Kyleen Waltman, 38, was viciously attacked by three dogs in Abbeville County.
Victim Sues County
UPDATE 03/08/24: In February, Kyleen Waltman's attorneys filed a civil lawsuit against Abbeville County for failure to enforce their dangerous dog ordinance. The Complaint alleges the county failed to investigate a violent attack by Justin Minor’s dogs three months before his dogs attacked Waltman. The county's duty to investigate the first attack was mandatory, not "discretional." Waltman argues that the language in the county's dangerous dogs ordinance created a "special duty of care."
"Sec. 6-72. Procedures for investigation and classification of dangerous dogs: (a) An animal control officer, or any law enforcement agency, shall investigate any report of a dangerous dog, upon receipt of a written complaint from an individual or any reported incident." (Pg. 6-7)
--snip--
"These laws and regulations and the fact that Abbeville County Animal Services administers them, serves to provide a sense of safety to the citizens of Abbeville County. These laws contemplate a particular class of potential victims and identify a particular kind of harm which created a special duty of care under Rayfield v. S.C. Dept. of Corrections" (Pg. 7)
The laundry list of allegations in the Complaint about Abbeville County's failures includes: failing to properly investigate the prior complaints made about Justin Minor’s vicious dogs; failing to properly train its employees on how to properly investigate reports of vicious dogs; failing to follow state law and county ordinances regarding dangerous dogs; and failing to otherwise use due care in protecting the Plaintiff and those in the Ball Road area from the vicious dogs owned by Justin Minor.
Waltman sustained horrifying, life-long injuries on March 21, 2022 from Minor's three vicious dogs -- two pit bulls and a mixed-breed. A neighbor saw the dogs attack her and called 911. Police and emergency responders found Waltman severely injured "lying in a muddy ditch." Both of her arms had to be amputated up to the shoulder. Her GoFundMe also stated, "she had to have her colon removed and now her esophagus may have to be removed." Her fundraiser raised just over $360,000.
Due to "governmental immunity," which shields cities and counties (political subdivisions) from being sued for certain actions or inactions that cause harm to people, it can be difficult to sue a county. However, this immunity is not absolute. It can be pierced if one can show the government had a "special duty." According to this law journal article, a "special duty" can be formed "by a statute that was enacted for the benefit of a particular class of persons of which the plaintiff is a member."
Note: The previous trafficking charge against Waltman ended in a "Nolle Prosequi," which is a legal notice or entry of record that the prosecutor or plaintiff has decided to abandon the prosecution.
10/26/22: Victim Facing Charge
Last night we learned that Kyleen Waltman was being held in the Abbeville County detention center. We learned today that she is facing a drug trafficking charge. WYFF footage shows Waltman wearing prison orange, frequently conferring with her attorney. She was released on a personal recognizance bond. On March 21, 2022 Kyleen suffered catastrophic injuries in a dog attack. Doctors were forced to amputate both of her arms up to the shoulder. Doctors also had to remove her colon.
The attack and her horrific injuries were widely reported by local, regional and national media outlets. Her GoFundMe raised over $300,000.
The arrest occurred on Monday, when Abbeville County deputies pulled over a car on Keowee Road. Waltman and Jeffery Wayne Bond were inside. Bond had active warrants. When police arrested Bond, he told them he had methamphetamine in his pocket. Deputies then searched the car. A purse belonging to Waltman was found. Inside was 8.3 grams of methamphetamine. Deputies found more once Waltman was arrested; she had a total of 15.5 grams, which is considered trafficking weight.
The last update on Waltman's GoFundMe states that she was "really depressed" that her insurance company is not going to help pay for a recent "surgery or her arms" (prosthetics). Her mother wrote, "I have helped her out for over six months, I am wore out. She cries a lot and we don't know what to do anymore." As recently as six days ago, her GoFundMe supporters said they were, "Praying for you and your family." Thus far, her family has not commented on the drug trafficking charge and arrest.
According to court records, this is a 1st offense for Waltman. She is due back in court on January 13, 2023. A commenter on a recent Daily Mail article states, "If ANYONE deserves to live high it's this poor woman. Her arms ripped off by pit bulls...she needs more drugs not less. Hope the judge is compassionate." Meanwhile, the multiple charges filed back in April against the owner of the attacking dogs, Justin Minor, remain pending, according to the Abbeville County Public Index.
Waltman also suffered hearing loss from the attack. This is why she leans in closely to hear her attorney. When the judge tries to address her, people in the courtroom say, "She can't hear you."
03/24/22: Dog Owner Arrested
Abbeville County, SC - On March 22, we were alerted to the GoFundMe for Kyleen Waltman. She suffered catastrophic injuries by three dogs on March 21. Doctors had to amputate both of her arms up to the shoulder. "She had to have her colon removed and now her esophagus may have to be removed" as well, states the fundraiser. News reports quickly emerged. Her sister, Amy Wynne, who organized the fundraiser for Waltman, told WYFF, "This is the most horrific thing I’ve ever seen."
The attack occurred at about 10:30 am Monday, while Waltman was walking home on Ball Road in Honea Path. Waltman's other sister, Sheena Green, said a man found Waltman in a ditch still being attacked by the dogs. Green said the man had to fire a gun in the air to get the dogs off Waltman. She was airlifted to a trauma center in Greenville. The dogs have since been identified as two pit bulls and a mixed-breed. Abbeville County Animal Control took possession of the attacking dogs.
"Now she is fighting for her life at the hospital. They had to take both of her arms off. She was about dead when they found her. She'd [done] bled out. She died three times before … They were going to take her leg off. They took her colon out. She's still undergoing surgery right now." - Sheena Green
By Tuesday evening, Tanya Gilmer, Waltman’s best friend, said that Waltman remained in critical condition, but was stable. "[The dogs] pretty much ripped all the meat from her arms, and she has a hole in the back of her head. She has lost her colon. She’s lost both of her arms. She’s going to have to lose her esophagus, and they did save her legs,” Gilmer told WRBL. Gilmer said that she and Waltman have been close friends for 30 years. "I love Kyleen like she is my sister," she said.
By Wednesday, authorities had arrested the dogs' owner, Justin L Minor. He was charged with three counts of owning a dangerous animal that attacks and injures a human; failure to vaccinate for rabies and unrestrained dangerous animals. Abbeville County's online court records show that Minor has a number of traffic violations and a pending case involving the possession of narcotics. Wynne said, due to the damaging injuries her sister suffered, Minor's charges don't seem strong enough.
Minor bonded out on Thursday. As of Wednesday night, Waltman remained in a coma, but doctors plan to take her out of sedation Thursday. Waltman is a mother of three and a grandmother to one. She is being treated at Prisma Health Greenville Memorial. Wynne said doesn't believe Kyleen would want to live under these conditions. "Knowing Kyleen, she’s not going to want to live," Wynne said. "She’s not going to want to live like this. She’s got too much pride to rely on someone else."
Kyleen Waltman, 38, seen hospitalized after a violent dog attack in Abbeville County.
A black dog and Beware of Dog sign seen on the property of the dogs' owner on Ball Road.
One or two pit bulls and a white-and-black mixed-breed dog posted to Justin Minor's Facebook page in 2019. The mixed-breed dog was also seen in WYFF's early footage.
Related articles:
02/01/22: Texas College Student, 22-Years Old, Suffers 'Catastrophic and Permanent Injuries' Due to Violent Dog Attack at Coppell Home
Its always those dang lovable pitbull that seriously hurt or kill someone. I feel sorry for her and I don’t even know her.to think she was just walking like normal everyday thing .then these vicious pitbull just attacks kyleen out of nowhere.also feel sorry for her kids because they can never hug her or play games with her.
Awwww, those poor wibble pibbles just wanted to play.
(Sarcasm off.)
Wasn’t too long ago that I witnessed a dog attack. Girl on Rollerblades attacked by (you guessed it) a pit bull.
Dog jumped on her and I screamed bloody murder. That was enough to get the dog owner to realize that maybe, just maybe, he should get it leashed up again.
Well, the girl insisted that the dog was just trying to play. Believe me, after years of reading this website, I wasn’t having that.
I very loudly insisted that it was an attack, and that I was more than willing to dial 911. She didn’t want that. She wasn’t injured, so I didn’t make the call.
If she’d had even just a scratch, I’d be on the phone, dialing that number. I also said, in very strong words, that I have a lawyer and if the dog had done anything to me, that dog owner would be dealing with my lawyer. He didn’t like that very much, but too bad.
It’s time for the rest of us to show dog owners that we mean business.
Your Quiet Neighbor, how fortunate you were there to stop the attack!
Any other dog is OK for me but Pitbulls, Rotweilers, Doberman Pinschers, Dogo Argentino cousins of Pitbulls known to be very ferocious and deadly nope. I can deal with Golden Retrievers, Labradors, Germen shepherds and Husky’s because they are not only good gaurd dogs, and loyal to their owners but also friendly.
Seeing a lot more pit bulls recently. The town of my place of employment has many owners. One that pushes a baby stroller in addition to the leashed pit. In my hometown as well. Just today saw a 30ish woman being walked by a 100 lb+ pit.
WTNH has an interesting story of a woman arrested for animal cruelty.
https://www.wtnh.com/news/connecticut/new-haven/naugatuck-woman-arrested-for-cruelty-to-5-animals-police/
Fortunately my town isn’t as actively campaigning for the coveted title of “Pitsville, USA”
This woman went from healthy to mutilated. These dogs were so vicious they damaged internal organs! She was likely eviscerated both in the neck and abdomen. I have to wonder the state of her trachea. Maybe this is what she may lose. (I know of one person who lost his trachea (and face) from a severe multi dog mauling.) Minimal accountability and no justice is to be expected.
The dogs partially disemboweled her. I hope she has another adult at home to assist her when she finally gets to come home from the hospital someday.
In the last day or so, the NY Post has run 3 pieces on pitbull and bully dog attacks. Included is the article and video on the Colombian woman mauled in the elevator. Turns out the pitbull is hers, which wasn’t clear in the first article by the NY Post.
The only other way of acquiring such extensive injury is by throwing oneself on a grenade.
Which is exactly what pitbull owners are doing…and if they don’t get severely injured they just heave it onto some other poor soul or hope it doesn’t do what grenades do best–explode.
I’ve watched several local news updates on u tube about this story 2 of the most recent accounts today said: both arms amputated to the shoulder and lost her colon…I had to pause the video for several minutes to let that really sink in… no arms and no colon
and then resumed the video for the rest of the story-she might also lose her esophagus and 1 leg
I can’t stop thinking about this 1 -yes it’s unimaginable to me-like what kind of quality of life can a person have with no arms and no colon ? Might sound extreme but I am a firm believer in eye for an eye type of justice in a more just world I think Justin l minor should have both his arms and colon removed and his esophagus would be pending
In an even better world this would not happen and no 1 in this country would own or even want to own uncontrollable violent and aggressive dogs
This story disturbs me so much because I always try to put myself in others shoes
And then there’s the victims kids and family too
Pitbull owners are too stupid to have a valid opinion on vicious dog laws.
As well, pitbull advocates are too financially incentivized to be entitled to any opinion on vicious dog legislation.
It’s like asking tobacco manufacturers and smokers to regulate the tobacco industry.
Losing her esophagus? I just realized that Kyleen will need a feeding tube for the rest of her life.
No word on whether the owner will face charges? Should be jail time plus half of assets and future income should be disbursed to Kyleen. You own a pitbull? You take responsibility for its berserk behavior. Pitbulls should be put down asap.
And today the NY Post has an article promoting a pitbull mix. A child wrote a letter after his mom fostered the dog for a few weeks. There is a mention of a School Dog Program and a photo of the pitbull.
Why would the NY Post feel it has to devote equal time to pitbulls?! After these horrific attacks by pitbulls have just happened?! Why does the NYP feel it has to “Make nice?”
@nunzia – NY Post gives equal time to Pit Bulls because they are afraid of alienating the craziest of their readers.
Also, not only will she need a feeding tube for the rest of her life, she also needs a colonostomy bag for the rest of her life, and with arms amputated at teh shoulder, even the most advanced prosthetic devices won’t allow her to care for herself. She is going to need a caretaker for the rest of her life. She’s likely going to have to be institutionalized.
This woman has been dismembered and worse, there’s nothing that can give her a normal life back, and there’s no punishment enough for allowing this to happen, but the owner of the literal mauler won’t likely spend a year in jail.
How can we get better laws?
I Hate to say this might be positive, but this story actually hit youtube and has a couple million views last I saw: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CQyM1ZXkYs
@caz….Thanks for the link. I saw that great report by David Begnaud of CBS. I believe we will see periodic reports by him on dear Jacqueline. I hope it will open up more reports on pitbull devastation.
To me, the loss of Kyleen’s esophagus is worse than the colon loss and colostomy bag. With the latter, Kyleen could still taste and eat food. So tube feeding may end up being the only available option to replenish her w nutrients.
The pet humane societies are doing a tragic PR job thru TV stations across the country. I checked on the Pet of the Week features for this past week of March 21, 2022, and most feature pitbulls.
Washington, D.C. – nearly all 9 are pitbulls. Tuscaloosa, AL. Gadsden, AL. Colorado Springs. Chicago. Black Hills, SD. Seattle. Masachusetts. Texas. Florida.
Sickening. Very seldom is the word pitbull among the “fun” phrases of description.
Often I’ve said that as long as I had the essentials to keep me alive and a view of an active bird feeder, I’d be content.
These recent maulings of Kyleen, as well as Jacqueline Durand, have led me to rethink this.
Nope. If I suffered through an equally gruesome attack, I’d prefer to have the plug pulled. These monsters are vandals and thieves of peace and contentment.
Yeah, so would I. I don’t think I could live that way. They’re both stronger than I am!
This is too tragic for words-the horror is unspeakable. Pit bulls are unnatural. How can people continue to perceive them as pets? If they REALLY made good pets, there would not be so many in shelters. If they REALLY made good pets, there would not be so many chained or barricaded in backyards. If pit bulls REALLY made good pets, they would not. do. this.
That is so sad I can’t imagine what this would be like mentally
And I guess they will have to eventually tell her about her colon too
Whenever I start feeling sorry for myself I will just remind myself of this Kyleen
I’m wondering where the dogs were sourced from. I haven’t seen information on that.
I see in the update from her sister that they had to do a traecheatomy yesterday -this is 1 of the top 5 saddest things I’ve ever read about
Irresponsible dog owners make me sick. Makes no sense for someone to own these types of dogs. They hurt and kill people including their actual owners. They do no good in the world so they should be made illegal.
What’s the status of the dogs – still alive and well in the custody of the county?
The were taken to the shelter in Abbeville County and euthanized. Thank goodness.
An update from Kyleen’s sister to the Daily Mail on May 3, 2022:
“She told DailyMail.com: ‘When she passed out they were eating her alive. The dogs dragged her. They scalped her. Her skull was showing. They tore her left eyelid off.
‘They tore her right cheek off left a hole. They ate the skin off her inner thigh and ate the flesh off her arms and ripped them off.’
Doctors were forced to wait for a month for the infection from the deep bites to subside before they were able stitch up the gashes on her forehead and scalp.
Wynne continued: ‘She said doctors had to put 109 staples in the front of her head and at least 90 staples in the back of her head.’
A trachea tube was placed in her throat because the bacteria from the dogs mouth got into her esophagus which her sister said is now permanent.
She also lost her vocal chords and now is now forced to speak using a voice-generated box.”
The pack comprised of 2 pitbulls and a German Shepherd.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10779969/Sister-dog-attack-victim-lost-arms-SCALPED-eyelid-torn-slams-dogs-owner.html
EXCLUSIVE: ‘They were eating her alive’: Sister of mom-of-three whose arms were ripped off during pit bull attack says she was SCALPED and her eyelid torn off as she slams dogs’ owner who ‘needs to go to jail’
Has any1 found or read of any newer updates on kyleen since the may 10 th update on the go fund page?
We will always care for dear Kyleen. She went through so much recovering from a pitbull pack attack in March 2022. We are grateful to her sister Amy for helping people around the world understand the severity of Kyleen’s injuries. So many people love her and care for her healing and happiness.
I am so happy to see Kyleen is ambulatory, as we hoped she would be able to fight the infection in her leg. And so she has! Kyleen is still very pretty. I am amazed to see how well she has already healed. We hope she will be able to get the special prosthetics for her shoulders.
Kyleen, I pray for comfort and peace for you and your family. You have tremendous spirit and courage!
Law enforcement should leave kyleen alone and why the hell did they search her purse for? Because of the dude she was in car with had method they should known what they would find in her purse. That’s why I wouldn’t have searched her stuff. I would have booked the male and offered kyleen a ride to wherever she wished.
She does look great and a I admire her courage in not giving up! I hope and pray that she finds true Love and avoids the pitfall of addiction.
Her mother or sister/caregivers posted an update on gofundme yesterday about possible approval for the fake prosthetics to prepare her for future actual prosthetic arms -there are 2 recent updates feb 2nd and yesterday
Very sad but some hope