Jeane Bennett, 93, of Blytheville, died of injuries she sustained in a pit bull mauling.
Woman Dies After Dog Attack
Blytheville, AR - The Blytheville, Arkansas Police Department issued a media advisory stating that on August 15, Jeane Bennett, 93-years old, died of injuries she sustained in a brutal pit bull mauling on June 3. After the attack, Bennett was transported to Regional One Medical Center in Memphis, where she remained hospitalized until her death. On August 16, police arrested the owner of the three pit bulls, David Veasey, 43, of Blytheville, and charged him with multiple felonies and other charges.
At approximately 6:30 pm on June 3, Blytheville police officers were dispatched to the 900 block of North Ruddle Road about a person being attacked by multiple dogs. Officers arrived and found Bennett with family members in the backyard of her home, "unconscious" with "multiple bite wounds on her face and extremities," including injuries exposing bone. According to witness statements, Veasey's three pit bulls, which resided next door, were in Bennett's backyard attacking the witness.
Officers observed blood on all three dogs and dispatched two of them on the scene. The third pit bull was later euthanized by a local veterinarian. On August 16, detectives obtained warrants for Veasey’s arrest, who was taken into custody. Veasey faces two counts of felony aggravated assault (use of a deadly weapon), two counts of an unlawful dog attack, misdemeanors, and various violations of city ordinances. Online Arkansas court records show that Veasey has a lengthy criminal background.
The attack was so horrific to community members and local officials that the city of Blytheville proposed a pit bull ordinance less than two weeks later. It's unclear if that proposal gathered any traction. Also in June, the owners of three pit bull-mixes that killed a 2-year old child in Arizona were charged with "aggravated assault with a deadly weapon," a class 2 felony in that state. We rarely see aggravated assault charges after a deadly dog mauling, which often speaks to human "intent."
Media Advisory
ARREST MADE IN DOG ATTACK CASEBlytheville, AR – On June 3rd, 2023, at approximately 6:34 p.m., Officers of the Blytheville Police Department were dispatched to the 900 block North Ruddle Road in Blytheville regarding a person having been attacked by dogs. On arrival, Officers located, 93 yr. old Jeane Bennett, with family members in the backyard of her residence. Officers found Bennett unconscious and had multiple bite wounds on her face and extremities. Officers reported the wounds were severe enough to expose bone. Officers began providing first aid including the application of tourniquets.
Witnesses reported hearing a scream from family members and went to their aid. They reported three (3) large pit bull dogs from next door were in the yard being aggressive and attacking the witness. They were able to fight them off and get them back into their fenced yard.
Officers observed blood on the three (3) dogs that were still being aggressive towards them. Officers euthanized two (2) of the three (3) dogs at the scene the third was taken by Blytheville Animal Control Officers. The third was then euthanized by a local vet. All three (3) dogs were tested for rabies.
Bennett was transported to Regional One Medical Center in Memphis where she remained hospitalized and on August 15th 2023 she passed away.
The subsequent investigation identified 43 year-old David Veasey of Blytheville as the owner of the dogs. On August 16th 2023 Detectives of the Blytheville Police Department Criminal Investigation Division obtained warrants for Veasey’s arrest who was taken into custody on these warrants later that day. Veasey has been charged with:
2 counts of Felony Aggravated Assault
2 counts of Unlawful Dog Attack
Various Violations of City Ordinance
Veasey appeared in court on August 17, 2023 for arraignment. He was given a $100,000.00 standard bond with 10% having to be paid in cash. The Blytheville Police Department would like to thank the community, the Prosecutor’s Office and everyone involved with their assistance with this case.
Sgt. Robin Haught-Angel
Public Information Officer
Jeane Bennett, 93, died after being mauled by three pit bulls in Blytheville, Arkansas.
View the DogsBite.org Google Map: Arkansas Fatal Pit Bull Maulings.Related articles:
06/23/23: 2023 Dog Bite Fatality: Child Killed by Three Pit Bull-Mixes, Two Arrested in Arizona
03/16/23: Arkansas Legislature - House Floor Debate, a Bill Prohibiting Cities from Enacting BSL
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.
Pitbull attacks are always horrific. I am amazed this elderly victim was able to live as long as she did when considering the extensive damage.
This is just a comment on my thinking. I can understand news reporting that police killed or dispatched the dog. I will never consider reporting that police euthanized the dogs as appropriate.
If an individual fires his gun on police and the police shoot back killing him, would it be acceptable to report that police euthanized the person?
I haven’t heard the word euthanasia used with humans since decades ago, in the early days of debating physician-assisted suicide.
I think euthanasia is an appropriate word to use with dogs because it reminds the misanthropes who love dogs more than people that dogs are not actually comparable to humans and sometimes we put them down.
In Poplar, England in May, two dangerous dogs that had just attacked people and that their dirtbag owner subsequently sicced on the responding police were shot by those police and soon there were petitions and public vigils about the “murder” of the dogs. Maybe using the word “euthanized” will forestall that kind of nonsense.
Agreed Rebecca. Vicious dogs have no rights that a person is bound to respect.
The language used for dogs has blurred the lines between animals and humans. I don’t use the word ‘adopted’ for dogs or refer to owners as ‘parents.’ If a pregnant dog is spayed, this is still a spay, not an ‘abortion.’
How we speak changes how we think.
This one truly breaks my heart. That poor woman made it all the way to 93 years of age just to die a horrifically brutal and painful death. That is just devastating for all whom loved her. I cannot imagine what her family is going through. All this devastation so some guy can own deadly dogs.
I’m glad to hear of the criminal charges for this scum pit owner. If more owners were charged when their pits did this, perhaps more normal ppl would think twice before getting a pit.
Poor Jeane she lived to the age of 93 years old age didn’t killed her cancer didn’t killed her or whatever else killed people now a day.she get killed by dogs. All because dummy david choose to own the most dangerous dogs ever .I wonder why he decided to own a pitbull then any other breed .did he get it because they are misunderstood or the hate they get because they’re pitbulls or did he get it because he thinks pitbull are adorable dogs.
Poor woman made it to 93 and probably died millions of dollars in debt.
2 and a half months of intensive care can’t be cheap.
It isn’t likely Mr. Lengthy Criminal Background will have any assets to go after.
Let’s lock up those who own pitbulls that kill people and give them a life sentence without parole.
That’s essentially what happened to the owner of the killer presas in early 2001.
There is something very natural and right about this town moving to ban pitbulls after a terrible tragedy like this.
I can imagine the dark forces immediately stepping in to curb the town leaders’ impulses to protect their citizens, the advocates for the pitbulls whispering their evil messages in the politicians’ ears. And the pitbulls keep on maiming and killing.
There is a reason the satanic “process church”, rebranded to “best friends animal sanctuary”, the biggest pit Bull lobby.
There’s a documentary on them called “sympathy for the Devil”, and toward the end they talked about the children raised in the cult. They said “The children were treated badly, but the dogs were treated very well.”
Satanic dog/animal worshippers run the pit lobby.
And the pit lobby is very beneficial for the evil ones.
That movie you mention is available to watch for free on Youtube right now.
Sympathy For The Devil: The True Story Of The Process Church Of The Final Judgment
https://youtu.be/tEMQvdbDMr8?si=tUuMJX0zuNGNVTB7
Another vulnerable senior dead and as Dr. Duke noted, leaving no estate because her medical care from being mauled would have devastated her financial security, if she had any.
I can’t imagine the sorrow that must be enveloping her family and friends to lose her in such a horrific way.
I hate to bring it back to this but it *is* why countries with universal healthcare are more likely to install pitbull bans–no matter how ineffective the resulting enforcement might be.
Why did this guy *have* three pitbulls? Breeding? If so, why? I can’t stress this enough–there is a financial motive that drives the entire Pitbull Propaganda lobby. Follow the money.
The people that sold him the dogs or “rescued” them, all made money off this human tragedy. All the pitbull lobbyists that will be screaming on social media today are being paid in charitable donations by their legions of deluded cult followers who will send them even more money in the wake of this preventable tragedy. None of these hefty salaries and tax deductions are morally justified in the Pitbull Charity Industrial Complex.
This is to the tune of *billions* of dollars. The celebrities and influencers who advocate for pitbulls are all rewarded with “do-gooder” points and more financial support, which is another source of lucre.
Where’s the financial incentives to keep seniors safe from being mauled to death? I don’t see any, do you?
Follow the money.
Every time I see this I find it hard to argue with my buddy who states, “Capitalism is a death cult” because this ongoing human slaughter by refusing to outright ban pitbulls is proving his point.
Absolutely tragic. Living to 93, only to die to these demon dogs instead of dying peacefully to old age
These land sharks love to kill the vulnerable: children, the elderly and the disabled. These are stark examples of NO provocation attacks. (Not that pits need provocation.) The first time I heard about this was many years ago. A man in a wheelchair went outside and was mauled to death by two of these monsters. I wish the owner had suffered the consequence of his foolish choices instead of this vulnerable, poor soul. She suffered for a long time before her death. God bless her. I hope justice will be done.
I agree 100% these r things I’ve noticed too and I’ve always felt that ‘adopted’ just sounded odd and ridiculous when talking about getting a dog
Don’t get me started on the word “rescue.” Just don’t.
If you didn’t carry the dog away from a burning building or pull it out of a raging river, you didn’t rescue it. You bought it.
It was a business transaction, just like buying a car. And that doesn’t make you a hero.
Exactly Quiet.
I *purchased* a disabled teen sled dog Alaskan husky. I did NOT “adopt him” because I did not have to go before a judge and prove my qualifications to be a “parent”. I didn’t need a lawyer to plead my case–although the shelter acted like I was passing an exam. The truth was that although he was cheap to purchase due to my finding him at a “shelter” (another glorified word rather than “dog pound”) and I did not “rescue him” because that was done by whoever investigated and removed him from whatever dog sledder who was not properly caring for their dogs.
I *bought* him.
If a pitbull eats him tomorrow I will be lucky to get half my purchase price back for him even though I put tons of training hours into him and we’ve been together for over a decade.
I’m not a hero. I chose him because he had a great temperament, was the age at which I prefer training (between 10-14 months) and supposedly, he was crippled for life–although he overcame this within months.
I chose him for *my* reasons, to fit with my particular preferences in a pet. Not out of guilt, or pity or any other ridiculous reason.
It’s time people realized that if we’re going to claim it’s a 15 year commitment to keep a dog and that we’re going to be publicly flayed alive if we don’t keep to that promise–people had best start choosing dog companions that can last longer than most marriages and they need to stop choosing Ted Bundy over Forrest Gump.
I also hate the word “adopted”. If I sold a dog for $250, that would be a sale. If the local shelter sold that same dog, it would be an adoption.
Several years ago I had a GSD puppy with
total skin involvement caused by Scopulariopsis, a fungus. I kept him for one year to clear the skin infection and neutered him.
The wife of a couple
came out and told me she really wanted a rescue. Her husband liked the dog and took him home.
The crazy thing about all this is that a breeder could give truthful information while the shelter will give information that they think the people want to hear.
No shelter would have given anyone the fact that the GSD puppy had a very severe and rare form of ringworm.
Only an idiot would take home a pitbull or bully.
Next time some1 tells me they rescued a dog I’m gonna say “from a burning building?” When they so no im gonna say “from drowning?”
Lol It will be interesting to see how that conversation goes
What bullshit. Live to be 93 years old, just to be torn apart by some idiot’s worthless pit. Such a horrible way to go.
As one who had been knocked down by a pit bull in 2012, I know the feeling . I went down like a rock and out like a light right in the middle of the street in broad daylight. When I came to, my head was only a few inches from the pavement. My eyes saw that pit bull fighting another dog two feet in front of my face . Talk about being scared ! The two dogs fought all the way to someone’s garage door , maybe 40 feet from where I was. A witness called the cops . And the witness told me that this pit bull had attacked two other people earlier that Dane day. Guess what ? The cops did not do anything!
Dr. Emily Martin, a veterinarian in Georgia, was viciously attacked while trying to sedate a dog for surgery.
Google it.
One guess at the breed responsible.
She had severe damage to an arm and both legs. Two veterinary assistants were present and saved Dr. martin from bleeding to death.
I was just saying, “how long until we see a veterinarian killed in practice while trying to help one of these maulers?” I am pulling for you, Dr. Martin, and hoping our veterinary community wakes up fast to the problem of aggressive dogs being kept as pets.
Love, your colleague
It’s confirmed that it was a pitbull. Dr. Martin had it outdoors and with a muzzle on. Her assistant gave the dog a jab to sedate it. It slipped out of the muzzle and went on its vicious attack. Another person was injured but Dr. Martin’s injuries were grievous. This vet was known to be a dedicated professional. No one is safe from these land sharks. I’ve spoken to vets that will only treat pits that are muzzled when they enter the exam room or not at all. Rottweilers are also treated with great caution or not at all.
I cannot imagine the difficulty treating one of these dogs. Was this one euthanized? The ones i personally saw were no more dangerous than typical
untrained pets. Why does anyone want a .instead for a pet?
Nope, it’s “under observation”. Why it’s not euthanized is beyond me. My guess is the owner refuses to.
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/half-xl-bully-dogs-britain-170026968.html