On Monday evening, a woman was mutilated and killed by a family pit bull in Toledo, Ohio.
Pit Bull Kills Woman
Toledo, OH - On Monday, a woman died after being attacked by a family pit bull. The attack occurred at a home in the 800 block of Wright Avenue, just before 6:00 pm. Toledo police and fire crews found 58-year old Bonnie Varnes severely mutilated and unconscious in the backyard of her home. Varnes was transported to the University of Toledo Medical Center, where she later died. A Toledo police detective at the scene told WTOL News the dog appeared to belong to the victim.
Dr. Diane Scala-Barnett, the Lucas County coroner, confirmed that a woman had been killed by a pit bull but did not have additional details, reports the Toledo Blade. Online records show that Varnes and her daughter both lived at the home. Social media pages showed that each owned a female brown and white pit bull. Varnes owned “Peaches” and her daughter, Amelia, owned a similar appearing pit bull, “Amenia.” Initially it was unclear which pit bull mauled and killed Varnes.
An update from The Blade states the attacking dog was registered to the victim’s daughter, who also lives at the home, police spokesman Officer Andrew Dlugosielski confirmed. Thus, Amenia appears to be the fatal attacker. Amelia Varnes, 30-years old, declined to comment to reporters. The circumstances of the attack remain unclear, police said. The whereabouts of Peaches during the attack are also unclear. Social media posts indicate that Peaches is at least 10 years old.
Attack Captured on Video
A report from McClatchy National states the deadly attack was captured on video and confirms that Amenia was the attacker. Video footage obtained by the Toledo Police Department showed Varnes taking Amenia outside the back door on a leash. As she did, the dog pulled her down and began to attack. A neighbor spotted her body in the yard as the dog ran around her, states a police incident report. The neighbor called Amelia first then called 911 and went over to Varnes’ home.
Arriving officers found Varnes lying face down in her backyard. Officers spoke to Amelia, who said that she returned home after receiving a call from her neighbor. When she arrived, she found her mother covered in blood in their yard. She told police her dog, Amenia, was also covered in blood, according to the report. She locked Amenia in the garage. She put her other pit bull, “Poochie,” in a bedroom. The daughter described Amenia as being vicious “at times,” states the news article.
The last time Amelia saw her mother alive was around 8:30 am on the day of the fatal attack, according to police. Varnes had worked for Washington Local Schools as a bus driver for over three decades. In a statement to WTVG, the company said, “Bonnie worked for WLS for over 30 years and was a deeply loved, valued member of our transportation team. We are devastated by this loss.” The animal is currently in the custody of Lucas County Canine Care and Control.
Toledo Pit Bull Fatalities
During the 2021 pandemic, two adults were killed by pit bulls in Toledo less than a month apart. Emily Kahl, 31, was killed by her roommate’s pit bull on July 18 after the dog clamped onto her neck. Her roommate claimed the dog was only “trying to save her.” On August 12, Javon Stokes, 26, was fatally bitten in the neck by a pit bull while visiting the dog owner’s home on Potter Street. The co-owner of that pit bull also claimed the dog was “trying to help Stokes and wake him up.”
Left: The suspected attacker, Amenia, -- AKA "Amina," and/or "Mama's Mimi" and/or “Bug.”
Bonnie Varnes had posted a number of Facebook posts and memes advocating for pit bulls.
On December 27, 2022 the victim reposted a "pit bull nativity" scene from "Staffy Six Pack."
View the DogsBite.org Google Map: Ohio Fatal Pit Bull Maulings.Related articles:
08/13/21: 2021 Dog Bite Fatality: 26-Year Old Man Killed by Pit Bull During Seizure in East Toledo
07/22/21: 2021 Dog Bite Fatality: 31-Year Old Woman Fatally Bitten in the Neck by Pit Bull in Ohio
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.
Ohio has a new license plate featuring a “friendly pit bull.” Promoted and most likely created by pitbull advocates Best Friends Animal Society.
Ohio also has the third highest dog attacks on postal workers in America.
https://www.journal-news.com/news/ohio-3rd-in-nation-for-dog-attacks-on-postal-workers/KPSFDC4QEJCU7A7KDRATKOE7RY/
Call me crazy, but I’ve chosen to own a breed of dog that isn’t capable of killing me, and also isn’t known for doing so. I don’t know how pit people ever relax, sleep, etc. with those things in their homes.
These dogs should not be pets. Why are people choosing to ignore the deaths and mailings? I love all animals, I just understand that some are too dangerous to live in my house.
Tomorrow I am going on appointment to the local animal shelter in St Louis county with a pitbull terrier…..he jumps fences.. he was a rescue dog showed affection for the wife and she wanted them but it was put food down and other dog is around at the fight so jumping fences fighting with dogs he’s going to go to the local animal shelter darn good mine and dog for me but they must must be dangerous to the other animals we have and a wife so he’s going to the shelter
Walter, do the right thing and have him humanely euthanized. Don’t pass on your dangerous problem to someone else who could be killed or whose pets could be killed! He’s YOUR problem.
walter:
I’m sorry you have to get rid of your pet. I’d prefer you have him humanely euthanized for behaviour because there’s no guarantee the shelter will not give him away to some family with kids and lie to them about his behaviour or his breed.
It’s sad that you couldn’t just choose any dog you fancy like you could 30 years ago and be pretty much guaranteed a friendly dog.
Please go get a nice beagle, or hound mix or some lovable non-pit mutt that you are your wife can love to pieces without worrying what terrifying thing it’s going to do, next.
Of course it’s the number one breed that killed people.i bet you the owner of the dog is going to said the dog show no aggressions blah blah she he was friendly she he loved babies.
Madeleine,
The dog owner admitted in an interview that Amenia was “vicious at times”. Yet she chose to keep her pet. Her mother is dead. I wonder how she feels about that decision now?
i like to add she one of those pitbull freak .who doesn’t believe in her heart.that pitbull isn’t a breed there no such thing as pitbull she also believe it not the dog breed it how you raised it.i guess her delusional belief of dog worshipping cost her her life .
The dog talking in that video was actually forewarning her. It said “I want to eat you.” I heard it clear as day.
OK, JenesisX, we’ll oblige you and call you crazy. You actually made me laugh, despite we know it’s true and there is generally not a warning.
With all the self-imposed pitbull misery, sometimes gallows humor is called for. What sane adult would not be terrified by that mutant mutt. These imbeciles really believe its “talking” to them. Too bad pitbulls can’t talk, at least they could warn the victim they’re about to die. It sounds like the deceased mother on that clip. The photos of the daughter and her pitbull are so typical of these folks.
The pitbull tableau photo grossly dishonors the Nativity story and all those mauled by pitbulls. Particularly the many parents of babies decimated by pitbulls. Likely that the photographer fed these high-strung beasts cannabis to keep all nine frankenmaulers costumed and uncharacteristically docile looking.
It reminds me of a YT comment by a medical professional of a memorable Christmas Day assault on a mother who needed 5,000 stitches to try to repair the damage done by her son’s dogs. The loving mother prepared Christmas dinner. Her son brought over his new pitbulls. That she survived is miraculous.
Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.
Another attack, another country and another baby has died. It’s a never-ending horror story.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11779165/Baby-Mia-Jade-Riley-death-Moruya-Neighbours-warned-council-Rottweiler-dogs.html?ico=related-replace
Not surprised, Teresa. I am presently dodging some young girl and her massive Rottie on a bi-weekly basis.
She has to *throw her 100lb self over this 120lb dog* to stop it from attacking every time I see her. It’s terrifying.
I’d ask her, “Is this fun for you?” if I could get closer than half a block away before chaos ensues. It’s death incarnate, waiting to happen. This is why I don’t think Rotts belong in the hand of any but the most experienced dog owners and trainers.
As for pitbulls–they’re proliferating here like cockroaches thanks to zero enforcement of BSL. The rest of the world has to dodge these fools until their dogs eat them.
I’m sorry this woman and her daughter were vulnerable to the Cult Of Pitbull and now we see the sorry results.
Boni, Rotts give me the creeps. As it said in this link, neighbors were terrified of these dogs. I’m sorry you’re dealing with one in close proximity. Those children’s books “Good Dog,Carl” increased the myth and popularity around this breed. Twenty + years ago, when I worked in broadcasting, I interviewed parents of a child who was killed by two of them. A school bus full of children watched in horror. I will never forget that story. Little did I know at the time, that death by dog would eventually happen on almost a weekly basis with the proliferation of pitbulls, too.
Pit bulls are misunderstood and there’s no such thing? Where are they trying to go with that anyway? Can some 1 please explain to me what are they trying to claim with all that- I’ve never got what is their point- r they just claiming a grammatical technicality saying its not pit bull but rather pitbull? I mean is that all they are trying to point out? That’s stupid of them
If 1 studies all the statements on that poster… is that fuzzy logic or what?
When pit bulls are behaving, they are readily identifiable as pit bulls. When they are involved in an attack, they are not.
So it really is that simple-ive always thought I Musta been ‘a missin’ somethin’ but I guess not thanks A U good to know
It’s called a “shotgun defense”. Throw every pile of distracting nonsense out there and hope one of them gets you off the charges.
That’s what pitbull owners are doing in every debate in the public eye.
“Only if you train them that way”
“Only with a bad history”
“If wasn’t a pitbull anyway, if it was a pitbull, the victim did something to deserve it”
There’s a reason it’s called ‘Pitnutter Bingo’
There’s no beating the logic because as soon as you do–they’ll just move the goal posts.
I was kinda thinking it must be like that but just have problems believing ppl could be that way
“they’ll just move the goal posts” so that’s basically like making up the rules as they go along or changing the rules to benefit themselves type of mentality
All those tactics to deceive a misguide others proves imo that they know they are wrong so I think they must all be narcissists then
These ppl must not have any conscience
Thanks for ur comment Boni
Schrödinger’s Pit.
If a big blocky headed dog with a butt crack in its skull can be posed in a “cute” pic, that dog is 100% a pit bull.
If the same dog bites someone you must have a DNA test to even know if it is a dog.
Makes you wonder how dog fighters back in the day didn’t get ripped off?
After all if “no one can ID a pit bull without DNA” how did the old timers do it?
I have no pity for the people who choose to own these shit beasts. They are the only ones who deserve to be mauled by them.
The pitbull problem is caused by the pitbull breeders. Everyone who has allowed a pitbull to have a litter of puppies is a breeder. If there wasn’t a big overpopulation problem in pitbulls, there would be no need for the zillion pitbull supporters.
I consider pitbull supporters to be among the most ridiculous.
Who wants to take in a dog that may maim or kill the new owners, may maim or kill the new owner’s pets, may maim or kill the neighbors, the neighbors’
pets, or the neighbors’ family members. I would even support paying owners of pitbulls to have them spayed/neutered. That could well be cheaper and easier to fix than the injured people.
Hello from Serbia.
I found out about your site when I saw tragic story about two kids killed by their family pets, on Instagram, last year in Oct,, Nov. I was hypnotized by horror of that story. How many lives were tragically impacted … I can not imagine. And what about their mother? Media are silent about that fact .
In my country the situation is the same. Here is one tragic story about death of 62 years old reporter killed by three dogs , pit bull /staford mixes. His wife was also injured and sent to hospital with bad injuries. I am not going to translate the story for you, but you all – already know how it goes. This people was walking down the street, and suddenly three dogs runs out of the backyard and start to attack this man, and his wife who tried to help him. Owner was arrested later, but the justice is absurd in this case. Nothing will bring him back.
Comments below this news are identical as in American news
Morons will say: it is not the dog, it is the owner. Pit bulls are ( even after they kill) loving dogs, and behave as they were treated.
Angry , helpless people will be angry …
We have some laws about the dangerous dogs, how they should be kept in a safe places, and walk on the leash and with protection for the face. But – no one walks with that kind of equipment. Social networks , at this part of the world, are full of “cute” pictures of this “kind” and “loving” creatures… that look back at you with their empty eyes, and wiggling their tails in abnormal angles and speed…..
Crazy chaos all over the world with that really dangerous , unpredictable dogs.
I had lagotto romanolo dog, Italian truffle dog, and I never walked her in the park visited by Staffords and pit bulls … just did not go there.
link for the sad news – ( use google translate )
https://n1info.rs/vesti/analiticara-vladana-radosaljevica-nasmrt-izujedali-psi/
Matrona, welcome back! Good to hear that Dogsbite is being read all the way from Serbia. I remembered your name.
I replied to you with this comment on the Bennard deaths:
“Matrona, good research. You have found there were pitbull problems early on.
It appears that Colby’s mother is an Emergency Medical Responder at Shelby County Sheriffs Office.”
Matrona…oops. The last half of my comment disappeared. Here it is: I will read today’s link a bit later. Your comment on the Bennard deaths was excellent. Did you notice in social media on this Toledo case the photo of the bite and bruise on the daughter?
Thanks .
No, I did not see any photos of the victims, related to this post.
But anyway, People can not relax. Every one should walk with a wooden stick or cane. That gives you more chance to scare away attacking dogs. And be serious and inform about your walking paths and possibility to came across dangerous dog. Things will not get better soon, so we need to take good precaution, specially if you have kids.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/ecso-searching-for-woman-for-questioning-about-fatal-dog-attack/ar-AA182Rr1
Updated news. The probable owner has been found. Kathleen Ann Taylor
I just had to share this.
Amenia, also known as amenorrhea, refers to the absence or cessation of normal menstrual flow.
Not the sort of thing I would name a pet after but then again this thing wasn’t really a pet.