Roxie Parker, 60-years old, died of her injuries after a vicious dog attack near Welsh.
UPDATE 05/15/20: We continue to wait on an incident report from the Jefferson Davis Parish Sheriff's Office. The investigation is still active. Once the case is closed, we will be able to obtain the report. We were, however, able to gain confirmation of several important aspects. The dog involved is a large white and brown male bull terrier. The sheriff's office did not have any prior bites or complaints on the dog. The owner put the dog down on the day of the attack at the residence.
Roxie Parker had raised the dog with the owner since it was a puppy, according to the sheriff's office. The suspected dog we located is an adult male bull terrier. Prior to the modern bull terrier, the breed's confirmation was vastly different. Some "working" bull terriers continue to be crossed with Staffordshire bull terriers in fighting lines, especially in Ireland (see: Ch Stormer and Ch Nellie).1,2 Up until 1965, the names bull terriers, pit bulls and pit dogs were interchangeable.
05/07/20: Roxie Parker Obituary
Welsh, LA - On April 20, a 60-year old woman was viciously attacked by a dog and died of her injuries four days later. This attack first came to our attention on May 5, when we were alerted to an April 24 post by RJ Hanks, who knows the victim's sister. "A sweet friend from high school just posted that her sister (who survived the tornados that ripped through their neighborhood on April 12th), was attacked by a pit bull on April 20th and was declared brain dead today," Hanks wrote.
Hanks did not name the victim in the April 24 post. Hanks is based in Baton Rouge, so we presumed he or she was referring to the April 12, 2020 Easter tornado that struck Monroe, Louisiana. On May 7, we were able to locate the victim's obituary along with her family members on Facebook. Roxie Wright Parker died "following a dog attack that left her with injuries too extensive for recovery," states her obituary. Parker had moved to Monroe sometime last year.
Parker's last public Facebook post states in part, "Survived the tornados that hit Monroe. Terrible destruction just blocks away from me. Heard it and saw tree limbs go by and no electric since 11:30 am." Prior to Hanks' post, the victim's daughter had already posted publicly about the dog attack. "She was viciously attacked by a dog and sustained several life threatening injuries. She's fighting for her life and needs all the prayers in the world," Jana wrote. Parker died the next day.
The Johnson Funeral Home obituary states she died at a Lafayette hospital on April 24. The obituary about her life was published in The News Star from May 2 to May 3. As of May 7, the newspaper has not reported the April 20 dog attack. We have discovered zero media reports at this time. Her obituary also states, "She also loved her little dog, Danny Boy, that she tried to save." On April 30, her daughter Jana began asking the public for help in locating the small dog.
Jana posted to the Facebook group, Stolen or Lost Pets in Jeff Davis Parish, that Danny Boy was last seen off Highway 99 near Martin Road, "when a terrible accident happened involving a dog attack and my mother passing away." Jana added, "Danny Boy was her beloved dog and he's gone missing since the day of, last Monday, April 20th." Accordingly, the attack occurred south of Welsh, which is about 200 miles away from Monroe, and it appears to be a rural, isolated area.
We do not know the time of day of the attack or any circumstances involved, only that Parker had tried to save Danny Boy from the vicious dog. The presumed location of the attack lies in the middle of three different fire department zones; any one of them could have responded to that call. So until we get information about the estimated time of the attack, we will not be able to locate the audio dispatch log files. Nor can we verify the breed of dog based upon what Hanks wrote alone.
"Roxie was known for her pretty face, her brilliant smile, and friendly personality, making friends wherever she went," states her obituary. "She was a devoted, loving mother to her two girls. She adored them and she loved to tell you about them." She raised her girls in Baton Rouge and in Fairhope. "Last year she moved to Monroe to be close to her dad and stepmom," states her obituary. A memorial service for Parker will be held in Baton Rouge at a later date, it states.
A Devastating Loss
Parker's mauling death is unimaginably tragic, devastating and cruel. From the location of the attack to her two beautiful daughters, her lost dog Danny Boy who she tried to save and to what must have been a horrific attack scene and injuries. We hope her daughters are able to locate Danny Boy. That Facebook post had a number of shares. We will attempt to obtain any public information that we can through a FOIA request to the Jefferson Davis Parish Sheriff's Office.
Parker's family is asking for help in locating Danny Boy; he has not been seen since the attack.
The last Facebook post by Roxie Parker states that she survived the tornado that hit Monroe.
2The Great Book of Bulldogs, Bull Terrier and Molosser: Part I Bulldogs & Bull Terrier, by Marlene Zwettler, 2013.
View the DogsBite.org Google Map: Louisiana Fatal Pit Bull Maulings.Related articles:
02/29/20: 2020 Dog Bite Fatality: Woman Killed by Two Family Pit Bulls in Shreveport, Louisiana
09/13/17: 2017 Dog Bite Fatality: Woman Brain Dead After Pit Bull Mauling Near Bozeman
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.
News media did not report this vicious, brutal, painful butchering death? If news media reported all fatal dog maulings and all severe dog maulings, then everyone would openly know what everyone already knows. Most people only secretly know the truth, only a few people openly state the truth: All people are at risk at all times of the grave threat of virtually instant, anytime, anywhere severe or fatal dog mauling. The news media does not want people to be forced to openly admit that we have forced this hostility upon our selves. When I say that she is now in a better place, I mean it literally.
Contrast the coverage of dog attacks with that of “murder hornets”…of which only two specimens have been found in the entire U.S. and which have killed or injured zero Americans, but which are the subject of an incredible amount of breathless and panicked press on every news medium.
Well, you know about those hornets. Things are up to no good, doncha know.
OTOH, dogs are worshipped in our society. And therein lies the root of the problem.
I always get sad hearing a Louisiana attack. An attack so bad that the victim ended up brain dead, I can’t even imagine it. Prayers for her daughters and the rest of her family.
It’s astounding how we still have these horrid beasts in our society, causing death and harm constantly to people of all ages, yet the media just ignores it. Meanwhile every news station has been talking non-stop about that stupid virus that only has a small fatality rate for the average healthy person for the past 3 months! It’s ridiculous.
This is so terribly sad, poor soul. Yes, murder bees, faulty baby seats (very important of course) but monster mutts are killing and maiming children and people of all ages. I bet a huge proportion is not reported. Our society has become insane with the defense and worship of ALL dogs, even the killers. And those who dare to expose or speak out are threatened with violence or worse. It’s horrible enough that we’re in a pandemic, but the other stories of lives lost will be buried along with all the excuses that it’s not the dog’s fault.
What a gruesome death of a beautiful lady. This should have been deemed newsworthy. Everything about her injuries does sound exactly like a pit bull attack. I wonder if the dog is still at large? I may have overlooked it if the post said whether or not this was so. If still at large, this beast is what people should be fearing.
I’m so saddened for the family losing this mother in such a horrible way. Heartbreaking.
Also wondering how come the murder hornet lobbyists haven’t started a campaign to prove that murder hornets used to be called Nanny Hornets because they were so good with children. Or why they don’t promote murder hornets adoption events in which the hornets are dressed in tiny flower crowns and tutus and everyone claps and cheers when a murder hornet that waited 4 years for its “flyever family” goes home with someone who can then virtue signal that they are not racist but think all murder hornets just need love and compassion. The Dodo could make a moving video about a murder hornet that was forced to sting people but now gets a second chance as a therapy hornet in hospitals as an advocate for the species to prove that all insects can sting, in fact sweat bees are the most dangerous of all. We should just get educated, and can we really be so racist against murder hornets when we’ve never owned one ourselves? But wait… that would be silly. Wouldn’t it?
Those hornets need a better PR agency. Just the other day, I made a purchase on a furniture site and it asked me if I wanted to add on a donation to Best Friends. Um, no. These groups are allying themselves with all kinds of companies, both pet-related and not, and most people have no idea they have morphed into dedicating themselves nearly full-time into making sure your neighbors can own and breed as many pet-killing, human-killing dogs as they wish.
And this, folks is why I love all you guys.
Sellis, your post is hilarious, and true…all at the same time.
Truly awful. This beautiful woman taken down and mauled and left to bleed out alone, in pain, and certainly terrified.
Did the dog’s owner know what happened and not call 911? (I wouldn’t put it past a pit bull owner. Their humanity is often lacking, if they have any at all.) Was the dog found? Is that why someone stated it was a pit bull that attacked her? Has it been euthanized? There are so many questions that need answering, but I wonder how many will be. I certainly hope the attacking beast was found and promptly eliminated from the earth. I also hope the creature’s owner will be charged.
My condolences to the devastated family. I can’t imagine how painful Mother’s Day will be for her daughters. It’s so heartbreaking.
She was attacked while her friend went to work. She laid bleeding for hours until found inside the home after her friend came home from work. He shot the dog after calling 911. I am her daughter sarah and I can’t believe this is the only article I’ve found about this but thank you every one for Caring. She was the most beautiful vibrant loving person in the world and I miss her more than you could ever imagine.
No the owner is my father he was working and Roxie was at his home my dad found her called 911 and shot his dog buddy
You nailed the absurdity of the pit advocates inane belief system. The Dodo makes me gag with their anthropomorphic portrayals of pit bulls and other dangerous mauler breeds. They and Best Friends are responsible for perpetuating the dog worship insanity in this world. I would dare say they own some responsibility for the deaths by pit bulls in this country.
I wonder if Best Friends or The Dodo ever donate to the funeral expenses of the people slaughtered by pit bull type dogs. Doubt it.
The dog that is suspected of attacking Roxie was a bull terrier, NOT a pitbull. Just for clarification.
I don’t know what I did wrong, but my comment (#7) was supposed to be in response to Sellis’ comment about the “murder hornets”. Operator error, I guess!
While it is not 100% germane to the topic here, I thought I would post this video that I saw earlier today. It comes from John Correia of Active Self Protection. He has a discussion with a lawyer regarding dog attacks and the legal issues involved. It is about ten minutes long, but well worth the time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKfDaUikXlI
My name is Sarah Parker, and this was my mother. I am just now seeing this. I can not believe there weren’t more articles about this. I miss my momma. 😢
My mother did not raise this dog since it was a puppy. There are a few other discrepancies but I do appreciate someone caring enough to write about my beautiful mother.
That was what I wrote on my Facebook, I am her daughter.
Exactly! People do NOT confuse bull-terriers for pitpulls or Am-staffs…the bull-terrier has a ‘banana’ nose, the most obvious give-away… the pic of Mark Benoit with his white dog… that is a pure bred bull-terrier