Mark Allen Partain, 2-years old, was killed by a dog in north Alabama on Friday.
Dog Owner Arrested
UPDATE 06/20/24: Police arrested 55-year old Melissa Phillips in connection to the fatal dog mauling of a 2-year old boy earlier this year. On March 1, New Hope police responded to the 200 block of T R Christian Road for a report of a child who was attacked by dogs. Two dogs, a husky and a German shepherd-mix, were seized from the home of Rickey Clark. A third dog, a "brown bulldog" that was known to run loose in the area, was also suspected. Phillips resides down the street from Clark.
The third dog was surrendered to authorities as the investigation continued. Bite impressions taken from the dogs ruled out the two initial dogs belonging to Clark. The third dog, belonging to Phillips, had recently been involved in another dog attack. Phillips was indicted for a violation of Emily's Law (under Section B). Though a court had not declared her dog to be dangerous, "the owner of the dog had prior knowledge of the dangerous propensities of the dog." Phillips faces a Class C felony charge.
Detectives determined with the help of forensics, that the bite marks collected belonged to the third dog -- not the neighbor's [Rickey Clark].
“This is a dog that the owners had already had an issue with attacking someone else so there was already ground work there to say this was a vicious dog or this was a dog that has propensity for violence and to attack people," Bates said. "With the death of this child, that’s kind of what led the weight of this charge.” - Chief Deputy Stacy Bates with the Madison County Sheriff's Office, WAAY-TV, June 20, 2024
All three dogs were euthanized over the course of the investigation. Last week, the investigation was brought before a Madison County grand jury, resulting in Phillips' indictment. Phillips voluntarily surrendered to sheriff's detectives. She was booked into the Madison County Jail on a $15,000 bond. The breed of Phillips' dog is unknown. She is seen with a "brown dog" and a "missing" black Labrador on social media pages. The Madison County Sheriff's Office says the investigation is ongoing.
03/01/24: Toddler Killed by Dog
New Hope, AL - A 2-year old boy is dead after being attacked by a dog in New Hope Friday evening. The city is 40 mile east of Hartselle, where 4-year old Beau Clark was brutally killed by an Olde English bulldog on Monday. Beau was buried earlier today; over a thousand people attended his funeral. On Friday, at about 5:21 pm, Huntsville Emergency Medical Services Inc., (HEMSI) responded to a residence in the 200 block of T R Christian Road after a report of a toddler being bitten by a dog.
HEMSI spokesman Don Webster said that multiple agencies responded, including, Madison County Sheriff's Office, Owens Cross Road Police Department, and New Hope Police Department. The boy was pronounced dead at the scene, Webster said. Madison County Sheriff's Office spokesperson Brent Patterson said the child was at a neighbor's home when he was attacked by a neighbor's dog. Madison County Coroner Tyler Berryhill said an autopsy will be performed on the child this week.
WAFF spoke to Rickey Clark, the owner of the dogs (no relationship to Beau Clark). He said that one of his dogs, a husky, was responsible for the attack. Both of his dogs were seized by animal control. WAFF captured footage of the dogs being confiscated. A husky is seen and a shepherd-type dog. Clark said the toddler got into his backyard by "opening the gate himself." The gate was latched but not locked. Clark said his dogs had never harmed anyone before. He even showed WFF his gate.
Child & Breeds Identified
The boy's mother has publicly identified him as Mark Alan. "Last night our world was completely shattered. I lost my youngest child, my mini me, my Mark Alan," Kayla Hughey wrote. "The hurt is unreal. I don’t even feel like I’m living in reality. My children’s hearts are so broken." Hughey stated that she has "spoken with all of the police and investigators" and that "it looks as if this was just a very tragic accident with no one to be held at fault." Hughey thanked the many first responders.
The two dog breeds involved have been confirmed as a husky and a German shepherd-golden retriever mix. The sex and spay/neuter status were not released. The ages of the dogs were not released. Despite the importance of all three in fatal dog maulings, this "basic" data is rarely released. This type of fatality was much more common pre-2010 -- "male child entered into dog pen." We know in the 2021 New Mexico case that the adults present in the home were prosecuted afterward.
Third Dog Possibly Involved
According to Clark, a third dog was possibly involved. Clark was alerted to the attack after hearing frantic screams from the boy's father. "He was banging on the door real hard and he said, 'It's my son, it's my son, I think he might be dead,'" Clark said. He rushed outside to see what was wrong and saw the toddler laying on the ground, unresponsive, in front of the dog pens and the gate was open. There was also a brown bulldog "running around in the yard," Clark said, whose owner is unknown.
"When I got my dogs put up, I saw her [the bulldog] running out of the yard, and I don't know if she had anything to do with it." Clark said that seeing the brown bulldog, which he described as female, running loose isn't unusual. WAAY-TV reached out to the Madison County's Sheriff's Office (MCSO) to learn more. Three dogs were placed into quarantine that are believed to have been involved, MCSO said. But animal control did not confirm knowledge of a third dog. The investigation is ongoing.
The two dogs under investigation, a husky and a German shepherd-mix, were cleared.
Related articles:
02/27/24: 2024 Dog Bite Fatality: Child Dies After Bull Breed Mauling in North Alabama
02/24/24: 2024 Dog Bite Fatality: Newborn Dies After Bite to the Head by Pet Husky
Law enforcement departments across the United States should release consistent "baseline" information to the media and the public after each fatal dog mauling, including these items.
Huskies are punching above their weight this year.
I have no doubt pits will make up for this early lead and come out on top by the end of the year.
Not sure what is going on with the huskies, down there Dr. Duke.
Not even gonna debate they’re getting more dangerous, south of the border. I mean, the odd bite here…sure. Killing kids? Can’t say I’ve heard of that up here except for the malamute a few years ago who did the baby head-bite thing.
Did people breed pit in a few lines? Is there some mental deficiency in some of the lines? Are they getting heat stroke down there that’s not being diagnosed? They aren’t built for hot climates–idiots thinking swimming pools and jumping in the lake are a substitute for cold weather notwithstanding. Huskies don’t belong in the Southern states. It’s a cruelty to the breed I cannot fathom.
The problem for huskies is their looks. They look stunning on camera and video. They pull funny tantrums and are the jokers of the dog world. That’s not a reason to get one. It’s especially not a reason to get one with infants or toddlers or small children.
They’re not particularly biddable under normal circumstances. With kids, you want something that even a small child can command to “sit” and who won’t barrel over them in excitement.
This saddens me for the family and whatever is going on down there with a breed I appreciate for what it is. A working dog with needs.
Am gonna wait on the updates.
Unlocked gate. Husky’s are common perps for the percentage of the breed. Again, not a dog that should be around small kids.
I found it odd that the dog owner wanted to show the news reporter the gate that is so easily opened. His narrative was the toddler opened the gate and entered his yard and that only the husky was involved.
I have many questions. Is there any video footage? Did anyone witness this? Was the child alone? Did either dog have physical evidence on them?
The dogs could have easily opened that gate and let themselves out. Dogs can carry off their prey, back to their own yards. I hope more information is revealed before a toddler is blamed for his own death.
Boston, I find this interesting as well. Particularly where a husky is concerned.
Mine had zero problems opening the standard latch on the dog park gate when he wanted in. Or opening up the crate door to leave whenever he wanted. Or opening the cupboard and closet doors.
I’ve taught dogs to do this but he was the first dog I had that just did it–out of pure boredom. Escape artistry is a common husky trait.
So…I wouldn’t be surprised if there was no actual padlock or childproofing lock on the gate that a husky could just open it at will.
Also, some can easily jump six feet or more. In that, they’re like cats. Owners who don’t know this, aren’t paying attention to the breed characteristics.
Wow. Another husky killing a small child. Too many children lately dying by dogs. It’s hard to read it.
It’s hard to check in to this blog on a daily basis. Wondering “Is there any new child death by dog today?”
The breeds involved may change. But you can almost always count upon an owner with a handful of feathers for a brain.
It just gets sickening to come here and see this.
Sorry for the tragic loss. But by seeing this as “just an accident”, I hope this does not mean-“Whelp…time for closure and to move on.”
When an “accident” occurs with the crash of an commercial airliner, a thorough investigation is done by the NTSB. A report is issued detailing faults. And recommendations are made to prevent future “accidents”. As a result air travel is very safe. It’s been a long time since there has been a major commercial aviation disaster here in the United States.
This same effort should be applied to dog ownership.
A dog owner whose dog just killed a two year old child, and then claims-
“He ain’t never hurt nobody before..”
Something needs to be fixed here. And I don’t mean the latch on the gate.
Todd, you are able to articulate how I have been feeling about all these senseless deaths. The NTSB doesn’t just send it’s “thoughts and prayers”. They take action to make change to prevent the preventable.
I would like to personally feed the owner of these dogs to lions. Such a selfish imbecile.
Todd, you are able to articulate how I have been feeling about all these senseless deaths. The NTSB doesn’t just send it’s “thoughts and prayers”. They take action to make change to prevent the preventable.
I would like to personally feed the owner of these dogs to lions. Such a selfish imbecile.
I don’t think any breed of dog should be killing dogs. When I practiced in Indpls, I saw many poorly trained dogs. I called them backyard monsters. Those dogs knew nothing. They resisted all handling and frequently tried biting us. Huskies are tough to train, but the owners have to train them.
Dog owner neglect, in my opinion, caused this child’s death. I personally think Siberian Huskies are gorgeous, but good looks don’t mean good behavior.
Eisenberg said fifty years ago, “If you aren’t training the dog to do the things you WANT, I can guarantee it will be doing everything you don’t want.”
Buying a Husky to throw in a yard and assume that’s enough stimulation for them is insanity. It’s also why GSD’s can be awful if that’s all you do with them. They’re working dogs.
That aside, of course the kid wandered into an unlatched yard. He sees a big floof that looks just like a Disney dog and he wants to hug it because that’s what he sees on TV.
It costs $5 for a padlock at the dollar store. Five dollars to save that kid’s life.
Take note, dog people.
I just love how the owner blame baby for his own death.that little stinker shouldn’t open a gate he should mind his own business.maybe just maybe you be a better owner in keep your killer huskies dogs in a cage.babies around mark age love doggies boy or girl they loved dog and they’re curious too they don’t have self control.
It is called an attractive nuisance and can get you sued. If a child stumbled in a sparkling swimming pool (as others have pointed out) and drown, the homeowner would be an idiot to show everyone how easily you can open the gate.
Others have mentioned this but if the dog owner had a swimming pool and didn’t lock the gate and the boy fell in and drown he would be criminally charged.
Dogs on the other hand have no requirement to be locked up.
Drunks and kids are given as the reasons why booby traps are illegal.
If you are going to be allowed to keep a canine booby trap in your yard, you should be required to keep it locked up so kids and drunks don’t accidently wonder into your yard and get killed.
I wouldn’t argue that a _civil_ case may have merit, but I can’t really fathom a toddler (which is anywhere from 1 year to 3) entering a backyard, especially with a barrier, and falling in a pool would result in criminal charges to the unknowing homeowner. The parent could be charged with something called negligent supervision. The homeowner could, if they gave permission or knew their pool was being used. Regardless of the type of danger, the responsible guardian could be charged with something. You really have to watch em when they’re so little. Could’ve just as easily wandered into busy traffic.
There’s just a lot of detail here that isn’t expanded upon. Like the other person above me, did anyone see what dog attacked? If not, why not? I don’t get the owner’s excuse of some other dogs “riling up” his dogs, but I’d like to know if other dogs regularly ran loose in the neighborhood, that’s not safe. And it does look like that yard is well-paced, you can even see a dig hole, so the dogs are probably bored sh*tless. I was kept up at all hours by such cruddy neighbors and the dogs’ incessant barking while growing up.
Another child mauled. Child was airlifted after attack in Midland, Texas. Bites all over his body and his head and neck. Flown to Lubbock, Texas.
Another day in the US of A.
The US of A, aka the Dog Worshiping Center of the World.
Nice that media actually talked to an expert in dog attacks this time.
https://www.mrt.com/news/article/dog-attack-child-midland-18702657.php
Ms. Richter is a gem! A reporter reporting with facts and knowledge. I love her!
All her information from statistics on dogsbite.org and referencing this fine source of information.
B. Kay Richter, the reporter wrote a promising report about the attack in which she referenced Dogsbite.org and BSL. None of the normal “no one knows why the dog (s) attacked”. Family pets. Gives me some hope that people are listening. Thank you B. Kay Richter.
“Another dog made them do it” is not the own this guy thinks it is.
So, you knew they were dog aggressive but you assumed that wouldn’t generalize?
{{{facepalm}}}
Looks like he just chained them up in the yard with doghouses and visited them long enough to feed them. Maybe threw a ball around once in awhile.
That’s not a life for any kind of working dog. The kid walked into two frustrated dogs in a small yard. It’s a tragedy alright, but the owner caused it.
100%. People in my small rural town are always posting about their huskies getting loose. It’s like they don’t realize these dogs are bred to pull a sled for hours and hours through the Alaskan wilderness every day and are surprised they’re not happy to live in a backyard.
A terrible tragedy, and 100% the owner’s fault, but I doubt there will be any accountability at all, as usual.
Did anyone watch the video first he claimed that it was the baby fault because he open the gate. Then when Ricky was being interviewed he said I got home mark dad knock on my door and told me that my dog killed his baby he was saying that his dogs wasn’t responsible for the death of the baby someone dog provoke his dog and mark was the unfortunate victim his word not mines my dogs ain’t never bark or was aggressive.
Really cute little boy. Incomprehensible loss. I deeply sympathize with his parents and hope for the best for them. That neighbor should at least have the decency to move away to spare them the pain of having to see him again – and tear down the dog pens before he goes.
Most people in the USA are ignorant of the behavior of dogs. They assume nothing bad will happen. Years ago I was at a friend’s kennel and turned three GSDs loose on the property. Windsor was having fun running around. He spotted a drop latch on a chain link gate and ran through the gate by opening it with his nose. He didn’t have to slow down. Nor was he taught to do it. If a dog could open it, why couldn’t a young child have done it?
Do we have to have laws passed that require latches that cannot be easily opened?
Is that reasonable? Is there a way to educate the public? Probably not.
After all, a lot of the dogs killing or mauling people occurs within homes.
I am a professional that has handled dogs my entire lifetime. I know what to do when I have control, but I cannot control other people.
I had a vicious pitbull in the kennel at a veterinary clinic.
I sent the mutt home without payment of the bill. Why? If she got loose, the damage she could have caused was too great. She could have mauled and/or killed staff members and clients’ pets. The cage she was in was fiberglass and not strong enough to 100% control her. She also had a litter of puppies at home.
Wire crates and airline kennels
cannot reliably control pitbulls.
Stainless steel professional cages can control them, but those crates are quite expensive.
There is too much carelessness and ignorance of people with dogs. I had a sweet-tempered, ill, little male Welsh Terrier destroy a fiberglass crate in less than an hour. He simply didn’t want to be there.
Always remember that pitbulls are not the only breed that must be controlled. People can be more responsible but only if educated about this.
Taking down fences and moving simply take problems elsewhere. It’s not a solution.
Do people not teach children about this anymore. My parents were not animal people at all. But they knew enough to teach me and my brother not to touch a strange dog without asking the owner and even for friendly known dogs, don’t approach them when eating, don’t pull tails and ears and don’t put your face in theirs. Do not people teach this anymore?
And people did not tolerate dogs that went after kids unprovoked.
Dogs now wear tutus. They growl at their owners and then sleep on their beds. Too many people don’t teach their dogs who is the leader of the family.
Growl at someone. “Isn’t that cute?”. No correction. I’m working a young GSD. He was growling in public due to fear yesterday. Does anyone think I put up with that? What should I say? Parents don’t teach their kids respect.
They don’t train their dogs. The pitbull attacks cannot be stopped by training. However, they could be helped by people not ignoring signs of danger. If someone’s large dog is growling at him/her, that cannot be ignored.
I saw a video showing two black ladies with gorgeous braided hair
playing stupid games with their pitbull that was hanging from those braids. Don’t they know that pitbulls often scalp people? I guess not.
Stupidity reigns.
Rachel, Here, here!
When you have a well-behaved dog it’s astonishing how often you hear how “smart” they are, how “quiet” they are, how “gentle” they are, how “well-behaved” they are.
Well people, they don’t come outta a cornflakes box like that. It’s dedication.
It’s not playing stupid games to win stupid prizes by ignoring bad behaviour or hoping it will go away. It’s knowing that all dogs can be dangerous if you let them think that snarling/biting/barking/growling at humans or other animals, is okay. It’s being prepared to run out half-dressed to correct them when they’re doing a bad behaviour *right now*–not whenever you get around to it.
For fun, you get to wander around in blizzards for an hour or more because “welp, he gotta get his exercise” and that’s for a relatively quiet working dog.
It shouldn’t shock us when there’s a good dog–it should be shocking how many of them are overly-excited, unmanageable brats and I fail to see how there’s any pleasure in living with such an animal.
I have a young French Bulldog who earned his CGC at a year old, and I take him to dog-friendly places with me. I get so many comments, especially inside my dispensary, about how well-mannered he is, how he listens, how he’s friendly but not wild… People ask me if he’s my service dog all the time because I have him in a harness (not a misleading one, it’s blue and white checkered, no patches). It makes all those evening classes and hours of practicing we did, and all the puppy behaviors we worked through, SO worth it! But you’re right, it should NOT be such an anomaly to people to see a well-behaved dog.
Training and education only works for dog owners who wish to have a well behaved dog.
Not a pressing issue for all the other “expert” dog owners who relish in the fear factor caused by their bullying brutes. Training might as well consist of attacking a mannequin covered with leftover meat scraps. And perhaps even that is painting too much of a responsible portrait of those who have wanted to control a ferocious beast as a way of getting back at their own savage upbringing, when they longed to be able to one day be The Boss.
And don’t let’s forget about the genetic factor sneaking a curve ball past the batter, after seeing nothing but well behaved pitch after well behaved pitch. Yep. That curve will send you to the dugout. Just when you least expect it.
But…what do I know. I’m no expert since I don’t own a dog.
@Jenesis
That should be the joy of owning a dog, right there.
I don’t find being tongue-bathed by a pitbull, or jumped on, or barked at, pawed at for attention, smelling potty in the house, or yanked down the street etc. etc. to be joyful, at all.
It’s joyful to go somewhere with a good dog that’s paying attention to commands and is delightful with everyone you meet and knows how to respond in all different circumstances. More fun for the dog who gets to do more things and more fun for the human.
It’s a shame for the dog too. They don’t know any better. Most dogs are people-pleasers and if bad behaviour is what they think pleases people–they’ll repeat it, endlessly.
Dogs, like people, need instructions. Nobody comes out of a cereal box with social skills.
Throwing them in a yard to fend for themselves isn’t a life for such a sociable species unless they have work as well to fulfill themselves.
Boni, so well said.
May I use your words when speaking with clients about their dogs?
I have one very social, clean, well behaved, happy doodle mix that was gifted to me during Covid and he makes my life better.
If a dog does not make your life and the lives of those around you better, what is the point?
Exactly Boston, what IS the point of owning something is just a walking kibble recycler?
Better yet Boston, show don’t tell. But if my words help, use them 🙂
When I was training dogs I often had my dog/s just laying there ignoring all distractions…no leash, no nothing, not moving a paw while I showed the owner how to heel their dog.
If you’re training dogs (are you?) and have a bit of dog handling experience, I bet you can heel a new dog in 10-15 minutes. We all know it’s not about the dog except for genetic problems, it’s the owner.
The problem to me too is–all that crap on YouTube. Six weeks in and the “dog behavioralist” is lucky to get within a city block of another dog–it’s ludicrous. And because people don’t want to “be mean” and waving cookies is more fun than repetition, the public is being conned out of their money as well. Every time I see some poor soul stopping in the middle of the walk to move aside and sit the dog then feed cookies so I can walk by with my dog, I cringe.
I also suspect there’s some kind of mass psychosis masochism or something going on. Tons of people convince themselves their dog was abused (as if that matters the same way it does to humans) or that “something bad happened to him as a puppy now I must cater to all his trauma” or some kind of silly notion.
I have news for them. ALL dogs and people have trauma. Comes from living for more than a minute and a half. Doesn’t mean you get to shoot people or your dog gets to maul children or jump on grandma.
Having an idiot dog that everyone hates is not doing humanity a favour and most dogs don’t enjoy it, either.
That’s exactly how I feel when I’m out with him. It’s a pleasure, and I’m proud of him and how well he listens to me. I almost don’t even need to say anything most of the time. And I SEE the joy he brings other people, especially the employees at my dispensary. He has favorite people there, but he’s polite to everyone, and I just see so many people look at him and genuinely smile. The fact that HE is cute helps, lol. But yeah, my dogs are my biggest joy and happiness in the world, and I love that I can share a little bit of my Sebastian with others, too. It’s so sad that there aren’t more people being active in training and socializing with their puppies/young dogs. I don’t know what they expect to happen if they don’t put in the work at that stage. Of course, sticking to something that ISN’T a fighting breed also helps, but you’d think at least once someone HAD the dog, they’d want to try to do everything right. But then, look at some people’s child-raising…
Did you know that over half of the people who bring their dogs to beginner training classes will drop out? Training classes are simply too hard to complete. The dogs don’t simply read instructions and proceed to obey them. No trainers can train dogs without work.
My obnoxious puppy jumps up, chews up everything, and leaves scraps of toys around. He also bites too hard. Is it time to unload him at a shelter? His sire has abandoned him.
omg? how low was the pen latch? how long was the kid unsupervised?
Excellent points! A real game changer on preventing future incidents of dog mistaking a two year old child for a chew toy.
Of course though when supervision is reestablished, it’s not always possible to separate the chew toy from the dog in time to save it from becoming an unrecognizable chewed up mess. No problem tho. There’s plenty more toys out there to chew. Just gimme back my dog and we’ll make sure to keep that gate nice and locked all the time.
Omg…solves everything.
Another day, another dead child. This time, mom was present but unable to save her baby. New Jersey this time. The “family pet”.
https://www.wfla.com/nextstar-news-wire/infant-killed-parents-injured-in-apparent-attack-by-family-dog-new-jersey-police/
I am sharing this mainly because of the How to Survive an Animal Attack window that is featured.
They go through bears, gators, mountain lions and sharks before finally admitting that yes dogs do attack.
Actually what they say is “Dog’s are America’s favorite pet but some can be dangerous.”
They feature dogs last, implying that their attacks are rare when the truth is dogs attack more than bears, mountain lions, gators and sharks combined.
The other animals they tell you how to defend yourself if attacked. For dogs you are just supposed to roll up into a ball and be a chew toy.
I guess they know if they give any advice on how to defend yourself the internet will brand them “dog haters” and claim “Channel whatever is teaching people to kill dogs for no reason!”
A rare bit of good news for a change.
https://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/fort-worth/article285214752.html
Witness fatally shoots dog after it attacks person in south Fort Worth, police say BY NICOLE LOPEZ FEBRUARY 07, 2024 8:25 PM
A witness shot and killed a dog after it reportedly attacked and bit a person on Wednesday, according to Fort Worth police. At around 11:16 a.m. , officers responded to a call near the 6800 block of South Creek Drive in south Fort Worth.
When officers arrived at the scene, witnesses said that three dogs had bitten one person and were trying to attack others. One of the witnesses shot and killed one of the dogs, according to police. The person who shot the dog made the call to police and has been cooperating with the investigators, police say.
Animal control officers responded to the scene to enforce ordinances regarding the other two dogs. The person who was attacked by the dogs was not seriously injured, police said. Authorities do not plan on filing charges against the shooter, police said Wednesday.
Don’t mean to be the pessimist but I see this as yet another dog attack incident. More maulers loose and on the rampage. The climate is changing for the worse, storms growing fiercer, and more unsuspecting innocents seeking shelter as if dodging bolts of lightning. And I don’t see the rainbow anywhere in sight.
Good news would involve legislation to implement BSL’s that work, tightly regulate who can breed dogs, transform ACO’s into what their name actually implies, etc…
That I would call good news. But it ain’t a’ happening anytime soon.
I try to look on the bright side.
Yes it is unacceptable that another dog attacked a human.
However I will celebrate that in this case rather than the human’s family planning a funeral and the dog’s owner starting a PR campaign to get his dog back, the dog will never maul another person or animal and the attack victim is recovering.
Sorry to double post but I have to point out how crazy it is that the only talk of charges is ” Authorities do not plan on filing charges against the shooter, police said Wednesday.”
What about charging the owner of the attacking dog?
It is like that isn’t even an option.
Sadly in cases where the attacking dog is killed the justice system tends to consider it “case closed” rather than going after the dog owner that let the attack happen.
Its happened again infant killed last night
“The Madison County Sheriff’s Office says they have made an arrest following a dog attack that left a 2-year-old dead in March.
The sheriff’s office says 55-year-old Melissa Phillips was indicted for a violation of “Emily’s Law” Dangerous Dog AL3-6a-5(b).”
https://www.waaytv.com/news/woman-arrested-after-dog-attack-that-left-2-year-old-dead-in-madison-county/article_244c4a5a-2f34-11ef-bb33-e340977fa67f.html
Wow, they ruled out the two penned-up dogs in the back yard where it happened – that is surprising. And it turned out to be a dog that looks like a pitbull to me (if it is either one of those dogs in the photos). I feel bad about not believing the owner of the husky and shepherd when he said he thought another dog was involved.
I don’t know what the state of forensic odontology is today but I know that several years ago a bunch of convictions were thrown out because too much weight was put on bite mark identification – they’re not exactly fingerprints.
I can believe that a pitbull bite might look significantly different that a bite from a husky or shepherd, though… I hope they have enough evidence to know whose dog did it and to convict. I’m glad the authorities are following through. I hope the media will continue to cover this case. And I hope the parents will find comfort from something being done.
It appears that Rickey Clark did the best he could under trying circumstances. He seemed to step up to take responsibility from the start, by saying he thought his husky did it or at least was involved. Obviously I don’t know the whole story, and that seems to be the point of this aspect of the debacle. I hope he can recover from the undue suspicion that was thrown his way.