Category Archives: Shelter & Rescue Dog Attacks

A collection of blog posts from the DogsBite.org Blog about shelter and rescue dog attacks, when an adopted dog kills, rescue transports, rescuing dangerous dogs, temperament testing and more.

2019 Dog Bite Fatality: Woman, 49, Dies After Being Mauled by Her Two Rescue Great Danes in Warren County, Ohio

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Mary Matthews, 49-years old, was killed by her two rescue great danes on Friday. Family Speaks Out UPDATE 11/07/19: After publishing our post, we received confirmation from two separate sources that the female black great dane named "Caitlyn" was not involved in the attack that killed Mary Matthews on November 1. In mid January, the owner of Caitlyn rehomed the dog to Matthews. Six days later, the owner picked Caitlyn back up. After learning of Matthews' death, the owner wro… [Read full blog post]

2019 Dog Bite Fatality: 4-Year Old Boy Killed by Pit Bull His Family Was Housing at Their Hazel Park Home

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Benjamin Cobb, 4-years old, was killed by a pit bull his family was housing in Hazel Park. Dog Owner Named UPDATE 10/29/20: On the 1-year anniversary of Benjamin Cobb's death -- who was killed by a pit bull that "detonated" like a bomb inside his home -- this is what the dog's owner, Chris Mallory, told Benjamin's mother. It is so dreadful that we will not quote any portion. Brandi Halterman had been housing the pit bull, "Bolo," for less than a day when the dog attacked. Bolo was all… [Read full blog post]

A Pit Bull Adoption Disaster: Animal Aggression, Anti-Anxiety Medication, Ceasing to Document Behavior and More

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Results: Two Dead Cats, One Returned Pit Bull and Deep Regret This account of a pit bull adoption disaster shows why the public is losing confidence in shelters. The adopter wrote to DogsBite.org on the day of the disaster. The dog had not been returned yet. In addition to many public shelters routinely "encoding" and "concealing" aggression in adoption advertisements, some are also using medications to dull the behavior of unadoptable dogs. Read firsthand what the adopte… [Read full blog post]

Woman Nearly Killed by a Pit Bull While Volunteering at a Rescue Shelter in 2017 Shares Where She Is Today

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Kylie Welch seen while hospitalized at a Pittsburgh trauma center after the dog attack. The Vicious Attack Meadowlands, PA - On April 9, 2017, Kylie Welch and her daughter survived a vicious dog attack while volunteering at Angel Ridge Animal Rescue, a no-kill rescue shelter that adopts out "special needs" and death row dogs. The male pit bull, "Dallas" had come to the rescue two days earlier and was placed in a pen labeled "friendly and playful." When Welch took the dog out for… [Read full blog post]