Stanley Hartt, 64, was killed by a pack of dogs while walking in Tucumcari, New Mexico
Man Killed by Dogs
Tucumcari, NM - On Thursday, the New Mexico State Police Investigations Bureau announced that a man in Tucumcari had been killed by a pack of five dogs. The Quay County Sheriff’s Office requested that the agency investigate the death of 64-year old Stanley Hartt. The deadly attack occurred on February 1 at about 8:00 pm while Hartt was walking on 11th Street near Gamble, states the release. Hartt was pronounced dead at the scene by the Office of Medical Investigator.
One of the five dogs was “euthanized by a Quay County Sheriff’s deputy” following the attack, states the release. The remaining dogs have been located and turned over to Quay County Animal Control, states the release. All five dogs were initially described as mixed-breeds. In an advisory update, while authorities still searched for the dogs, the Quay County Sheriff’s Office described one of the dogs as a “tan German Shepherd mix.” The last dog was found by 11:00 am Thursday.
The Quay County Sun spoke to Tucumcari City Manager Paula Chacon, who said that a full-time animal control officer for Tucumcari would likely begin work this week -- police had been handling animal complaints during the absence of this. Both Undersheriff Russell Shafer and Tucumcari Mayor Ralph Moya said that a fatal dog attack was unprecedented in the city and county, which is about 175 miles east of Albuquerque. “I’ve never heard of a dog attack like this,” Shafer said.
The Sun also noted that Hartt had recently written a guest column for the publication. In a piece titled, “Best days still coming for Tucumcari,” published in November 2022, Harrt wrote that he had settled in Tucumcari in early 2021. He liked the “haunting quality of this place.” He was thankful “about all the things Tucumcari is missing,” such as floods, tornadoes or wildfires, as well as “excessive crime, mass shootings and political crazies.” There was no mention of loose dogs.
Quay County authorities identified one of the suspected dogs as a tan German shepherd-mix.
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02/08/22: 2022 Dog Bite Fatality: Man Dies After Attack by Dogs in Doña Ana County, New Mexico
08/01/22: 2021 Dog Bite Fatality: 6-Year old Boy Killed by Dogs in Doña Ana County, New Mexico
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.
The linked article by Mr. Hartt in Collen’s post is heartbreaking. He comes across as a kind and gentle man, and a darn good writer. He talks about the peace and comfort he’s found in his new community, immune from so many disasters. Ironically, he mentioned how much he loves to take walks. Little did he know, we live in a world where that’s not safe anymore. In some way, Mr. Hartt is a martyr for the children who went to school right where this dog pack killed him. May he rest in peace.
The disproportionate danger and death that accompanies dogs that were and still are specifically created to be disproportionately dangerous and deadly is a horrific man-made national disaster.
It is cruel to continue to breed dogs whose default behavior is to attack and not stop.
If we were a sane kind society, DNA tests would be performed on every dog killing dog, every horse killing dog, every human maiming / killing dog, and then that information would be used to require sterilization of those disproportionately dangerous dogs.
The mix labeling is just crock .it’s just a lame excuse for saying it’s pitbull .it the dog were pitbull that killed him people can goes out walking without getting killed the these dangerous dogs.
It’s easy to see the attraction of Tucumcari and the Route 66 area for Mr. Hartt. He moved from Albuquerque, NM to Tucumcari, New Mexico in 2021. The Mother Road, Route 66, must have been dear to his heart. I remember the quirky name of Tucumcari as I motorcycled along Route 66. Amarillo, Texas was where I first saw a double rainbow. The Grand Canyon in Arizona was where I first saw the Persiads, the night of the shooting stars, which return every August.
There was a magic about the Southwest for this Chicago gal, who started off there at the origin of my Route 66 motorcycle trip.
It sounds like Mr. Hartt remembered his youth before they became golden days of the setting sun. It was a time when pitbulls were not terrorizing The Great Outdoors. Mr. Hartt’s death is all the more tragic when we reflect on this change in America where one cannot walk outside without fear. I see his death as an iconic symbol of our country’s loss.
Join me in a tribute to Mr. Hartt and Route 66. I think he would have loved this Google Doodle.
https://youtu.be/ZoPJVcHYlU0
If you open the Google Doodle in the YouTube app, make sure you start at the zero point. You don’t want to miss any of this exquisite video.
The number of people just minding their own business, and trying to enjoy life, that are tragically mauled by dogs they do not own, is mind boggling. Walking or riding a bike down a road should not be a death penalty offense. The number of dog owners allowing their pets to roam Needs to be addressed. My thoughts are with the families of these recent victims.