were traced to the home of Howard Thaxton, who had been feeding them, but had recently moved away due to medical problems. Thaxton still visited the property every other day to feed the dogs and told authorities he did not believe they were responsible for the attacks. Authorities did not bring charges against Thaxton. [source citations]

Date of death:	August 15, 2009	Chained:	No
Breed of dog:	Mixed-breed (16)	Relationship to dog:	Non-family
Sex of dog:	Both	Owner of dog:	Neighbor
Spay/Neuter:	No	Multiple dogs:	Yes
On/Off property:	Off	Criminal charges:	No

Justin Kummer

2-days old | Rio, West Virginia

Justin Kummer, 2-days old, was fatally attacked by his family's pit bull just hours after being brought home from the hospital. While in the presence of the baby's mother, the dog snatched the boy from the bed and shook it in its jaws causing life-threatening injuries, according to the Hardy County Sheriff's Office. The mother said she choked the dog, a 1-year old female pit bull named Nila, but it still would not let go of the baby. The mother's teenage daughter came into the room and cornered the pit bull, along with a German shepherd-mix, and pushed them out an open window. The baby died en route to a helicopter-landing zone. Both dogs were euthanized. The family had recently purchased the pit bull from a family member in Maryland. [source citations]

Date of death:	August 15, 2009	Chained:	No
Breed of dog:	Pit bull	Relationship to dog:	Family
Sex of dog:	Female	Owner of dog:	Mother
Spay/Neuter:	Unreleased	Multiple dogs:	No
On/Off property:	On	Criminal charges:	No

Jasmine Deane

23-months old | Orange County, Virginia

Jasmine Deane, 23-months old, was mauled to death by her family's chained pit bull. The attack occurred at a home off Mountain Track Road in eastern Orange County. Sheriff Mark Amos said the dog had not caused problems before and had lived with the family for about 10 years. Investigators said the mother became distracted for a few minutes and the child wandered away unnoticed. When family members began searching for her, they found her outside with severe wounds near the chained dog. Initially, the investigation into Jasmine's death was stalled because the child's family was uncooperative with authorities. A month later, the Deane family finally arranged an appointment to talk to child protective services. [source citations]

Date of death:	September 20, 2009	Chained:	Yes
Breed of dog:	Pit bull	Relationship to dog:	Family
Sex of dog:	Unreleased	Owner of dog:	Family
Spay/Neuter:	Unreleased	Multiple dogs:	No
On/Off property:	On	Criminal charges:	No

Colten Smith

19-months old | Delhi, California

Colten Smith, 19-months old, was brutally killed by a pit bull-mix at the home of his babysitter. Authorities said the toddler wandered into the backyard when the babysitter stepped away. The dog latched onto the little boy's throat and dragged him around the yard. The babysitter rushed to help and was able to stop the attack by stabbing the 65-pound dog with a two-prong barbeque fork. She tried to drive the blood-soaked toddler to the hospital, but was pulled over by a deputy for driving erratically. An ambulance transported Colten to a nearby hospital, where he was airlifted to Children's Hospital in Madera. He died shortly thereafter. The dog belonged to the babysitter's future in-laws, Gustavo Garcia and Martha Carrera, who were in the process of moving and had left the animal at the babysitter's home for about a week. [source citations]

Date of death:	October 23, 2009	Chained:	No
Breed of dog:	Pit bull-mix	Relationship to dog:	Non-family
Sex of dog:	Male	Owner of dog:	Future in-laws
Spay/Neuter:	No	Multiple dogs:	No
On/Off property:	On	Criminal charges:	No

2009 dog bite fatality, fatal pit bull attack, Matthew Clayton Hurt

Matthew Hurt

2-years old | Prescott, Arkansas

Matthew Hurt, 2-years old, was savagely killed by a chained pit bull after wandering into a neighbor's yard. Bridgette Monroe, another neighbor who saw the badly mauled child described his fatal injuries: "The baby's jugular, throat was bitten and from his mouth up to his eye was bitten." Police Chief Brian Russell said first responders arrived quickly. The boy was airlifted to St. Michael's Hospital in Texarkana, where he was pronounced dead. Matthew, his two siblings and his mother had been staying with friends who lived two doors down from the chained pit bull. Authorities seized that male dog and an adult female pit bull from the dog owner's property. Nineteen days later the City of Prescott banned pit bulls. [source citations]

Date of death:	October 28, 2009	Chained:	Yes
Breed of dog:	Pit bull	Relationship to dog:	Non-family
Sex of dog:	Male	Owner of dog:	Neighbor
Spay/Neuter:	No	Multiple dogs:	No
On/Off property:	On	Criminal charges:	No

Destiny Marie Knox

16-months old | Union County, Mississippi

Destiny Marie Knox, 16-months old, was viciously killed by a pit bull while under the care of her babysitter. At the time of the attack, the child's babysitter, Tonya Graham, and Destiny were at the home of Tonya's boyfriend, Jerry Westmoreland who owned five pit bulls. The dogs were normally kept chained in his yard. Family members were bringing in groceries when a pit bull named "Foolish" slipped its collar and followed them inside the home. The pit bull instantly attacked the child. Jerry stabbed the dog 13 times, but it still did not stop its assault. An arriving police officer shot and killed the animal. Ironically, Jerry had a custom painted "pit bull memorial" on the back of his vehicle for a previous pit bull named "Bam Bam." He surrendered all of his pit bulls to the local shelter after her death. [source citations]

Date of death:	November 5, 2009	Chained:	No
Breed of dog:	Pit bull	Relationship to dog:	Non-family
Sex of dog:	Unreleased	Owner of dog:	Babysitter's boyfriend
Spay/Neuter:	Unreleased	Multiple dogs:	No
On/Off property:	On	Criminal charges:	No

Karen Gillespie

53-years old | White Mills, Kentucky

Karen Gillespie, 53-years old, was found dead on the morning of November 25. Her husband, Stephen Gillespie, had reported her disappearance about 7:00 pm the previous night. Over that night, the Gillespie home became the "command center" for search and rescue teams. Karen had left that day to photograph an old one-room schoolhouse located near her home. After determining that she died of head injuries caused by a dog attack, authorities seized a dog owned by Howard Miller, who lives on a property adjacent to where her body was found. The dog, described as a white boxer-mix, had previously bitten a U.S. Census worker and a firefighter involved in the search for Gillespie. One month earlier, Stephen and Karen had celebrated 30 years of marriage. In May 2010, a grand jury declined to indict Howard Miller and his wife Linda Miller on felony charges in connection to her death. Authorities subsequently charged the couple with a misdemeanor punishable by up to 12 months in jail. [source citations]

Date of death:	November 24, 2009	Chained:	No
Breed of dog:	Boxer-mix	Relationship to dog:	Non-family
Sex of dog:	Unreleased	Owner of dog:	Neighbor
Spay/Neuter:	Unreleased	Multiple dogs:	No
On/Off property:	Off	Criminal charges:	Yes (MISD)

Rosie Humphreys

85-years old | Flora, Illinois

Rosie Humphreys, 85-years old, and her poodle were killed by a neighbor's loose pit bull. Rosie and her two dogs had just left her residence for a walk. She was fatally attacked by the pit bull upon reaching the end of her driveway. Witnesses said the pit bull first attacked one of her poodles. When Rosie picked up her small dog to protect it, the pit bull attacked her. The attacking dog, owned by Brian Pennington, was a 3-year old unaltered, male pit bull. According to Chief John Nicholson, the dog was a family pet with no prior history of aggression or mistreatment. Nicholson said the dog had gotten loose because the metal "D" ring on the dog's collar failed, whereby eliminating culpability of its owner. Two weeks after the incident, Rosie's son, Bob Koehler, erected a sign in his front yard that read: "Ban Pit Bulls." [source citations]

Date of death:	November 30, 2009	Chained:	No
Breed of dog:	Pit bull	Relationship to dog:	Non-family
Sex of dog:	Male	Owner of dog:	Neighbor
Spay/Neuter:	No	Multiple dogs:	No
On/Off property:	Off	Criminal charges:	No

2009 dog bite fatality, fatal pit bull attack, Lowell Boden

Lowell Edison Bowden

70-years old | Lindside, West Virginia

Lowell Bowden, 70-years old, was taking his daily walk on November 27 when at least four loose pit bulls attacked him inflicting life-threatening injuries. On December 4, Lowell succumbed to his injuries and died. His family described his horrific injuries as, "maimed beyond recognition, with no facial features remaining and other horrific disfigurement." After his death, the family began urging state and local lawmakers to regulate pit bulls and to impose felony punishment on dog owners if their dog seriously injures or kills a human being while improperly restrained. In a statement issued to the media, the Bowden family wrote: "No more one free bite, one free mauling and no more one free homicide!" Four people were initially charged with misdemeanor offenses in connection to Bowden's death: Justin Ray Blankenship, 18, his mother Kimberly Blankenship, 51, Mose Christian, 19, and Anna Hughes, 32. [source citations]

Date of death:	December 4, 2009	Chained:	No
Breed of dog:	Pit bull (4)	Relationship to dog:	Non-family
Sex of dog:	Both	Owner of dog:	Neighbor
Spay/Neuter:	No	Multiple dogs:	Yes
On/Off property:	Off	Criminal charges:	Yes (MISD)

Dallas Lee Walters

20-months old | New Port Richey, Florida

Dallas Walters, 20-months old, was mauled to death by a rottweiler-mix while visiting his great-aunt's home for a birthday party. Shortly before he died, the young boy raised his arm and made a fist. His father, Andrew Walters, said, "He was trying his hardest, and he was just being Dallas." Just before the attack, his mother Jessica Stafford was feeding Dallas potato salad. He would take a bite, walk away and return for another bite, Stafford explained. Unexpectedly, the rottweiler lunged from behind a sofa and latched onto the boy's head. Relatives said the 100-pound rottweiler-mix named Willie had been chained up outside, but somehow got loose and came into the house. The dog's owners, Lisa and Preston Evans, had gotten Willie and a 3-month old offspring just two months earlier. No criminal charges were filed. [source citations]

Date of death:	December 12, 2009	Chained:	No
Breed of dog:	Rottweiler-labrador mix	Relationship to dog:	Non-family
Sex of dog:	Male	Owner of dog:	Great-aunt
Spay/Neuter:	No	Multiple dogs:	No
On/Off property:	On	Criminal charges:	No

2009 dog bite fatality, Theresa Ellerman

Theresa Ann Ellerman

49-years old | Norfolk, Virginia

Theresa Ellerman, 49-years old, was bitten by an Alaskan malamute while visiting a friend's home and died. Norfolk Police and Norfolk Fire Rescue responded to an address at Tabor Court at about 2:30 am in response to a reported dog bite. Officers said they found the victim experiencing difficulty in breathing. She was transported to DePaul hospital where she was pronounced dead at approximately 3:45 am. Authorities would not release how many times she was bitten or the extent of her injuries, but investigators did say "she was not mauled." The Norfolk Medical Examiner's office later confirmed that Ellerman died due to a dog bite to her neck. Authorities ruled the death as accidental. Police would not identify the owner of the dog, nor was it learned if the dog was returned to its owners. Ellerman served over 20 years in the U.S. Marine Corps. At the time of her death, she was engaged to be married. [source citations]

Date of death:	December 12, 2009	Chained:	No
Breed of dog:	Alaskan malamute	Relationship to dog:	Non-family
Sex of dog:	Unreleased	Owner of dog:	Friend
Spay/Neuter:	Unreleased	Multiple dogs:	No
On/Off property:	On	Criminal charges:	No

Liam Peck

2-years old | Cape Coral, Florida

Liam Peck, 2-years old, was fatally bitten by one of his family's weimaraners. Connie Barron, spokeswoman for the Cape Coral Police Department, said EMS transported the boy to Cape Coral Hospital, where he was pronounced dead shortly thereafter. Lee County Animal Services seized the offending male weimaraner from the home, along with a female weimaraner. No one knows what prompted the attack, except that the child "walked by the dog." According to the 2009 report, Dog Attack Deaths and Maimings, U.S. & Canada, September 1982 to December 22, 2009, weimaraners have only been involved in two worst-case scenario dog attacks in the past 27 years, the attack involving Liam being the second. Liam's parents, Joseph and Carrie Peck, opted to put the male dog down after the attack. [source citations]

Date of death:	December 22, 2009	Chained:	No
Breed of dog:	Weimaraner	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

Excluded victims

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.

03/24/09: Dolly Newell, 80-years old (Alameda, CA)
04/21/09: Robert Klatch, 83-years old (Port St. Lucie, FL)
06/04/09: Vida Isabel Silver, 32-years old (Hayward, CA)
06/29/09: Israel Pope Jr., 96-years old (Pickensville, AL)
08/28/09: Gregory Isaacson, 58-years old (Kelso, WA)
09/17/09: Beverly Head, 62-years old (San Jose, CA)
10/14/09: Timothy Niemeyer, 56-years old (Indianapolis, IN)

Struck by dog deaths - fatal non-bite injury

10/09/09: Theresa Foss, 47-years old (Plainfield, CT)

Citations

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.
Change Log: In July 2015, the 2009 Dog Bite Fatality Statistics were reissued with the following changes: The 5-year combined total deaths of pit bull and rottweilers (from 2005 to 2009) increased by 2% due to reclassifications and additions in earlier years.
Decade of Adoption Focus Fails to Reduce Shelter Killing, by Merritt Clifton, Animal People, July/August 2009.

DogsBite.org relies upon on donations from our readers.