2014 Dog Bite Fatality: 77-Year Old Phoenix Woman Dies After Bitten by Family Pit Bull

The victim, Nancy Newberry of Phoenix, Arizona.

History of Aggression
Phoenix, AZ - A woman bled to death after being attacked by a family pit bull on Friday. Nancy Newberry, 77-years old, lived at a home with her husband and daughter and three family dogs. The attacking dog was a 4-year old male, neutered pit bull that belonged to her daughter. The dog reportedly had a "history of aggression and biting people," but had never attacked a person in the home before. Her husband, Dick Newberry, said the "dog just snapped" and attacked his wife.

The victim was giving the pit bull "medicine wrapped in meat" when the animal suddenly bit her in the abdomen, a place where she had previously had an operation, according to her husband. "And boy, the blood was coming right out of there like you couldn't believe...and I grabbed a towel and put it over there...and she just slumped to the floor," Dick said. The couple had been married for 57-years. Dick said she was his "whole life." He does not know "what the hell" he will do now.

His daughter pulled the dog off his wife, but she already had wounds in her stomach, Newberry said. She later died at the hospital, where she was taken with life-threatening injuries.
Nancy Newberry suffered a heart attack a few years ago, was on blood-thinning medication and had problems with clotting, her husband said.
"Her heart just couldn't take it," Newberry said. "She was in no condition to get bit like that by a dog."
Newberry said the dog had "always been a little aggressive" and had "nipped" a couple of his daughter's friends. - AZCentral, March 15, 2014

The medical examiner will determine the exact cause of death. The family put the pit bull down.

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View the DogsBite.org Google Map: Arizona Fatal Pit Bull Maulings.

Photo: MyFoxPhoenix

9 thoughts on “2014 Dog Bite Fatality: 77-Year Old Phoenix Woman Dies After Bitten by Family Pit Bull”

I know DBO has done a lot of research on the risk of pit bull attack on children especially when they are visiting a home with a pit bull or vice versa and because of this I am much more cautious about the homes my boys visit and I am grateful to DBO for empowering me in this regard. However as I have been looking a the startling number of attacks in America, it has struck me that there are a significant number of the elderly, 65 and over, that are beeing attacked. Do you have any stats on this population demographic, as this very unfortunate woman seems to fit a possible victim profile as well.

Looks like we may have a new trigger for pitty to attack you. Two commenters on this article mentioned that the pit may have bitten her because of a possible infection she may have had. I couldn't have thought that one up if I'd tried.

How sad that they gave this dog with a history of aggression the continued benefit of the doubt.
I am glad some outsider did not have to pay the ultimate price for their bad decision.

I will not be surprised if some nutter suggests the dog mistook the woman's abdomen for the meat wrapped pill.

This is the same locality where Mickey mauled the kid's face so badly that he may go blind.

I am not so sure that I would call a person who knowingly chose to keep an aggressive dog a victim. In my opinion they were a volunteer.

Put Me in Charge: It's probably the sort of volunteering that goes along with that animal "rescue" BS. A lot of elderly people buy into that.

A big part of the problem in this state is the promotion of pit bulls by those who should know better. Including our local animal control shelters and humane societies.

It's gotten to the point where the residents of Pima County may be paying higher taxes to house unwanted pit bulls. News story:

http://azstarnet.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/million-bond-for-new-pima-county-animal-shelter-will-be/article_6bec1527-e834-59ea-8415-1c53d2482da2.html

And guess what the #1 dog in Pima County's tax-supported shelter is now:

http://webcms.pima.gov/cms/One.aspx?portalId=169&pageId=34986

The residents of Pima County need to vote this one DOWN!

Please sign petition to put mickey down!
http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/story/24873690/2014/03/03/mickey-dog-future?fb_comment_id=fbc_1410792155846040_94742_1411061825819073#ff683e53c

In other Arizona news… http://www.tucsonnewsnow.com/story/25091092/sharp-rise-in-dog-bite-cases-in-arizona

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Sarah on March 16, 2014 at 9:42 am said:

I know DBO has done a lot of research on the risk of pit bull attack on children especially when they are visiting a home with a pit bull or vice versa and because of this I am much more cautious about the homes my boys visit and I am grateful to DBO for empowering me in this regard. However as I have been looking a the startling number of attacks in America, it has struck me that there are a significant number of the elderly, 65 and over, that are beeing attacked. Do you have any stats on this population demographic, as this very unfortunate woman seems to fit a possible victim profile as well.
Dayna Hamilton on March 16, 2014 at 4:30 pm said:

Looks like we may have a new trigger for pitty to attack you. Two commenters on this article mentioned that the pit may have bitten her because of a possible infection she may have had. I couldn't have thought that one up if I'd tried.
PutMeInCharge4OneDay on March 17, 2014 at 3:37 am said:

How sad that they gave this dog with a history of aggression the continued benefit of the doubt.
I am glad some outsider did not have to pay the ultimate price for their bad decision.

I will not be surprised if some nutter suggests the dog mistook the woman's abdomen for the meat wrapped pill.
Your Quiet Neighbor on March 17, 2014 at 5:39 pm said:

This is the same locality where Mickey mauled the kid's face so badly that he may go blind.
PutMeInCharge4OneDay on March 17, 2014 at 9:50 pm said:

I am not so sure that I would call a person who knowingly chose to keep an aggressive dog a victim. In my opinion they were a volunteer.
Your Quiet Neighbor on March 18, 2014 at 3:48 pm said:

Put Me in Charge: It's probably the sort of volunteering that goes along with that animal "rescue" BS. A lot of elderly people buy into that.
Your Quiet Neighbor on March 19, 2014 at 3:45 pm said:

A big part of the problem in this state is the promotion of pit bulls by those who should know better. Including our local animal control shelters and humane societies.

It's gotten to the point where the residents of Pima County may be paying higher taxes to house unwanted pit bulls. News story:

http://azstarnet.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/million-bond-for-new-pima-county-animal-shelter-will-be/article_6bec1527-e834-59ea-8415-1c53d2482da2.html

And guess what the #1 dog in Pima County's tax-supported shelter is now:

http://webcms.pima.gov/cms/One.aspx?portalId=169&pageId=34986

The residents of Pima County need to vote this one DOWN!
commonsense on March 23, 2014 at 5:21 am said:

Please sign petition to put mickey down!
http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/story/24873690/2014/03/03/mickey-dog-future?fb_comment_id=fbc_1410792155846040_94742_1411061825819073#ff683e53c
Your Quiet Neighbor on March 27, 2014 at 8:23 pm said:

In other Arizona news… http://www.tucsonnewsnow.com/story/25091092/sharp-rise-in-dog-bite-cases-in-arizona