Please donate to support our work

DogsBite.org is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt public charity organization. Learn more »

20 thoughts on “2013 Dog Bite Fatality: Valencia County Woman Mauled to Death by Pet Pit Bull

Please review our comment policy.

  1. 106th American killed by a Pit Bull since President Obama took office in Jan 2009.

    232nd American killed by a Pit Bull since the HSUS gerrymandered CDC Report.

    Can we get a "Do-over"?!?

  2. The list of pit bull triggers continues to grow.

    I am glad the son took care of the dog and we don't have to worry about it being moved to another community.

  3. Just another pit bull breeder ethereal mauling death by one of her own pit bulls in her yard of 12 pit bulls.
    –What is so noticeable is that "no one cares" — Yeah, the family members are just showing up in cards after her death.
    –According to her neighbor, she set up shop in the summer and the neighbor did not even know she had a yard of pit bulls in makeshift pens…
    –Isn't it always the son (or male counter part truly running the breeding OP) that magically appears to take care of the nasty yard accident?
    –This fatality reminds me of this horrific video

    RIP Michal Nelson!

  4. This story leaves some questions open.

    If this woman was alone, how does anyone know she was 'breaking ice' (first in her front yard, then suddenly out of one of the dog water bowls in the back)?

    Why was the son carrying a gun?

    Why did either of them think that rickety fence, about 5' high, would be enough to contain a pit bull, let alone 12 pit bulls?

    What is the invalid neighbor so frightened of that she claims she never heard even one of twelve pit bulls barking? (That's what 'I didn't know she had dogs' amounts to.)

    I hope the son doesn't now get to move into his Mommy's house and keep the other 11 pit bulls / pit mixes in her yard. We so need to end this blight on our neighborhoods…

  5. If she was a breeder one can not help but wonder how many spawn of the man killing dog are out there.

    Even those nutters that believe "man killers were culled" have to realize that those breeding dogs could have a long and fruitful career before they killed someone.

  6. Clearly money trumps the lives of loved ones on this man's priority list. To acknowledge that the animals are dangerous would mean he would have to forfeit his breeding operation and therefore the profits reaped from the endeavor.. (Never mind the life of his own son being in jeopardy) . Trivializing, excusing, and even justifying (it was her time) the death of his girlfriend, the mother of his son… What a sociopath.

    If the son was not carrying a gun on his person, and had to retrieve it to ll the dog, there still lies the fact that a loaded gun or gun and live ammunition were readily accessible to him…. Why make it so available with a minor in the house….? Perhaps they knew the danger these animals represented and consciously chose to make ready a contingency tool.

    The fact that this man is so Blaise and cavalier about the gory death of his girlfriend…. Reminds me of the same sort of crap pulled by Drew Peterson and other homicidal spouses who think they've gotten away with it.

    Using the most lethal dog as a weapon? Certainly wouldn't be the first or only time….

  7. Would it have 'been her time' if they'd bred poodles instead? How about St. Bernard's? Probably NOT. Too bad she made such a poor choice in boyfriend, or it wouldn't be 'her time' either.

  8. Listening to Nicholas Hare speak made my skin crawl….Lying, manipulating pit breeder !!! 300 + dogs – well cared for my ass. All I can see is poor female pits pumping out one litter after another and rows and rows of mauled normal household pets in each place the spawn were sold out to. And he'll get away with it until maybe karma catches up with him…I only hope!

  9. "They raised 300 pets together"

    A veritable factory of "Canine IED's"

    (I think thats Vintages term for pit bulls)

    I wonder how soon he will have another litter available………….

  10. Nelson was the 10th pit bull fatality since Obama made his statement of opposition to BSL.

    Just pointing out the facts here…

  11. Thank you for saying that it was NOT her time. It truly wasn't and she didn't deserve to die in this horrific manner. She's my sister and I was only at their house a few times (different house) but I never saw what I would think to be a puppy mill or breeding going on. They had dogs inside and two or three outside. They had other pets as well, the goat and iguana. I know they took in strays or whatever but really don't think they were breeding dogs to sell them. The dogs inside were the only ones I was near and they were nice and well behaved, good mannered, calm dogs. I wish I knew what happened that day. I wish I could be there to prevent it or shoot that dang dog myself to save her. She was tiny, four feet eleven, and had Osteogenesis Imperfecti the brittle bone disease. I'm sure she didn't have the power to fight the dog off. I can just imagine her defenseless and being torn apart by this dog she'd raised since it was a little puppy. Her son isn't a minor but I have no idea about the gun or what exactly happened. I'm glad he shot the dog. I pray for him to forget the things he saw and only remember Michal as the happy, smiling, positive minded person that she was. I don't know why Nick said what he did. It's hard to do news interviews and I think he just said a stupid thing. I don't hold it against him. I know he loved my sister and is in pain like I am. I don't agree with all their choices with raising so many animals and large ones at that, but they were theirs to make and not mine. I'm trying not to judge and just deal with this horrible tragedy. It was not her time. She should be dying in her sleep on her 99th birthday with her best friend holding her hand.

  12. This is the 9th consenting Adult Pit owner picked off in 2013….

    Dec 2013, Leeds, England, 27 year old mother of four killed by her Stafford-Shredder and her illegal pit bull. 15 police officers respond to the bloodbath at her flat

    Nov 2013, Botswana; 30 year old able-bodied police officer is pulled down and gripped by his own dogs….dies the following day from his injuries

    Nov 2013, Forsyth County, NC; 25 year old Katherine Atkins is killed by two pit bulls she raised from pups.

    Nov 2013, Maultimore, MD; 56 year old Nuttress ignores the State Supreme Court Rulings and has to be rescued by police after being attacked by her pet pit bull. Later dies in the hospital from her injuries.

    Nov 2013, Milan, Italy; 30 year old man on home detention is prematurely darwinated when his two pit bulls decide that he doesn't need his testicles anymore

    Aug 2013, Maraval, Trinidad, 84 year old woman mauled to death at the family pit breeding emporium. Police respond with a hail of bullets… but alas it was too late.

    July 2013, Aguadulce, Panama; 79 year old man picked off by his own pit bull

    Feb 2013, Hemet, CA; 91 year old Elsie Grace is mauled to death at a Motel 6 . The victim had a great deal of trauma to her body," according to Hemet police Lt. Duane Wisehart. Apparently, Grace and her son were staying at the motel because they were in the process of relocating to Hemet.

    How many hundreds of years would it take the Golden retriever population to pick of 9 owners?!?……

  13. It seems they were pit bull breeders. I wonder if Nicholas Hare is going to contact people who bought dogs or puppies to let them know that they may have the bought dogs that were parented by known human killers? The type of aggression that pit bulls display is heritable. I'm going to repeat that so any pit bull promoters reading this can see – the type of explosive aggression that is sometimes displayed by pit bulls is heritable and has a genetic component.

    If Nicholas Hare doesn't contact the owners of the dogs he bred and sold then he's simply a sociopath. There's no other way to put it.

  14. I am so sick of people saying it is all in how they are raised!!!
    Have they not heard of DNA & genetic traits. That is why you buy a herding breed dog bred or type to herd, a retriever to retriever, a guardian to watch over livestock etc etc etc… If it was true that a dog is fully moulded by the way they are raised then why do I have 2 sibling litter mates who where both raised by me in the same environment are quite different in their responses to certain stimuli. Why because they received varying & differing amounts of certain DNA from sire & dam. But there is 1 thing all litter mates have in common & that is a need to mother/watch over young animals, why because they are GUARDIANS. Sure we can mould the behavioural traits a dog is handed somewhat & manage behaviours but we can not erase DNA. Look at clips of Border Collie pups showing clear herding traits & practising their skills as pups, or Pointer pups pointing, & guess what Pit Bull pups spend a lot of time doing???? They play a lot of rough & tumble & some play fights even escalate into the real deal too. Where as most litter would never get into any form of a fight that take human intervention to separate.
    Bulldogs where breed for a purpose & Pit Bulls where created using 2 breeds(bulldogs & terriers)known for their prey drive, determination & also hard headiness. They are not family pets & where NEVER EVER breed to be pets they are athletes with a huge drive not a recipe for a safe family pet in any sane & fully informed persons eyes anyway.
    Great pig dogs(although some where too busy wanting to fight to even get that job done consistently) but I was always brought up to believe working hunting dogs where not to be around young children at all, they where well contained in runs when not out hunting or exercising. They where treated very much like a loaded rifle actually & as children we where taught to respect & never ever go even near their pens without an adult. Deff not lounging around in your house as they are also territorial & possessive which coupled with their huge jaw power athletic bodies & determination makes for 1 hell of a dangerous dog for a kid to be anywhere near when not under the FULL control of an adult. A toy that the dog has decided to get possessive over is all it can take for a child to die. Yes many other breeds are known for resource guarding also but they would leave puncture holes for a bite mark not rip a child's face off.
    COME ON PIBULL LOVERS….. Time to get real

  15. Totally true. Owners who knowingly keep animals known for erratic outbursts of sadistic rage are psychologically out of balance. They are totally weird. Here's an example, a lady who was so viciously attacked (she required a stay of two months at the hospital) by HER OWN PIT BULL, now wishes the same dog was still with her and misses it much. She continues to breed this same family of the beast that almost killed her. Go figure what her mind's made of.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6lEFAzVh4U

  16. I am her son and I have to say that she wasn't a breeder it was a Pitt bull sanctuary for abused animals and the dog I shot was born and raised by her what happened wasn't just an attack it was something horriffic and to find my mom being eaten in the back yard I feel like I made the right choice. I still struggle everyday an I really believe it should have been me

  17. Well I can tell you a few things the truth is I don't know what happened I was at a job interview. I came home and she was in the back yard I found the dog ripping chunks of flesh off her body I can't exactly say I have forgotten any part of that day. Now understand that my mom wasn't a " breeder " and stop dragging her name thru the dirt she was a good person who did all the impossible things people said she would never accomplish. I was raised by a woman that graduated high school at 14 so I firmly believe at 23 I still made the only logical choice. The breaking ice out of a water bowl was a guess I told the cop when he arrived on scene when he asked what do u think happened before u got home . I will never know but I can only wish that I had been home that day instead of mom.. Please understand this isn't a raving lunatic craving attention I just want my moms name to be remembered for the wonderful things she was all about.

Comments are closed.