UPDATED OCTOBER 2024

2007 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.

2007 dog bite fatality statistics2

2007 U.S. Dog Bite Fatalities by Breed
2007 fatal dog attacks by breed

In 2007, 4 dog bite fatalities involved canines from 2 or more different breeds, thus producing a death count total of 38, rather than 34. Six dog breeds each contributed to 1 death: doberman pinscher, golden retriever, husky, mastiff-mix, Welsh corgi and wolf-dog hybrid.

2007 analysis and summary

34 U.S. dog bite-related fatalities occurred in 2007. Pit bulls contributed to 59% (20) of these deaths. Pit bulls make up about 5% of the total U.S. dog population.3
The combination of pit bulls (20), rottweilers (4) and American bulldogs (3) accounted for 79% (27) of the attacks resulting in human death in 2007.
47% (16) of the fatality victims were children, 9-years and younger, and 47% (16) were adults, 19-years and older. Two victims fell between the ages of 10 and 18.
32% (11) of all victims were either visiting or living temporarily with the dog's owner when the fatal attack occurred. 64% (7) of these victims involved young children.
47% (16) of all fatal attacks involved more than one dog; 15% (5) involved a pack attack of 4 or more dogs. 24% (8) of all dog bite fatalities involved chained dogs.
79% (27) of all fatalities occurred on the dog owner's property and 21% (7) off-property. Of the total off-property dog bite fatalities, 57% (4) involved pit bulls.
In 2007, 62% (21) of all fatality victims were female and 38% of the victims were male. Of the female victims, nearly half (10) were ages 55-years and older.
29% (10) of all deaths resulted in criminal charges; 60% (6) of these cases involved pit bulls. Michigan filed charges in one attack that involved a double fatal mauling.
The state of Texas had the most dog bite-related fatalities (7), followed by Georgia with 4 deaths. Florida, Michigan and Tennessee each incurred 3 deaths.

2007 dog bite fatality victims

Amber Jones

10-years old | San Antonio, Texas

Amber Jones, 10-years old, had been practicing cheerleading moves in her backyard that day. When the neighbor's pit bull jumped over the fence, its collar got caught on the chain-link fence. This had happened before. When Amber went to rescue the dog this time, the animal attacked, biting her in the neck and stomach. Her mother heard her daughter's screams and rushed into the backyard. She was airlifted to University Hospital, where she later died. [source citations]

Date of death:	January 12, 2007	Chained:	Undetermined
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

Linda Mittino

69-years old | Affton, Missouri

Linda Mittino, 69-years old, was killed by her family's German shepherd in her own home. The same dog had badly mauled her three months earlier, requiring a hospital stay and stitches, along with attacking another family member a year earlier. The dog, named Bear, belonged to her son Joe Mittino, who also lived with Linda and her wheelchair bound husband. The attack occurred over the course of the night. Joe got up the next morning and found his mother face down on the floor. EMS was unable to revive her; she was pronounced dead on scene. [source citations]

Date of death:	January 15, 2007	Chained:	No
Breed of dog:	German shepherd	Relationship to dog:	Family
Sex of dog:	Male	Owner of dog:	Son
Spay/Neuter:	No	Multiple dogs:	No
On/Off property:	On	Criminal charges:	No

Matthew Logan Johnson

6-years old | Richmond, Virginia

Matthew Johnson, 6-years old, was fatally attacked by two female rottweilers his family had purchased just days earlier from a breeder on Puppyfind.com. At the time of the deadly attack, Matthew had slipped into the backyard unnoticed where the dogs were loose. Authorities seized seven rottweilers from the home. The boy's father, Paul Johnson, agreed to give away the other five "award winning" rottweilers, as this would be akin to keeping a loaded gun in the house after one of his boys accidentally shot his brother, he said. [source citations]

Date of death:	January 24, 2007	Chained:	No
Breed of dog:	Rottweiler (2)	Relationship to dog:	Family
Sex of dog:	Female	Owner of dog:	Parents
Spay/Neuter:	No	Multiple dogs:	Yes
On/Off property:	On	Criminal charges:	No

Taylor Kitlica

18-months old | Brewton, Alabama

Taylor Kitlica, 18-months old, was killed by a chained rottweiler. Her family had recently found the male rottweiler roaming the neighborhood. In hopes its owner would see it, they chained it in their front yard. The family owned a female rottweiler that was also chained in the front yard, along with owning two pit bulls. At the time of the attack, the toddler's father was working on a vehicle, just a few feet from the male rottweiler. Taylor suffered massive head injuries. Her younger brother was also attacked; he survived with minor bites. [source citations]

Date of death:	January 28, 2007	Chained:	Yes
Breed of dog:	Rottweiler	Relationship to dog:	Non-family
Sex of dog:	Male	Owner of dog:	Unreleased
Spay/Neuter:	No	Multiple dogs:	No
On/Off property:	On	Criminal charges:	Unknown

2007 dog bite fatality, fatal pit bull attack, Robynn Bradley

Robynn Banks

2-years old | DeKalb County, Georgia

Robynn Banks, 2-years old, was mauled to death by two dogs while visiting a relative's home. Police said the dogs, a pit bull-mix and a mastiff-mix -- also described as a boxer-bullmastiff mix -- escaped from a fenced-in area at a home Robynn was visiting. The child's body was found just outside of the fenced backyard at a home on Zinzendorf Drive in a neighborhood off Snapfinger Road in southeast DeKalb, according to police. Animal control officers seized both dogs after the attack; they were subsequently euthanized. [source citations]

Date of death:	February 16, 2007	Chained:	No
Breed of dog:	Pit bull-mix (1) Mastiff-mix (1)	Relationship to dog:	Non-family
Sex of dog:	Unreleased	Owner of dog:	Relative
Spay/Neuter:	Unreleased	Multiple dogs:	Yes
On/Off property:	On	Criminal charges:	Unknown

Pamela Rushing

50-years old | Friendswood, Texas

Pamela Rushing, 50-years old, was found dead lying in a pool of blood in her backyard by landscapers after being attacked by two of her family's three dogs. The primary attacker was a pit bull-mix, also described in press reports as a catahoula-bulldog mix,4 the victim had recently taken in from her mother. Responding officers shot and killed that dog after it tried to attack them. A golden retriever, owned by her son-in-law, inflicted at least one bite, according to the medical examiner's report. The retriever was later euthanized. [source citations]

Date of death:	March 17, 2007	Chained:	No
Breed of dog:	Pit bull-mix (1) Golden retreiver (1)	Relationship to dog:	Family
Sex of dog:	Male	Owner of dog:	Victim
Spay/Neuter:	Unreleased	Multiple dogs:	Yes
On/Off property:	On	Criminal charges:	No

Carolina Sotelo

2-years old | Combine, Texas

Carolina Sotelo, 2-years old, was killed by her family's pit bull. At the time of the attack, her father was using the weed trimmer while his daughter rode her tricycle. The family's male pit bull was chained nearby. All of a sudden, Carolina was on the ground -- blood covering herself and the dog, according to neighbors. The medical examiner's office said Carolina's injuries included a neck fracture. The first officer to arrive on scene was so shaken, witnesses said he spent much of the afternoon crying. The family also owned a female pit bull and a litter of puppies. [source citations]

Date of death:	March 22, 2007	Chained:	Yes
Breed of dog:	Pit bull	Relationship to dog:	Family
Sex of dog:	Male	Owner of dog:	Parents
Spay/Neuter:	No	Multiple dogs:	No
On/Off property:	On	Criminal charges:	Unknown

Brian Palmer

1-year old | Charleston, South Carolina

Brian Palmer, 1-year old, was killed by the family pit bull after it escaped the laundry room. Brian was found in an upstairs room badly wounded. He died at the hospital the following day as the result of his injuries. The coroner said the initial cause of death was lacerations to the throat. A week earlier, the dog had killed a relative's cat and in the past had attacked another dog. There were no adults present at the time of the attack, only children between the ages of 2 and 16. The boy's mother was arrested and charged with unlawful conduct toward a child. [source citations]

Date of death:	April 24, 2007	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:	Yes

Celestino Rangel

90-years old | San Antonio, Texas

Celestino Rangel, 90-years old, was fatally attacked by two pit bulls as he lay sleeping. Sarah Green, a relative and owner of the pit bulls, had recently moved into Rangel's home. She said she left the house that evening with the dogs secured in a backyard pen. The dogs, however, escaped the pen, managed to unlatch the backdoor to the house then viciously attacked Rangel. The dogs, named Captain and Dookie, pulled the victim from his bed then dragged him throughout his home inflicting bites all over his body. He died at University Hospital several days later. [source citations]

Date of death:	May 18, 2007	Chained:	No
Breed of dog:	Pit bull (2)	Relationship to dog:	Non-family
Sex of dog:	Unreleased	Owner of dog:	Relative
Spay/Neuter:	Unreleased	Multiple dogs:	Yes
On/Off property:	On	Criminal charges:	Unknown

Magdelena Silva

95-years old | El Paso, Texas

Magdelena Silva, 95-years old, was brutally attacked by at least one of her two male dogs, a doberman pinscher and German shepherd. She was doing chores outside of her Lower Valley home when the animals attacked, according to family members. She died on scene as a result of her injuries. Family members said that both dogs had been with the family for eight to 10-years and that only the doberman, named Canelo, was involved in the attack. The dog also injured the victim's daughter who tried to intervene. Authorities euthanized both dogs. [source citations]

Date of death:	May 25, 2007	Chained:	No
Breed of dog:	Doberman pinscher (1) German shepherd (1)	Relationship to dog:	Family
Sex of dog:	Male	Owner of dog:	Victim
Spay/Neuter:	Unreleased	Multiple dogs:	Yes
On/Off property:	On	Criminal charges:	No

Carshena Benjamin

71-years old | Golden Gates, Florida

Carshena Benjamin, 71-years old, left her Golden Gate Estates home that day for a morning walk. She was later found face down in a ditch so badly mutilated that she could barely be identified. Months later, the owner of the two suspected pit bulls, Shirley Fay Newell, confessed to police that her friend Linda Billie washed the blood off the dogs after the attack then dumped the animals at distant locations. Billie's dog, a Welsh corgi, was also involved in the attack and relocated by Billie after the attack. No criminal charges were filed. [source citations]

Date of death:	May 25, 2007	Chained:	No
Breed of dog:	Pit bull-boxer mix (2) Welsh corgi (1)	Relationship to dog:	Non-family
Sex of dog:	Both	Owner of dog:	Neighbor
Spay/Neuter:	Unreleased	Multiple dogs:	Yes
On/Off property:	Off	Criminal charges:	No

Dandre Fisher

3-years old | Hunter Army Airfield, Georgia

Dandre Fisher, 3-years old, and his mother were visiting a friend in the New Gannam housing area at Hunter Army Airfield when he was killed by two pit bulls. Her son momentarily left her side. When she went outside to find him, she saw him in the neighbor's fenced yard being dragged around by two pit bulls. Dandre was rushed to the hospital, but did not survive. Army investigators declined to press charges against the dogs' owner. They determined the young boy climbed the chain-link fence into the neighbor's yard. [source citations]

Date of death:	May 26, 2007	Chained:	No
Breed of dog:	Pit bull (2)	Relationship to dog:	Non-family
Sex of dog:	Unreleased	Owner of dog:	Property Owner
Spay/Neuter:	Unreleased	Multiple dogs:	Yes
On/Off property:	On	Criminal charges:	No

Phyllis Carroll

63-years old | Connersville, Indiana

Phyllis Carroll, 63-years old, had two chow-mixes, a male and a female. The dogs came from the same litter and shared the same age, about 1-year old. The dogs were a gift from another family member. When Phyllis went into the backyard to give the dogs some treats, the male dog attacked her. There were eight sets of bite marks on her body, including her throat. The coroner determined that Phyllis bled to death. Friends said Phyllis kept the dogs in her backyard and had grown increasingly concerned about their aggressive behavior. [source citations]

Date of death:	June 17, 2007	Chained:	No
Breed of dog:	Chow-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

Mary Bernal

63-years old | Deltona, Florida

Mary Bernal, 63-years old, had been staying at her sister's house in Deltona for about a month when she was fatally attacked by her brother-in-law's pit bull. The attack began after she picked up a small dog. The male pit bull attacked her face then latched onto her scalp, ripping it off. The dog repeatedly attacked, according to witnesses. When her sister intervened, the dog turned on her and tore off both of her thumbs as she wrestled with the dog. The sister's husband and owner of the dog, Eliasar Macias, said he had never seen his pit bull "snap" before. [source citations]

Date of death:	June 29, 2007	Chained:	No
Breed of dog:	Pit bull	Relationship to dog:	Non-family
Sex of dog:	Male	Owner of dog:	Brother-in-law
Spay/Neuter:	No	Multiple dogs:	No
On/Off property:	On	Criminal charges:	No

Tiffany Pauley

5-years old | Carrollton, Georgia

Tiffany Pauley, 5-years old, was mauled to death by a chained rottweiler in an unfenced yard. Tiffany, who had Down Syndrome, was discovered just a few houses down from her home by a search and rescue team. At the time of the attack, the little girl's mother and sibling were sleeping. Her mother, Florence Pauley, was later charged with involuntary manslaughter and reckless conduct in connection to her daughter's death after admitting she had been using methamphetamines in the hours before her daughter wandered away. [source citations]

Date of death:	July 12, 2007	Chained:	Yes
Breed of dog:	Rottweiler	Relationship to dog:	Non-family
Sex of dog:	Unreleased	Owner of dog:	Neighbor
Spay/Neuter:	Unreleased	Multiple dogs:	No
On/Off property:	On	Criminal charges:	Yes

Trey Paeth

11-months old | Cookeville, Tennessee

Trey Paeth, 11-months old, was mauled to death by two dogs while visiting the home of a family friend. The toddler and his parents were at the home of Allen McCaffrey just outside of Cookeville when the attack occurred. Trey was in a playpen in a bedroom when McCaffrey's two Siberian huskies tore through the siding and killed the boy. The adults were in a different part of the house and did not hear the attack, according to Putnam County Sheriff’s Detective Jimmy Patterson. Both dogs were destroyed. No charges were filed. [source citations]

Date of death:	July 23, 2007	Chained:	No
Breed of dog:	Husky (2)	Relationship to dog:	Non-family
Sex of dog:	Unreleased	Owner of dog:	Friend
Spay/Neuter:	Unreleased	Multiple dogs:	Yes
On/Off property:	On	Criminal charges:	No

Saben Jones-Abbott

6-years old | Bath, New York

Saben Jones-Abbott, 6-years old, was killed by a chained pit bull his father had recently acquired. According to authorities, the boy was last seen feeding the 6-month old dog outside his home on East William Street Extension in Bath. 15-minutes later, his father found him unconscious near the dog. He was taken to Ira Davenport Hospital where he was pronounced dead. Officials had previous warned the boy's father, William Abbott, about supervising his child around this dog. He was charged with endangering the welfare of a child. [source citations]

Date of death:	July 29, 2007	Chained:	Yes
Breed of dog:	Pit bull	Relationship to dog:	Family
Sex of dog:	Unreleased	Owner of dog:	Father
Spay/Neuter:	Unreleased	Multiple dogs:	No
On/Off property:	On	Criminal charges:	Yes (MISD)

Zachary King Jr.

7-years old | Minneapolis, Minnesota

Zachary King Jr., 7-years old, was viciously attacked by his family's pit bull. The dog clamped onto his neck, killing him. The dog had previously bitten people six times leading up to the boy's death. At the time of the fatal attack, the male dog was chained to a pole in the basement of the family's home. The boy's father, Zachary King Sr., shot the dog after it killed his son. The family also had a female pit bull and five puppies. The boy's father, Zachary King Sr., was charged with second-degree manslaughter. A judge later acquitted the father. [source citations]

Date of death:	August 16, 2007	Chained:	Yes
Breed of dog:	Pit bull	Relationship to dog:	Family
Sex of dog:	Male	Owner of dog:	Father
Spay/Neuter:	No	Multiple dogs:	No
On/Off property:	On	Criminal charges:	Yes

Elijah Rackley

15-months old | McMinn County, Tennessee

Elijah Rackley, 15-months old, was mauled to death by a chained dog his grandfather had recently taken in. The female chow-mix subsequently had puppies. Just before the attack, Elijah was with his grandfather in the backyard. The child walked behind him and picked up one of the puppies. At that time, the boy was about 15 feet away from the doghouse where the mother was chained. The grandfather went to get a few boxes and when he returned, Elijah was gone. He frantically searched for him and found him lifeless in a hole the dog scratched in the ground. [source citations]

Date of death:	August 18, 2007	Chained:	Yes
Breed of dog:	Chow-mix	Relationship to dog:	Family
Sex of dog:	Female	Owner of dog:	Grandfather
Spay/Neuter:	No	Multiple dogs:	No
On/Off property:	On	Criminal charges:	Unknown

Scott Warren

6-years old | Dallas, Texas

Scott Warren, 6-years old, was killed by his pet pit bull. At the time of the attack, Scott was watching television with his 13-year old sister when his pit bull, named Tippy, leapt off the floor and attacked him. His sister screamed and their mother rushed in from another room. "It took her 10 minutes to get the dog off him," said Joe Warren, Scott's grandfather who lives with the family. The victim had raised the 1-year old dog since it was 4-weeks old. Scott died while en route to Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas. [source citations]

Date of death:	August 31, 2007	Chained:	No
Breed of dog:	Pit bull	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

Kylie Cox

4-months old | Warren, Michigan

Kylie Cox, 4-months old, was attacked and killed by a rottweiler. The mother, accompanied by a friend, arrived at a home where about 15 people were gathered. She set the car seat down on the floor with Kylie in it and stepped away to warm a bottle. The mother's friend had just unbuckled the child when the rottweiler approached and attacked the baby. Jason Winters and Christopher Fura, who brought the dog to the home, had acquired the dog 10 days earlier. Both were charged with involuntary manslaughter and child abuse. [source citations]

Date of death:	September 12, 2007	Chained:	No
Breed of dog:	Rottweiler	Relationship to dog:	Non-family
Sex of dog:	Male	Owner of dog:	Boyfriend
Spay/Neuter:	Unreleased	Multiple dogs:	No
On/Off property:	Off	Criminal charges:	Yes

Cheryl Harper

56-years old | Iosco Township, Michigan

Cheryl Harper, 56-years old, was walking down a gravel road near her home when a pack of American bulldog-mixes attacked and killed her. The owner of the dogs, Diane Cockrell, had at least 10 of these dogs at her residence. On the day of the attack, half of them managed to escape her property. Just a short while later, the same pack of dogs killed Edward Geirlach on his front porch. Both attacks were extremely violent and happened in such a short time span that authorities could not determine which victim had been attacked first. [source citations]

Date of death:	September 13, 2007	Chained:	No
Breed of dog:	American bulldog (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

Edward Gierlach

91-years old | Iosco Township, Michigan

Edward Gierlach, 91-years old, was struck down in the same attack. Edward's son, Eugene Gierlach, found his father's body lying in his driveway, stripped of clothing and covered with bite marks. He said his father's body was missing flesh on his leg, including a portion that was "just bone." Both families filed a civil lawsuit against Cockrell; a criminal trial also ensued. In September 2008, Cockrell pleaded no contest to charges of possessing dangerous animals causing death and was sentenced to a minimum of 3.5 years in prison. [source citations]

Date of death:	September 13, 2007	Chained:	No
Breed of dog:	American bulldog (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

Karson Gilroy

2-years old | Boger City, North Carolina

Karson Gilroy, 2-years old, was killed by his neighbor's chained dog. The boy was staying at his grandfather's house under the care of his aunt when he slipped away unnoticed. Police and rescuers found the toddler about an hour after being reported missing. He had wandered into the neighbor's yard where two German shepherds were chained. One attacked and killed him. Karson died as a result of injuries consistent with dog bites around the neck and scalp, according to the medical examiner's report. He also suffered tearing injuries from the chain. [source citations]

Date of death:	September 25, 2007	Chained:	Yes
Breed of dog:	German shepherd	Relationship to dog:	Non-family
Sex of dog:	Male	Owner of dog:	Neighbor
Spay/Neuter:	Unreleased	Multiple dogs:	No
On/Off property:	On	Criminal charges:	No

2007 dog bite fatality, fatal pit bull attack, Tina Marie Canterbury

Tina Canterbury

42-years old | Middleburg, Florida

Tina Canterbury, 42-years old, was killed by her two red-nosed pit bulls she had raised since they were puppies. Tina was found lying in her backyard with her two pit bulls, Rebel and Thor, standing over her. She had been bitten in the face and upper body and was dead by the time deputies arrived. The dogs also attacked her son who tried to help her and a sheriff's deputy before both dogs were shot and killed. Both dogs were neutered and lived indoors. Her cousin, Bill Canterbuy, told police the dogs often slept with her at night. [source citations]

Date of death:	October 2, 2007	Chained:	No
Breed of dog:	Pit bull (2)	Relationship to dog:	Family
Sex of dog:	Male	Owner of dog:	Victim
Spay/Neuter:	Yes	Multiple dogs:	Yes
On/Off property:	On	Criminal charges:	No

2007 dog bite fatality, fatal Wolf-dog hybrid attack, Pahrump, Nevada

Jane Doe

73-years old | Pahrump, Nevada

A 73-year-old Pahrump woman, whose identity was not revealed, was killed after being attacked by eight wolf-hybrids that were owned by her son. The attack occurred as the woman walked into her backyard where the animals were secured within double fencing. A neighbor, however, said that the wolf-hybrids were so tall they could be seen over the top of the fence line. Neither of her sons was home during the attack. Owning wolf-hybrids in Nye County, Nevada is legal. One only needs a license just like a regular dog. All eight dogs were euthanized on site. [source citations]

Date of death:	October 5, 2007	Chained:	No
Breed of dog:	Wolf-dog hybrid (8)	Relationship to dog:	Family
Sex of dog:	Both	Owner of dog:	Son
Spay/Neuter:	No	Multiple dogs:	Yes
On/Off property:	On	Criminal charges:	No

Rosalie Bivins

65-years old | Ada, Oklahoma

Rosalie Bivins, 65-years old, was mauled to death by a pack of pit bull-mixes on a rural road as she used her walker to reach her mailbox. A postman saw the attack and tried to help, but was forced back into his vehicle by the aggressive dogs. He summoned a neighbor who grabbed his shotgun; they rushed back to the scene. While two other neighbors fought to get the dogs off her, the armed neighbor shot and killed one of the dogs, the rest fled. Rosalie's son-in-law, who denied owning the dogs, shot the remaining dogs after they fled into the woods. [source citations]

Date of death:	October 15, 2007	Chained:	No
Breed of dog:	Pit bull-mix (6)	Relationship to dog:	Non-family
Sex of dog:	Unreleased	Owner of dog:	Unknown
Spay/Neuter:	Unreleased	Multiple dogs:	Yes
On/Off property:	Off	Criminal charges:	No

Tori Whitehurst

4-years old | Phoenix, Arizona

Tori Whitehurst, 4-years old, was killed by an American bulldog named Kane. Tori and her older sister were playing in the backyard with Kane and three small dogs, when Kane suddenly attacked her. Tori's family had adopted Kane about 5 months earlier, in June, through an unnamed party. That person had adopted the dog in April from the Arizona Humane Society (AHS). Three behaviorists had evaluated the dog before releasing it. The dog "showed no signs of arousal and no aggression whatsoever while in AHS custody," stated AHS. [source citations]

Date of death:	November 5, 2007	Chained:	No
Breed of dog:	American bulldog	Relationship to dog:	Family
Sex of dog:	Male	Owner of dog:	Parents
Spay/Neuter:	Yes	Multiple dogs:	No
On/Off property:	On	Criminal charges:	No

Seth Lovitt

11-years old | Killeen, Texas

Seth Lovitt, 11-years old, was mauled to death by his grandmother's pit bull. Seth and his brother were "running through the house yelling" when the dog suddenly leapt off the couch and latched onto Seth's neck. The boy's mother and grandmother got the dog to release the child then called 911. He was transported to Darnall Army Medical Center at Ft. Hood where he later died. In August 2009, a grand jury indicted both his mother and grandmother on one count of manslaughter and a count of reckless serious bodily injury to a child. [source citations]

Date of death:	November 6, 2007	Chained:	No
Breed of dog:	Pit bull	Relationship to dog:	Family
Sex of dog:	Male	Owner of dog:	Grandmother
Spay/Neuter:	Unreleased	Multiple dogs:	No
On/Off property:	On	Criminal charges:	Yes

Jennifer Lowe

21-years old | Knox County, Tennessee

Jennifer Lowe, 21-years old, was left alone in a house when her friend's two pit bulls attacked and killed her. She fought back both dogs as they tore away her face, neck, shoulder and arms. Jennifer died shortly after reaching the University of Tennessee Medical Center. She did not lose consciousness until her death. Prior to the attack, animal control officers had visited the home 5 times; both dogs had been legally designated "dangerous." Because the attack occurred inside the dog owner's home, the owner faced no criminal penalty. [source citations]

Date of death:	November 12, 2007	Chained:	No
Breed of dog:	Pit bull (2)	Relationship to dog:	Non-family
Sex of dog:	Both	Owner of dog:	Friend
Spay/Neuter:	No	Multiple dogs:	Yes
On/Off property:	On	Criminal charges:	No

Cora Lee Suehead

61-years old | Placer County, California

Cora Suehead, 61-years old, was found mauled to death by animals near her home. Authorities removed 4 pit bulls from the property to undergo DNA testing. Just 16 days later, Cora's daughter was found dead in her Auburn, California home. Close friends believe that her daughter, Tammy Cummins, was despondent over her mother's death and died of a broken heart. Seven months later, forensic tests confirmed that the pit bulls killed Cora. On the tail of the test results, another tragedy occurred. Walter Suehead, 70, Cora's husband, died of natural causes. [source citations]

Date of death:	December 4, 2007	Chained:	No
Breed of dog:	Pit bull (4)	Relationship to dog:	Non-family
Sex of dog:	Unreleased	Owner of dog:	Relative
Spay/Neuter:	Unreleased	Multiple dogs:	Yes
On/Off property:	On	Criminal charges:	No

Holden Jernigan

2-years old | Summerville, South Carolina

Holden Jernigan, 2-years old, was mauled to death by his grandmother's pit bull. According to police, the boy wandered into the backyard where the 40-pound male pit bull was either loose or chained; the dog was attached to a long chain when authorities arrived. The dog latched onto Holden's throat and head and inflicted fatal injuries. The grandmother had two "Beware of Dog" signs in the front of her home. Authorities later charged the grandmother, Tracey Shelton, with unlawful conduct towards a child. She had fallen asleep while watching the boy. [source citations]

Date of death:	December 13, 2007	Chained:	Unreleased
Breed of dog:	Pit bull	Relationship to dog:	Family
Sex of dog:	Male	Owner of dog:	Grandmother
Spay/Neuter:	Unreleased	Multiple dogs:	No
On/Off property:	On	Criminal charges:	Yes

Blanche Brodeur

76-years old | Mountain City, Georgia

Blanche Brodeur, 76-years old, was found face down with severe head and neck injuries on December 17. Police determined she was brutally attacked by her son-in-law's pit bull while trying to feed the animal. Brodeur had agreed to take care of five pit bulls belonging to her daughter Joan and husband Thomas Robinson while they were in jail. Both were arrested and jailed five days before the fatal attack after a drug raid to their homes on December 12. Police eventually shot and killed the chained pit bull. Brodeur was pronounced dead on scene. [source citations]

Date of death:	December 17, 2007	Chained:	Yes
Breed of dog:	Pit bull	Relationship to dog:	Non-family
Sex of dog:	Male	Owner of dog:	Son-in-law
Spay/Neuter:	Unreleased	Multiple dogs:	No
On/Off property:	On	Criminal charges:	No

Kelly Caldwell

45-years old | Yermo, California

Kelly Caldwell, 45-years old, was mauled to death by up to three pit bulls late Christmas day while walking near her home. A resident heard the attack and called police. By the time first responders arrived, it was too late. Kelly was pronounced dead after reaching the hospital. DNA tests confirmed that two pit bulls -- shot dead on scene by deputies -- were involved. In 2008, the dogs' owners, Jeffrey Dwayne King Jr. and John Allan Peterson, were charged on suspicion of failure to control a mischievous animal resulting in death, a felony. [source citations]

Date of death:	December 25, 2007	Chained:	No
Breed of dog:	Pit bull (2)	Relationship to dog:	Non-family
Sex of dog:	Unreleased	Owner of dog:	Property owner
Spay/Neuter:	Unreleased	Multiple dogs:	Yes
On/Off property:	Off	Criminal charges:	Yes

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.

05/17/07: James Chapple Jr., 58-years old (Memphis, TN)

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 June 2015, the 2007 Dog Bite Fatality statistics were reissued with the following changes: Amber Jones was reclassified as an off-property attack with "unreleased" in terms of chaining, and a Welsh corgi was added to the fatal attack of Carshena Benjamin. In October 2024, the 2007 Dog Bite Fatality statistics were reissued with the following changes: the openly disputed case of James Chapple Jr. was removed and re-listed under the "Excluded victims" section.
Decade of Adoption Focus Fails to Reduce Shelter Killing, by Merritt Clifton, Animal People, July/August 2009.
The catahoula-pit bull mix and catahoula-bulldog mix is a hybrid hunting breed built upon pit bull crossings. It is not recognized by established kennel clubs, such as the AKC and UKC.

DogsBite.org relies upon on donations from our readers.