In the 15-year period of 2005 through 2019, canines killed 521 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.
| 2005 fatal dog attacks by breed |
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In 2005, 6 dog bite fatalities involved canines from 2 or more different breeds, thus producing a death count total of 36, rather than 29. Five dog breeds each contributed to 1 death: border collie, dachshund, Labrador retriever, mastiff, and schnauzer.
Tyler Babcock, 6-years old, was found lying naked except for a sock on one foot in a pasture on a cold January afternoon. A pit bull and a pit bull-mix had ravaged the boy and ripped the clothes from his body. The search for Tyler began about 10:30 am that morning. Many people reportedly joined in the search. Hours later, Tyler's father, Matt Babcock, heard the chilling words, "Oh my God, it's the boy. The dogs got him. Call 911." A medical helicopter landed in the pasture and airlifted the boy to Children's Hospital Central California where he succumbed to his wounds and died. No charges were filed against the pit bull owners.
After the attack, Tyler's family successfully lobbied for stricter dog laws. In September of 2005, Fresno County Supervisors passed "Tyler's Law," which gives authorities more power to take aggressive dogs off the street. The family also gathered signatures for SB 861, which would allow California cities and counties to regulate the spay, neutering and breeding of specific dog breeds. The passage of SB 861, authored by state senator Jackie Speier, authorized the cities of San Francisco, Manteca, Lancaster, Ripon and others to pass pit bull sterilization laws. [source citations]
| Date of death: | January 2, 2005 | Chained: | No |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breed of dog: | Pit bull and pit bull-mix | Relationship to dog: | Non-family |
| Sex of dog: | Both | Owner of dog: | Neighbor |
| Spay/Neuter: | No | Multiple dogs: | Yes |
| On/Off property: | On | Criminal charges: | No |
Lydia Chaplin, 14-years old, was severely mauled by four dogs and spent a cold night in a ditch before succumbing to hypothermia. The dogs, three pit bulls and a mixed breed owned by Arthur Dersham, were seized after the discovery of her body. Whiteside County Sheriff Roger "Skip" Schipper said that based upon the girl's injuries, he and his investigators initially thought the girl had been run over by a vehicle. An autopsy performed the following day determined that Chaplin was attacked by dogs and then froze to death. In April, a Whiteside County coroner's jury ruled Lydia's dog-mauling death as accidental. Though a grand jury did not indict Dersham on any charges related to Lydia's death, the panel did indict Dersham on nine counts of possession of a firearm, after firearms were found in inside his house during the investigation into her death. [source citations]
| Date of death: | January 27, 2005 | Chained: | No |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breed of dog: | Pit bull (3) Mixed-breed (1) |
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 |
Barbara Pilkington, 70-years old, was brutally attacked by a pit bull while walking her daily path. She suffered severe face and neck injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. The pit bull was located about two blocks away. Police officers shot and killed the animal. After her death, the owner of the pit bull, Billy Earl Marbury, 54, was arrested and charged with manslaughter. The charges stem from evidence that Marbury had been physically abusing the dog, thus he directly contributed to the dog's vicious behavior. Following the attack, the City of Lanett enacted a new ordinance that banned pit bulls, presa canarios and their mixes. In May 2006, Marbury pleaded guilty to manslaughter. He was given a 15-year sentence and denied probation. [source citations]
| Date of death: | February 4, 2005 | Chained: | No |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breed of dog: | Pit bull | 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 |
Dorothy Sullivan, 82-years old, was mauled to death by three loose pit bulls on her own property. The dogs also killed her pet dog named Buttons. The owner of the male unneutered pit bulls, Deanna Large, 36, had been visited by animal control on numerous occasions leading up to the fatal attack. Pit bull puppies were reportedly at her home as well as additional adult pit bulls. Two days after Sullivan's death, police officers shot and killed two aggressive pit bulls while interviewing Large at her home. Following an investigation, Large was arrested and charged with involuntary manslaughter. She had been warned that her dogs were dangerous, yet was indifferent and continued to allow them to roam.
In December, a jury convicted Large of involuntary manslaughter. She was sentenced to three years in prison and fined $500. Concurrent to the criminal trial, Sullivan's family successfully lobbied for a tougher state dog law. On July 1, 2006, the new law, dubbed the Dorothy Sullivan Memorial Bill (SB 200), went into effect across Virginia. The law allows for reckless owners to be charged with a felony, punishable by up to five years in prison, when their dangerous dog attacks and seriously injures a person. On the civil side, the Sullivan family filed a $5 million claim against the county for "gross negligence" in the events leading up to her death. The jury, however, ruled in favor of the county officers. [source citations]
| Date of death: | March 8, 2005 | Chained: | No |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breed of dog: | Pit bull (3) | Relationship to dog: | Non-family |
| Sex of dog: | Male | Owner of dog: | Neighbor |
| Spay/Neuter: | No | Multiple dogs: | Yes |
| On/Off property: | Off | Criminal charges: | Yes |
Sandra Sanchez, 32-years old, was found dead in the backyard of a house where she'd rented a room. Investigators determined that a male rottweiler and female rottweiler-mix owned by Sanchez's landlord, Kenneth Gamble, were to blame. Gamble had taken Sanchez into his home just a few months prior to the incident. Sanchez helped out around the house, ran errands for Gamble and often fed his two rottweilers. The dogs, Rocky and Kayla were reportedly "young" and Sanchez had played with them in the past. Standing at only 5 feet tall, however, she was not large enough to take the dogs for a walk. Jim Boller, the director of shelter services for the local SPCA, said that "even a playful moment can cause injury," despite the fact that Sanchez was repeatedly bitten to death. [source citations]
| Date of death: | March 15, 2005 | Chained: | No |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breed of dog: | Rottweiler and rottweiler-mix | Relationship to dog: | Non-family |
| Sex of dog: | Both | Owner of dog: | Landlord |
| Spay/Neuter: | Unreleased | Multiple dogs: | Yes |
| On/Off property: | On | Criminal charges: | No |
Cassidy Jeter, 6-years old, was mauled to death by her family's two pet pit bulls as she and her 4-year old brother were crossing an alley to play on a backyard swing set. The two dogs had been in the family since they were 6-weeks old. The girl's family was in the process of moving from the house where the dogs were still being kept to a house about a block away. State Police Lt. Harold Love said, "It's still a mystery as to how the dogs were able to get out of the basement where they were kept and why the gate to the backyard was open." The dogs ran out of the gate and attacked Cassidy in the alley. When officers arrived, the dogs were still mauling the girl. They shot and killed both dogs. Cassidy was pronounced dead at the scene. Her younger brother escaped unharmed. [source citations]
| Date of death: | April 4, 2005 | Chained: | No |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breed of dog: | Pit bull (2) | Relationship to dog: | Family |
| Sex of dog: | Unreleased | Owner of dog: | Parents |
| Spay/Neuter: | Unreleased | Multiple dogs: | Yes |
| On/Off property: | Off | Criminal charges: | No |
Robert Schafer, 4-years old, was killed by his family's rottweiler-shepherd mix after wandering into its penned area. The boy had been playing in his backyard, which was divided into two sections: The front section held a swing set and toys, and the back section penned the dog that was kept on a 20-foot chain. The boy's mother had stepped into the kitchen briefly when she heard her son scream. She found the child in the dog's jaws in the yard's back section. Arriving responders pronounced the boy dead on the scene. The family had owned the dog named "Chance" since before Robbie was born. The dog had no documented history of aggression according to officials. A longtime friend of the family, T.C. Chapman, said Robbie used to ride on the dog's back when he was younger. [source citations]
| Date of death: | April 10, 2005 | Chained: | Yes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breed of dog: | Rottweiler-shepherd mix | Relationship to dog: | Family |
| Sex of dog: | Male | Owner of dog: | Parents |
| Spay/Neuter: | Unreleased | Multiple dogs: | No |
| On/Off property: | On | Criminal charges: | No |
Laverne Ford, 73-years old, was found dead in her home by her neighbor, landlord and a police officer. After hearing a "commotion," her neighbor called her on the phone then contacted her landlord. A police officer forced open Ford's front door where he found a wire gate in the living room that kept two mixed-breed dogs from entering the living room. After being sprayed with pepper spray, the smaller dog ran into the bathroom. The other dog ran into the kitchen and sat down at the victim's feet. The officer shot this dog after it lunged at him. Ford was found on the floor near some frozen dinners with the refrigerator door open. Officials said the dogs were well cared for and that food and water was available to them. Friends said the dogs had grown mean and had urged Ford to get rid of them. [source citations]
| Date of death: | April 13, 2005 | Chained: | No |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breed of dog: | Mixed-breed (2) | Relationship to dog: | Family |
| Sex of dog: | Unreleased | Owner of dog: | Victim |
| Spay/Neuter: | Unreleased | Multiple dogs: | Yes |
| On/Off property: | On | Criminal charges: | No |
Ernie Assad, 82-years old, was watering his plants in his backyard when two loose dogs attacked him, knocking him to the ground. Assad died 11 days later due to complications of brain injuries he received in the attack. The two dogs, a pit bull and an American bulldog, belonged to Chicago Bears tight end Darnell Sanders. A third dog, a cane corso, belonged to Natalie and Dominick Gruttadauria. At the time of the attack, all three dogs were under the care of the Gruttadaurias. It was later determined that the cane corso was not involved in the assault. The Gruttadaurias were initially charged with misdemeanor violations. Two months later, a Cuyahoga County grand jury indicted both Gruttadaurias on felony charges in connection with the attack. [source citations]
| Date of death: | April 24, 2005 | Chained: | No |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breed of dog: | Pit bull (1) American bulldog (1) |
Relationship to dog: | Non-family |
| Sex of dog: | Both | Owner of dog: | Property owner |
| Spay/Neuter: | Unreleased | Multiple dogs: | Yes |
| On/Off property: | Off | Criminal charges: | Yes |
Asia Turner, 4-years old, was mauled to death by two male rottweilers the family had recently started caring for. There were no witnesses to the attack, but it is believed the little girl wandered too close to one of the rottweilers that was tethered to a tree. Her father, Matt Turner, found her near the tethered dog. The other rottweiler broke out of a fenced enclosure and participated in the attack as well. Both dogs, Luke and Duke, were euthanized shortly after the attack. According to Asia's grandmother, Lana Bogan, the rottweilers originally belonged to other family members. Asia’s father took over their care when the others were not able to. The two rottweilers went with the Turner family when they moved about a month earlier to 231 Stone Hill Drive, the location of the fatal attack. [source citations]
| Date of death: | May 2, 2005 | Chained: | Yes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breed of dog: | Rottweiler (2) | Relationship to dog: | Family |
| Sex of dog: | Male | Owner of dog: | Parents |
| Spay/Neuter: | Unreleased | Multiple dogs: | Yes |
| On/Off property: | On | Criminal charges: | No |
Samantha Black, 2-years old, was mauled to death by two dogs that had been longtime family pets. A 60-pound husky, named Nanook, and an 80-pound Alaskan malamute, named Angel, attacked the girl inflicting fatal injury. Samantha was last seen by her aunt at 6:45 am asleep in her bed as she got ready for school. Samantha's mother noticed her missing when she awoke just before 9:30 am. She found Samantha dying in the backyard and called 911. Officials described the scene as "horrific." By 10:08 am, she was pronounced dead at North Oakland Medical Center in Pontiac. It is unknown how she got into the backyard, but there was a dog door large enough for a child to fit through. [source citations]
| Date of death: | May 6, 2005 | Chained: | No |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breed of dog: | Husky (1) Alaskan malamute (1) |
Relationship to dog: | Family |
| Sex of dog: | Female | Owner of dog: | Parents |
| Spay/Neuter: | Unreleased | Multiple dogs: | Yes |
| On/Off property: | On | Criminal charges: | No |
Kate-Lynn Logel, 7-years old, was killed by her family's new dog. Donald Page, the family's landlord, told authorities that he was inside when Kate-Lynn and her mother, Shellamina Logel, were in the backyard with the family's two new Alaskan malamutes. When the mother stepped away to go to the bathroom, she returned to find the male dog with blood on his face. Alarmed, she called to Page and the two of them discovered Kate-Lynn bleeding to death in the backyard. The little girl later died at St. Mary's Hospital. Marla Arnold of De Beque had given the two dogs to the family three weeks earlier. According to the male dog's AKC registration, "Iceman" was bred by Marlene Ross, owner of Wakon kennels. Ross claimed her name had been forged. No criminal charges were filed. [source citations]
| Date of death: | May 7, 2005 | Chained: | No |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breed of dog: | Alaskan malamute | 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 |
Lorinze Reddings, 42-years old, was found mauled to death in his home by his two pet pit bull-mixes. The autopsy results showed that Reddings' death was caused by "sharp force and crushing injury to the neck" -- the dogs broke his neck. Theresa Williams, director of St. Charles County Animal Control, said that it was obvious from the condition of the dogs that Reddings had taken good care of his pets. "These dogs are very healthy, and they have obviously been well-cared for, probably all their lives." Friends and relatives of the victim were shocked by the autopsy results, as Reddings was known to dote over his two pet pit bulls, Joker and Ginger, and bathed them regularly in the front yard of his two-story home. He would often tell passers-by that they were very friendly dogs. [source citations]
| Date of death: | May 10, 2005 | Chained: | No |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breed of dog: | Pit bull-mix (2) | Relationship to dog: | Family |
| Sex of dog: | Both | Owner of dog: | Victim |
| Spay/Neuter: | No/Unknown | Multiple dogs: | Yes |
| On/Off property: | On | Criminal charges: | No |
Julia Beck, 87-years old, was severely attacked by two dogs while she sat in her living room attached to an oxygen machine. Beck and her daughter Linda Kitchen and son-in-law Michael Kitchen, had only been living at the residence for a short while prior to the incident. Initially, Linda and Michael reported that two loose dogs had entered the home through a slightly ajar front door and attacked Beck. They described the dogs as a large brown-and-black rottweiler and a white dog. The attack set the community on edge and sent authorities into action, as stray dogs were reportedly a "mainstay" problem in the community already.
Several days following the attack, authorities learned that the "loose dogs story" reported by Linda and Michael had been fabricated. The dogs that had actually attacked the infirm Beck, a Labrador retriever and dachshund, belonged to the couple and had been living inside the home. Both Linda and Michael were arrested on preliminary charges of neglect of a dependent resulting in serious bodily injury, obstruction of justice and false informing. On May 15, 2005 Beck succumbed to the serious dog bite injuries and died. In November 2006, Linda and Michael Kitchens each entered a guilty plea and were sentenced to four years in jail. [source citations]
| Date of death: | May 15, 2005 | Chained: | No |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breed of dog: | Labrador retriever (1) Dachshund (1) |
Relationship to dog: | Family |
| Sex of dog: | Unreleased | Owner of dog: | Daughter |
| Spay/Neuter: | Unreleased | Multiple dogs: | Yes |
| On/Off property: | On | Criminal charges: | Yes |
Arianna Fleeman, 2-years old, was killed by a pit bull while visiting the home of Donald Brewer with her mother and sister. When Huntington firefighters arrived, the dog would not let anyone inside and was "ramming the door like a bull." The dog was eventually held off with a bar and a carbon dioxide fire extinguisher. By the time firefighters reached the toddler, she was dead. The pit bull named Brutus had a history of past bites. The dog was also supposed to be in quarantine for a bite that occurred eight days earlier. Dog expert James Crosby helped with the investigation and initially suspected that Arianna "shrieked and perhaps ran or flailed," causing the dog's aggression. Brewer was later convicted of misdemeanor involuntary manslaughter and sentenced to a year in prison. [source citations]
| Date of death: | May 17, 2005 | Chained: | No |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breed of dog: | Pit bull | Relationship to dog: | Non-family |
| Sex of dog: | Male | Owner of dog: | Friend |
| Spay/Neuter: | No | Multiple dogs: | No |
| On/Off property: | On | Criminal charges: | Yes (MISD) |
Nicholas Faibish, 12-years old, was left alone with the family's two pit bulls. When his mother returned, she found her son covered in bite wounds, his face badly mauled and a hole in his scalp. Paramedics tried and failed to resuscitate the boy at the scene. Police officers said the boy put up "a hell of a fight." The pit bulls had been with the family for about a year and a half. The boy's parents had been trying to breed them. At the time of the attack, the female pit bull was reportedly "in heat." Nicholas had been left alone in the basement that day. For unknown reasons, he left the basement and interacted with the dogs upstairs.
The next year, Maureen Faibish went on trial for felony child endangerment in the death of her son. On the day of the attack, Faibish took her daughter to a school picnic and left her son alone in the basement with a plugged toilet. She instructed the boy not to leave the room. Earlier in the day, the male pit bull, Rex, had bitten the boy twice. Prosecution argued that Faibish recklessly ignored signs that Rex would attack her son if left alone. The jury deliberated for two days and failed to reach a verdict. On July 31, 2006 a mistrial was declared. Four months earlier, the City of San Francisco began enforcing a mandatory pit bull sterilization law. [source citations]
| Date of death: | June 3, 2005 | Chained: | No |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breed of dog: | Pit bull (2) | Relationship to dog: | Family |
| Sex of dog: | Both | Owner of dog: | Parents |
| Spay/Neuter: | No | Multiple dogs: | Yes |
| On/Off property: | On | Criminal charges: | Yes |
Boyd Fiscus, 83-years old, was found dead near a pond behind his home after being attacked by four dogs. Officials said the attack started while Fiscus was on his back porch. He apparently went to the pond to escape the dogs, but they followed him into the water and continued to bite him. The dogs were owned by Andy and Anita Warren, neighbors of the Fiscus family. The Warrens were the first people that Fiscus' wife, Belva, called for help when she could not find her husband. Authorities described the dogs as two American bulldogs (Scott and Johnson type), a Neapolitan mastiff and a border collie. During the investigation, it was learned that one of the bulldogs had bitten a child a year earlier. Both dog owners later pleaded guilty to felony charges though neither served prison time. [source citations]
| Date of death: | July 1, 2005 | Chained: | No |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breed of dog: | American bulldog (2) Neapolitan mastiff (1) Border collie (1) |
Relationship to dog: | Non-family |
| Sex of dog: | Male | Owner of dog: | Neighbor |
| Spay/Neuter: | No | Multiple dogs: | Yes |
| On/Off property: | Off | Criminal charges: | Yes |
Dazavious Williams, 5-weeks old, was snatched from his aunt's arms by a loose pit bull and fatally mauled. Apparently, two pit bulls had been chained at a nearby residence. An 8-year old boy had become "friendly" with the dogs and often released them from their chains. Investigators said that on the night of the fatal attack, the dogs were already unchained when the 8-year old boy approached. The black male pit bull started to chase him in an aggressive manner and he ran away. Shortly thereafter, the same pit bull approached 131 W. Tinsley St. and as Charisma Johnson was sitting on the porch holding her nephew, the pit bull snatched the child away. By the time police arrived, the toddler was going into cardiac arrest. The infant died from fatal head injuries sustained in the attack. [source citations]
| Date of death: | July 6, 2008 | Chained: | No |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breed of dog: | Pit bull | Relationship to dog: | Non-family |
| Sex of dog: | Male | Owner of dog: | Neighbor |
| Spay/Neuter: | Unreleased | Multiple dogs: | No |
| On/Off property: | Off | Criminal charges: | Unknown |
Alexis McDermott, 7-days old, was pulled from a portable crib by the family's Siberian husky causing enough internal injury to kill the baby. Her mother, Cindy McDermott, had left Alexis briefly to pour a glass of juice. Just after pouring the juice, she heard Alexis crying. When she returned, she found Alexis lying on the floor with the dog sitting nearby. She picked up her daughter and noticed a "small amount of blood" on her head. Initially, Cindy and her husband believed the injury was minor because the bleeding amount was small and had stopped. Yet Cindy's mother, Gail Ciummo, urged the two to take the child to the hospital. Alexis died before reaching Kent County Hospital due to ''injuries to multiple internal organs and internal bleeding due to blunt force trauma [multiple dog bites]." [source citations]
| Date of death: | July 13, 2005 | 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 |
Cassandra Garcia, 16-months old, was ripped from her mother's arms by a male rottweiler owned by her grandparents. Her mother, Blanca Garcia, had been house-sitting for her parents when she took her daughter outside to fill the dog's water dish. With the toddler in one arm, she bent down to fill the dish and the dog instantly attacked. The dog dragged the infant down the driveway as Garcia wrestled the child away from the dog. After freeing the infant, Garcia fled into her nearby car. Once inside, she realized how badly injured her child was, who was pronounced dead at Verdugo Hills Hospital. It is later determined that the family rottweiler, named Enano, had attacked a maltese dog a year earlier. The maltese died from its injuries, but the owner did not want the incident documented. [source citations]
| Date of death: | August 2, 2005 | Chained: | No |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breed of dog: | Rottweiler | Relationship to dog: | Family |
| Sex of dog: | Male | Owner of dog: | Grandparents |
| Spay/Neuter: | Yes | Multiple dogs: | No |
| On/Off property: | On | Criminal charges: | No |
Jonathan Martin, 2-years old, was killed by at least one pit bull-mix owned by his parents. Authorities said the child wandered downstairs on the morning of his death intending to get breakfast, while his parents slept upstairs. But he encountered the family's two pit bull-mix dogs, who along with their four puppies had spent a rare night in the downstairs portion of the house. The dogs were typically kept chained outside, and prosecutors said the dogs were used to guard a crop of marijuana. The boy suffered more than 100 bites and died of deep puncture wounds and internal bleeding. His parents, Heather Frango and James Jonathan Martin, later pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and felony child abuse causing serious injury. Both were sentenced to three years in prison. [source citations]
| Date of death: | October 3, 2005 | 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: | Yes |
Sydney Akin, 6-years old, was brutally attacked by a rottweiler she had interacted with in the past. Sydney asked her mother that day to take her to a miniature horse farm owned by friends in Wilcox County. Though the friends weren't home when they arrived at about 6:30 pm, Sydney and her mother entered the yard that contained the 8-year old rottweiler. Eddie Greene, a friend and spokesman for Sydney's parents, said they had visited the horse farm before and thought their friends' rottweiler was accustomed to them. "The dog went to (Sydney) and smelled her," Greene said. "The next thing you know, the dog attacked her." Sydney suffered bite wounds to the neck, side and back and was pronounced dead at 8:41 pm after being air lifted to The Medical Center of Central Georgia. [source citations]
| Date of death: | October 15, 2005 | Chained: | No |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breed of dog: | Rottweiler | 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 |
Mike Gomez, 86-years old, was a World War II veteran. On the morning of October 14, 2005 he left his house for a walk or jog. A mile-and-a-half from his home, he was attacked by two loose dogs. Gomez died of his injuries on November 3. The Coroner's Office ruled the death accidental and listed the cause as complications from dog bites. The dogs, a pit bull and a schnauzer, were eventually put down. Animal control officials said the two dogs had no record of prior problems, but an incident report showed the animals were suspected of killing a German shepherd-mix 11 days before Gomez was attacked. Gomez's wife, Carmen, later filed a civil lawsuit against the dog owners, Annette Gutierrez and Trinidad Campana, for wrongful death and general negligence. [source citations]
| Date of death: | November 3, 2005 | Chained: | No |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breed of dog: | Pit bull (1) Schnauzer (1) |
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: | Unknown |
Kylee Johnson, 14-months old, suffered fatal head injury after being attacked by the family pit bull. According to police, the girl's mother or grandmother was feeding the dog when it attacked the girl for unknown reasons, mauling her head. The attack occurred at the family's home in the Lake Dreamland community. Kylee was taken to Kosair Children's Hospital and pronounced dead at 3:03 pm, about two hours after the incident. The pit bull named "Sig" suddenly bit the toddler on the back of her head and "wouldn't let go," according to reports. The Jefferson County coroner confirmed that the bite injury caused her death. Metro police called the incident an accident and charges were not brought against the girl's parents, Jessica Maddix and Derrick Johnson, or any other family member. [source citations]
| Date of death: | November 6, 2005 | 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 |
Hulon Barbour, 60-years old, was attacked by two pit bull-mix dogs in an alley upon leaving an American Legion post to walk to his home. According to the Jefferson County senior deputy coroner, the victim suffered multiple dog bites and was pronounced dead at the scene at 6:52 pm. Barbour was a Vietnam Veteran and won the Bronze Star four times while in the service. Members of Peter Salem Post 45 tried to help Barbour fight off the dogs. They also expressed frustration over why this happened in the first place. They had complained about the dogs on the other side of the alley for a year. The owner of the dogs, Adrian Ferguson, was found guilty of two counts of harboring dangerous dogs and sentenced to 365 days in jail of which he "might" have served six-months. [source citations]
| Date of death: | November 18, 2005 | Chained: | No |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breed of dog: | Pit bull-mix (2) | Relationship to dog: | Non-family |
| Sex of dog: | Both | Owner of dog: | Resident |
| Spay/Neuter: | Unreleased | Multiple dogs: | Yes |
| On/Off property: | Off | Criminal charges: | Yes (MISD) |
Roberto Aguilera, 64-years old, was found lying face down in the front yard of his son-in-law's home on Spanish Grant Drive on Thanksgiving Day. A pit bull with blood across its body was found nearby and seized by authorities. The dog inflicted at least 20 bites and the medical examiner determined that the victim died from the injuries. Aguilera had raised the 3-year old pit bull before giving it to his son-in-law, Robert Rodriguez, who threatened legal action if authorities did not return the dog to him after the attack. It's unknown what happened to the dog. Bexar County officials ruled the case as accidental and closed it. Officials later admitted that more than one pit bull may have attacked Aguilera, as several others were seen chained on the property when they arrived. [source citations]
| Date of death: | November 24, 2005 | Chained: | No |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breed of dog: | Pit bull | Relationship to dog: | Family |
| Sex of dog: | Unreleased | Owner of dog: | Son-in-law |
| Spay/Neuter: | Unreleased | Multiple dogs: | No |
| On/Off property: | On | Criminal charges: | No |
Lillian Stiles, 76-years old, was found in her front yard by two passer-byers driving along FM 486. Weldon and Maurita Smith, both 60, discovered Stiles lying on the ground covered in severe dog bites. As Weldon approached, several of the dogs launched an attack on him. He suffered at least one bite trying to escape. Authorities believe Stiles was attacked when she got off the lawn mower and headed into her house. The dogs, six pit bull-rottweiler mixes, belonged to Stiles' neighbor, Jose Hernandez. One was shot and killed on the scene by Jack Stiles, Lillian's husband, and the sheriff's department seized the other five.
In March 2007, a jury acquitted Hernandez of criminally negligent homicide in the death of Stiles. The prosecution could not prove that he "should have known" his dogs were dangerous, as they had no previous history of attacks. From the death of Stiles and the disappointing verdict, a new state law was born, named Lillian's Law. Stiles' family members created an advocacy group, Texas Families Against Dangerous Dogs, and were avid supporters of the law. [source citations]
| Date of death: | November 26, 2005 | Chained: | No |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breed of dog: | Pit bull-rottweiler mix (6) | 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 |
Mary Stiles, 91-years old, was mauled to death inside of her home by her pet dog. The large white hulking dog was described as a pit bull, a pit bull-American bulldog mix and a bullmastiff in different news reports. The dog had formerly belonged to her grandson who died about a year earlier. Detroit police spokesman James Tate said that when police arrived, they saw the dog outside the house with blood on its face. Prior to their arrival, neighbor Charles Wilson shot the dog to keep it from going after some neighborhood children. Police fired one more time killing the dog. Neighbors told Tate that the dog was very protective of the woman and that for some reason "it snapped." Mary was taken to Henry Ford Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. The death of Stiles is attributed to a pit bull-mix due to its inclusion in the case report, Pitbull Mauling Deaths in Detroit, by the Office of the Wayne County Medical Examiner. The American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology published the case report in December 2007. [source citations]
| Date of death: | December 5, 2005 | Chained: | No |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breed of dog: | Pit bull-mix | 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 |
Cody Adair, 4-years old, was savagely killed by his uncle's chained pit bull. At the time of the attack, the victim's mother, aunt and uncle, a family friend and Cody's 5-year old sister were in the residence. Cody was outside in the backyard. His uncle, Christopher Lewis, told police that just before the attack, Cody had been playing in the backyard with the dog and that he had played with the dog in the past without incident. When Lewis went to check on him, he found him lying on the ground in front of the doghouse with the larger pit bull "chewing" on him. The Bartlesville Police Department incident report stated that Cody had “extensive neck and throat injuries from the attack by the pit bull dog.” The male pit bull was on a 1-inch thick chain that was connected to a cable, according to police. The cable was connected to a pole stationed in the ground. Police also seized a younger pit bull from the scene that had blood on its forehead, nose, mouth and left front paw, according to the report. Both dogs were euthanized. [source citations]
| Date of death: | December 30, 2005 | Chained: | Yes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breed of dog: | Pit bull (2) | Relationship to dog: | Non-family |
| Sex of dog: | Male | Owner of dog: | Uncle |
| Spay/Neuter: | Unreleased | Multiple dogs: | Yes |
| On/Off property: | On | Criminal charges: | No |
Deaths involving minor dog bite injury, dog-related caused injury (killed by a car while fleeing a dog) and cases that lacked a "reasonably clear" determination of death after dog bite injury are not included in our fatality statistical data. Deaths involving fatal non-bite injury (struck by dog death) or deaths due to untreated severe dog bites (sepsis) may be added to our statistical data at a future time.
Fatal Pit Bull Attacks: A growing archive of U.S. fatal pit bull maulings dating back to 1833. Maintained by DogsBite.org.
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