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39 thoughts on “2023 Dog Bite Fatality: Man Killed by Pack of Dogs in Tucumcari, New Mexico

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  1. The linked article by Mr. Hartt in Collen’s post is heartbreaking. He comes across as a kind and gentle man, and a darn good writer. He talks about the peace and comfort he’s found in his new community, immune from so many disasters. Ironically, he mentioned how much he loves to take walks. Little did he know, we live in a world where that’s not safe anymore. In some way, Mr. Hartt is a martyr for the children who went to school right where this dog pack killed him. May he rest in peace.

  2. The disproportionate danger and death that accompanies dogs that were and still are specifically created to be disproportionately dangerous and deadly is a horrific man-made national disaster.

    It is cruel to continue to breed dogs whose default behavior is to attack and not stop.

    If we were a sane kind society, DNA tests would be performed on every dog killing dog, every horse killing dog, every human maiming / killing dog, and then that information would be used to require sterilization of those disproportionately dangerous dogs.

  3. The mix labeling is just crock .it’s just a lame excuse for saying it’s pitbull .it the dog were pitbull that killed him people can goes out walking without getting killed the these dangerous dogs.

  4. It’s easy to see the attraction of Tucumcari and the Route 66 area for Mr. Hartt. He moved from Albuquerque, NM to Tucumcari, New Mexico in 2021. The Mother Road, Route 66, must have been dear to his heart. I remember the quirky name of Tucumcari as I motorcycled along Route 66. Amarillo, Texas was where I first saw a double rainbow. The Grand Canyon in Arizona was where I first saw the Persiads, the night of the shooting stars, which return every August.
    There was a magic about the Southwest for this Chicago gal, who started off there at the origin of my Route 66 motorcycle trip.

    It sounds like Mr. Hartt remembered his youth before they became golden days of the setting sun. It was a time when pitbulls were not terrorizing The Great Outdoors. Mr. Hartt’s death is all the more tragic when we reflect on this change in America where one cannot walk outside without fear. I see his death as an iconic symbol of our country’s loss.

    Join me in a tribute to Mr. Hartt and Route 66. I think he would have loved this Google Doodle.
    https://youtu.be/ZoPJVcHYlU0

    • If you open the Google Doodle in the YouTube app, make sure you start at the zero point. You don’t want to miss any of this exquisite video.

  5. The number of people just minding their own business, and trying to enjoy life, that are tragically mauled by dogs they do not own, is mind boggling. Walking or riding a bike down a road should not be a death penalty offense. The number of dog owners allowing their pets to roam Needs to be addressed. My thoughts are with the families of these recent victims.

    • Exactly.

      Thanks to one of my neighbors, whose pit bull just happened to be loose in the front yard as I was walking by, I bought a tactical cane that I now carry with me.

      Saw the same neighbor yesterday with his girlfriend. Both were walking pit bulls on the sidewalk.

      I was walking the other way, and did they get themselves and their rescued fur babies off the sidewalk so I could have the right of way and pass safely? Nope.

      Since they’re dog owners, I was supposed to stay on the sidewalk so I could worship the fur babies. As in, coo all over them so that this couple could get their narcissistic supply.

      Instead, I got off the sidewalk and got into the street so I could pass by this couple.

      The dog owner entitlement mentality knows no bounds.

    • Sorry but the number of pit bulls, Rottweiler and other pit bull types needs to be STOPPED! It’s not just about dogs out roaming because most dogs that escape their fence don’t go on a murder spree! Mostly just pit bulls! Too many people try to conflate these deadly pit bull attacks with all dogs bites including the 2 pound chihuahua!

  6. What a pack of dogs does can be related to its ancestry. Years ago I was involved in depopulating a group of feral dogs fed by an elderly man. There were likely about seventy dogs on the property. Yet that pack had not hurt anybody. They were not pitbulls. We put down 50-60 dogs that day and left 10-15 dogs. We released any dog that the elderly man said he wanted. These dogs were very unsocialized and very tough to handle. What if they had been pitbulls?

    • That’s a fascinating story, Rachel. I’m speculating that pitbulls would kill each other at a rate to keep the population lower than that. I hope that horror scene isn’t playing out anywhere.

  7. So, the dogs would get loose often and attack residents, but they were not aggressive, according to the owners. I’m just boggled by this attitude.

      • I am not so sure about that.
        So many people think dogs can do no wrong.
        Many dog owners feel they have no responsibility for the actions of their dogs.
        Sadly more often then not the law agrees.

        It will be interesting to see what happens.

        I hope you are correct and they both get felony convictions and jail time.

        I wont be surprised if they plead down to misdemeanors, probation and community service.

  8. In a TV Interview today, “He says he can’t believe what happened and says Mary Montoya is to blame.” Morris, the son, is blaming his mother for the mauling death of. Stanley Hartt. His mother’s backyard is where he collected a pack of dogs until he had a home with

  9. Stanley Hartt tried to jump a fence to escape the 5-pack of dogs. A resident found a 450-foot trail of blood down the street. At least 2 dogs with blood on their faces.

    Lie upon lie:
    Mother to first responders: Zena is only a puppy. (Zena weighed 50 lbs when it was shot)
    Son to media: I was trying to train it to be a therapy dog.

    Infuriating! A terribly painful and frightful ending for Mr. Hartt. No free bites or easy sentences for this son and his mother.

    • Error on my part re “Zena is only a puppy.” The 50-lb Zena was shot by the officer, thank goodness. I attributed the puppy protest by the mother to the wrong dog.

      The gist is the same, however, so a lie by the mother. Lady, the “blue and white Lab and pitbull mix” was not a small puppy. It came home with blood on its face. Both Zena and Lady escaped from the property often and went prowling together.

      Both Morris, the son, and Montoya, the mother, should serve the maximum sentences.

  10. OMG, what a horrific crime scene. That poor soul endured so much suffering. These owners are the usual ignorant fools we see day after day. This is another example of how pitbulls have contaminated the bloodlines of so many breeds. We can see where the genetics win out even if bred with a labrador or whatever. And the bold face lying. That growling mutant mutt from hell in that cage. “Just a puppy!” Give me a break. I’m glad at least they have camera footage. I can spot pit blood in almost every “rescued” dog I see now. Time bombs. I have a sick feeling these pathetic liars will get a light sentence or a financial slap on the wrist.

  11. I find the look of smug stupidity on the son’s face in the “Zena had a litter of puppies” link above infuriating. Pitbull breeders are …people who don’t make a positive contribution to society.

  12. Where was animal control after dogs at that address jumped the fence twice to bite people?

    Once again we have a death that could have been prevented if AC had done their job.

    I wonder if it is legal to have 5 dogs in one house in this area?

    • Seems like “control” isn’t the first thing on Animal Control’s agenda these days. They’re more of a Department of Pitbull Proliferation.

  13. Animal control is to blame. I’m from nearby city of Clovis, there were dog attacks in my neighborhood. Animal control came out and took a dog. Yet same owner has 3 more dogs and lets them roam the streets. Animal control is buddy buddy with the dog owner. Another mauling just waiting to happen, both should be accountable the owner and lackluster / criminally negligent animal control services. If you see a dog without a leash running around, call animal control, do your part, before a child or elderly person or yourself gets mauled. Also laws are way too lax, reckless owners should get mandatory sentences starting with 6 months for any of their dogs bites to other people if they can’t control their dogs.

  14. A report on Mr. Hartt’s memorial service in Tucumcari. It includes a VERY disappointing report from the new Animal Control Services Officer Huber that these other 4 dogs have not been put down yet. These animals were part of the pack that mauled Stanley Hartt in a gruesome death.

    Apparently, Tucumcari, New Mexico, has not yet taken the gruesome death of Mr. Hartt very seriously.

    “During the city commission meeting, new animal control officer Elijah Huber said those four dogs showed aggression when they initially were placed at the pound, but their behavior is improving.”

    https://www.qcsunonline.com/story/2023/03/01/news/memorial-held-for-dog-attack-victim/24498.html?m=true

  15. On the matter of new animal control officer Elijah Huber saying “those four dogs showed aggression when they initially were placed at the pound, but their behavior is improving.”

    Please feel free to express your view on this by calling or writing:
    City of Tucumcari
    215 East Center Street
    PO Box 1188
    Tucumcari, NM 88401
    Ph: (575) 461-3451

    No names or emails given on the municipal website. Hopefully, their emails will be given out.

    From local media:
    *Tucumcari Mayor Ralph Moya
    *Tucumcari City Manager Paula Chaco

    • The trials for involuntary manslaughter of Stanley Hartt in Feb 2023 in Tucumcari, New Mexico are beginning.

      I spoke with the City’s top official to express my concern that the new Animal Control Officer not rehome the 4 dogs left. The ACS officer had commented that their behavior was getting better. This despite the fact that Zena returned to Mary Montoya’s home with blood on its muzzle. Plus news sites reported that 5 dogs mauled Stanley Hartt to death.

      I was assured that the City of Tucumcari wants to do everything according to the letter of the law. The 4 dogs are being held in isolation. I expressed my strong concern that no more Tucumcari residents be mauled again. The City is being cautious so nothing will go wrong.

      I forgot to mention to this official that the ACS officer’s previous employment was with Maricopa County which has a number of no-kill animal shelters.

      The best other news article besides DBO was linked in my previous comment here.

      • Keep after them. It seems to me, if any of the 4 remaining dogs mauls anyone else… the city would be held liable. $$$s. You might remind the Mayor of the city’s potential liability. Euthanizing the dogs absolves future liability.
        For me, if mayor, this would be a “no brainer” decision.

    • I was mauled by 2 German Shepards off leash Nov 5 this year 2023. Owner fell and then was able to get between them and me. I have 31 bite wounds, full thickness wounds calf and inner upper right thigh. Trauma had to clean out and minimally suture so they could drain. AC saw the video of the attack and said they were out to kill me. Bit my shoulders trying. I’m in Glendale Az

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