Case Investigated Under New Hawaii County Law After Dog Mauling Death
Robert Northrop, 71, was killed by multiple large dogs in Kau, a district in southern Hawaii County.
Multiple Dogs Kill Man
Kau, HI - A man in his 70s is dead after being attacked by multiple dogs in a subdivision in Kau, the southernmost and largest district of Hawaii County on the island of Hawaii. On August 1, at about 9:00 am, Kau police officers were dispatched to the 92-2000 block of Outrigger Drive in the Hawaiian Ocean View Estates subdivision after reports of an animal bite. Officers found a man lying unconscious in the roadway. A witness saw the dogs attacking the man and called 911.
The victim was treated at the scene by emergency responders, but while being transported to Kona Community Hospital, he succumbed to his injuries. He was then transported to Kau Hospital for the official pronouncement of death, states a release by the Hawaii Police Department. "There is currently no evidence that the victim provoked this horrific attack. This incident is a senseless tragedy that could have been avoided," Hawaii Police Chief Ben Moszkowicz said in the release.
The dogs' owners were not home at the time; however, they have been identified and contacted by police. "Investigators are looking into claims that the dogs had previously been reported as stray animals," states the release. The owners have surrendered all four dogs and a litter of 10 puppies to the Hawaii County Animal Control and Protection Agency. "The victim's identity is being withheld until positive identification is made and the next of kin is contacted," states the release.
Police are investigating the attack under the felony dog attack statute that was passed in Hawaii County in 2022. The law was devised after three elderly people, two men and one woman, were viciously attacked by multiple dogs in the Hawaiian Paradise Park subdivision in Puna in 2021. The female victim, 85-yeares old Dolores Oskins, suffered critical injuries and died afterward. Investigators have classified the recent fatal dog attack as a Class B felony under the statute.
"Police are investigating this incident as a Negligent Failure to Control a Dangerous Dog case. Hawai’i County Code section 4-4-32 was most recently revised in 2022 and makes it a felony crime if someone fails to take reasonable measures to prevent an unprovoked dog attack resulting in serious bodily injury or death. Investigators have classified the case as a Class B Felony. If convicted under this section, the dog owners could face up to a $25,000 fine, ten years in prison, restitution, and/or the humane destruction of the dogs involved." - Hawaii Police Department
Vicious dog attacks are more prominent in rural communities, "where erecting fences on large properties is a costly solution, and state regulations prohibit tethering dogs," reports KOHN. Currently, county code allows for the seizure of dangerous dogs after an attack, as well as the felony statute. In response to multiple attacks since 2021, including the death of Oskins, the county ceased contracting out animal control services and created a separate agency.
GoFundMe & Breeds Identified
Late Wednesday, the victim was identified as 71-year old Robert Northrop of Ocean View. His family has set up a GoFundMe that has raised over $6,000. His daughters described him as a man with "more lives than a cat, because he has survived catastrophic surfing accidents, construction accidents, car crashes, motorcycle crashes, and most recently last year -- an electric bike crash into the lava fields in HOVE that hospitalized him at Queen's Medical for 3 weeks."
"It is so tragic for him to finally meet his end in this way, especially as he is a lifelong animal lover and would frequently rescue strays."
Over the weekend, Big Island Now reported that all four adult dogs involved in the deadly attack were pit bulls (three were pit bull "mixes" and the other a purebred "Staffordshire bull terrier"). Those dogs and 10 puppies seized by animal control after the attack have since been euthanized. Also, the dogs' owners admitted to a police officer at the scene that they do not live at the residence were the dogs came from, and the dogs were left unattended on the property.
The owners now may face a felony under the Negligent Failure to Control a Dangerous Dog statue. If charged and convicted, they could face a fine of up to $25,000 or 10 years in prison. The owners left 14 dogs unattended. At least four of the dogs ran off the property and killed a man. “If the dogs had been secured in a fenced area or kennels, this would have been preventable,” said Hawaii County Councilwoman Michelle Galimba, who represents the Ocean View area.
The progress being made by Hawaii County, passing the felony dog attack law in 2022 and creating the Animal Control and Protection Agency, which has been operating since July 1, is substantial. However, the combined population of the districts of Kau and Puna (where Oskins was killed in 2021) is only 65,000-70,000. It's alarming to have two dog bite fatalities in such a small population size in a few year period. Both deaths also involved multiple pit bulls attacking.
Robert Northrop was killed by a pack of pit bull-mixes in southern Hawaii County on August 1.
The area where Robert “Bob” Northrop, 71, of Ocean View, was killed by multiple large dogs.
Related articles:
09/07/21: 2021 Dog Bite Fatality: Elderly Puna Woman Dies After Multi-Victim Dog Attack
10/16/20: 2020 Dog Bite Fatality: Infant Dies After Dog Attack in Schofield Barracks in Honolulu
08/12/16: 2016 Dog Bite Fatality: Homeless Man Killed by Pit Bull-Mixes Owned by Honolulu...
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.
All of the dogs, including the puppies, should be humanely euthanized for the good of society. Elderly people should not have to worry about being attacked by their neighbors’ pets.
Agreed. Forget about the bogus investigations. Just. Put. These. Things. Down!
I’m not sure if you saw it but they were all euthanized including their 10 puppies. The funds to rescue these vicious animals must be drying up at last! For a while there it seemed like people were willing to throw away all their money trying to make sure these types of vicious dogs were locked away in solitary confinement and let compassion for the victim and the animals be damned as long as THEY SAVED THEM ALL! The pit bull that is no one cares about the sweet little dogs that never hurt a fly being mauled & disemboweled while still alive, after all they could be replaced, it was the pit bulls that were in short supply and every single one no matter how vicious needed to be saved! Whatever happened to slow this insanity is a great thing for everyone! Not that I care much about the insanely wealthy people losing their money trying to buy the pit bulls redemption! It’s just nice knowing that there’s are 14 fewer vicious pit bulls in the world!
In my Northern Colorado town, if an animal bite is treated medically, animal control now assesses the animal and owner at their house. My sister in law was bitten by her cat, and then developed an infection. She was interviewed by Animal Control. I don’t know if it is because of rabies or dangerous animals.
There’s a lot of pits and pit mixes in Hawaii. They’ve been a problem for quite awhile. Poor guy. Probably just out for a walk.
It sounds like tethering is illegal. I don’t like tethers because they break. However, it’s better than nothing. I hope the owner is charged. Just destroying these dogs won’t prevent other attacks.
If the dogs are pitbulls are any other dangerous then they should done something way before he died.not only did they have one dog but four whatever breed dogs was .they should put all four dogs down even the puppies.I don’t know how someone can lived peacefully with 14 dogs around.
The barking alone would drive me crazy.
The dog owners didn’t live at the property they kept the dogs at. Maybe they didn’t like the barking either.
If you can’t afford to fence and you can’t tether either put up a dog run or have your dog out on leash or don’t have a dog. Easy solutions. Zero acceptable excuses.
Another dead senior citizen. Not a nice, quiet hospital or elderly home care or natural death–mauled to death, terrified and bleeding because someone else was irresponsible.
I recently met a man from Hawaii who said pit bulls are everywhere and that people there are aggressively protective of the breed. He had to fight one off and he is concerned about his girlfriend getting attacked and being unable to defend herself as she is petite. Although 71 is older, I know men that age who are actively working, working out, doing manual labor, etc. It is not just small or infirm people at risk. It sounds like this area of Hawaii is making strides in the right direction though by hopefully penalizing offending dog owners.
Seems crazy to me that tethering is illegal.
Granted living next to to an ignored chained dog is horrible.
However it is worse having that dog in your back yard because the owners can’t or won’t keep it contained.
Being ignored is the issue, not being tethered.
In my city the highest back yard fence you can have is 6 feet and the limit is 4 feet in the front.
Neither of those are enough to keep in a determined pit.
A responsible owner would build a 6 sided pin and then walk the dog on a leash on their property.
Then again a responsible owner wouldn’t have a pit.
Neighbors down the road had no fence, no pen, no leashes and 2 pits.
When ever it was potty time or the owner was sick of the barking he would open the door and the maulers would bolt for the horizon.
Unfortunately they always made it home.
Glad they moved out, hope they euthanized the pits.
There are several rural developments and neighborhoods on the Big Island with a serious loose pit bull issue. It was for this reason alone I did not invest in acreage anywhere near these areas.
I want to walk and bike freely, and for my children to feel safe in the place they call home. People have the RIGHT to move about their lives FREELY without fear of gdamn neurotic, hungry, aggressive, PITBULLS!!
It’s inexcusible for people to let their dogs roam, but it is equally unethical to keep them chained up or kennelled all day every day of their sad lives. The law enforcement on B.I. is pathetic when it comes to protecting citizens and punishing criminals! B.I. has a ROTTEN attitude toward animal stewardship, and it is unlikely to ever change.