Tag Archives: Massachusetts

2019 Dog Bite Fatality: Pit Bull Kills 44-Year Old Female Owner in Somerset, Massachusetts

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Melissa Astacio, 44-years old, died after being viciously attacked by her pet pit bull. Pit Bull Kills Owner Somerset, MA - A 44-year old woman died after being mauled by a family pit bull. Melissa Astacio suffered a seizure Friday evening in her Somerset home. Her daughter called 911 and said that her mother was having a seizure when the dog started to attack her, according to a press release from the Bristol County District Attorney's Office. Police were forced to Taser the do… [Read full blog post]
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2019 Dog Bite Fatality: Dighton Dog Attack Leaves a 14-Year Old Boy Dead and a Community Mourning

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Ryan Hazel, 14, was found dead after after a dog attack in Dighton, Massachusetts. Final Report Issued UPDATE 06/21/19: The Bristol County District Attorney's Office released its undated final report determining there is no basis for filing criminal charges in connection to the death of a 14-year old boy. On May 9, 2019, five dogs at a property on Maple Swamp Road brutally killed Ryan Hazel. The dogs and property belong to Scott Dunmore, who was away during the attack. Ryan re… [Read full blog post]

2017 Dog Bite Fatality: Pit Bulls Kill 7-Year Old Boy in Lowell, Massachusetts

Police gather outside scene where two pit bulls killed 7-year old Javien Candelario.1 Victim Identified UPDATE 10/27/17: The 7-year old boy has been identified as Javien Candelario. On October 21, he was brutally killed by two pit bulls housed behind a dilapidated gate between 56 and 58 Clare Street. Witnesses said about 15 people saw the horrific mauling. Two of them included Javien's mother and his older brother. No one knew how to save him from the jaws of the pit bulls. Fiv… [Read full blog post]

Malden Councillor Clarifies Pit Bull Ordinance and Confirms 'Rational Fear'

Answers Critics Malden, MA - Last week we reported on a pit bull ordinance passed by Malden City Council. Part of the blog post addressed Dr. Amy Marder who claimed that "a leash will prevent dog bites as well as a muzzle" when being quizzed by Councillor Neil C. Kinnon. The post also noted that the "hollering pit bull owners" attending the meeting failed to grasp the language of the ordinance, which grandfathered in existing pit bull owners if they registered their dog prior to M… [Read full blog post]