2019 Fatal Dog Attack Breed Identification Photographs

81% of All Dog Bite Fatalities Had Breed Identification Images

2019 breed identification
Photographs of six fatally attacking dogs in 2019 obtained from multiple sources.

Jump down to view all 2019 breed identification photographs or read our analysis first.

DogsBite.org - In 2013, we began the tradition of publishing breed identification photographs of fatally attacking dogs when available through news reports, animal control agencies, police departments and social media websites. Of the 48 dog bite fatalities recorded in 2019, a record 81% (39) had some form of an identification photograph, the highest percentage since we began our collection effort. Pit bulls and their mixes represent 74% of all images collected in 2019.

Of the 39 cases with breed identification photographs, 59% (23) contained images captured or republished by news media; 59% (23) contained images located on social media pages of the dog's owner or family members; and 49% (19) contained images that were the result of DogsBite research and otherwise may have gone unpublished. Police and animal control agencies only released images in 6 cases, yet 81% (39 of 48) of all deaths involved dogs taken into quarantine.

(Percentages are higher than 100% due to a single death containing multiple dog images, each attributed to a different source, as well as images that fall into overlapping publishing categories.)

Identification Photographs (2013-2019)

Of the 266 dog bite fatalities recorded by our nonprofit since January 1, 2013, nearly two-thirds, 63% (168), have a breed identification photograph published on our website. Of the 192 deaths inflicted by pit bulls and their mixes since January 1, 2013, 67% (128) have a breed identification photograph published on our website. Of the total 168 fatality cases with a breed identification image collected since 2013, pit bull-inflicted deaths with a supporting photo comprise 76% (128).

In 2019, 88% (29 of 33) of pit bull-inflicted fatalities had some form of a breed identification photograph, the highest percentage in our records.

breed identification photograph 2013-2019

Breed Misidentification Conflicts

The most controversial cases in 2019 did not involve pit bulls. Last year proved to be a year when certain dog breeds, which infrequently inflict fatal attacks, did so, including two show-circuit Doberman pinschers, two coonhounds and a pair of rescue great danes. All of these dogs fatally attacked their owner. Of these three deaths, only the coonhounds lacked a recent identification image, though the victim's husband is seen with one redbone coonhound on Facebook in 2012.

2019 also marks the first year when our nonprofit had to reach above and beyond to show some readers that pit bulls were not involved in several fatal attacks. This fury was primarily seen on our social media pages after the coonhound and great dane fatalities, but was also present after a husky killed a newborn. Both great danes and huskies killed 7 or more people during the 20-year CDC study period (1979 to 1998). Huskies continue to rank among the top 7 killers since 2005.

Summary

81% of dog bite fatality cases in 2019 had some form of a breed identification photograph, the highest in our records. Our nonprofit collected nearly half of these images through our research and FOIA efforts. This additional level of photographic evidence is on top of the 1,000 plus multi-sourced news articles we collected and 18 public information requests we sent to various coroner's offices, police and animal control departments for 48 dog bite fatality victims in 2019.

What continues to be troubling is the number of cases involving dogs taken into quarantine after a fatal attack (81% in 2019), but few police/shelter agencies release an identification image. We then can only rely on the news media being at the scene, social media images or obtaining an image through a FOIA request. Releasing a breed ID photograph after a deadly dog attack should be standard protocol, like Riverside County Animal Services does after all significant attacks.

Riverside County: 2019 fatal attack, 2019 nonfatal attack, 2019 nonfatal attack.

2019 Fatal Dog Attack Breed Identification Photographs

Lana Bergman - Joshua Tree, California

Photos of two of four fatally attacking pit bulls (social media & news media)

Lana Bergman fatal pit bull attack, breed identification photograph

See: Summary | Full blog post | Lana Bergman, 70-years old, was killed by four pit bulls belonging to guests on her property near Joshua Tree, California on January 16, 2019. Her brother characterized the guests as "squatters" who had overstayed their visit. The pit bulls killed Bergman one day before the guests were ordered to leave her premises.

Ed Stanley - Amarillo, Texas

Photos of two fatally attacking dogs (animal services & news media)

Ed Stanley fatal pit bull attack, breed identification photograph

See: Summary | Full blog post | Ed Stanely, 85-years old, died two weeks after he was attacked and severely injured by loose dogs on his own driveway in Amarillo, Texas on January 7, 2019. The department of Amarillo Animal Management and Welfare said this was not just a dog attack -- this man was mauled by a pit bull-mix and shepherd-mix.

Patricia Henson - Tucson, Arizona

Photo of fatally attacking german shepherd-mix (animal services & news media)

Patricia Henson fatal dog attack, breed identification photograph

See: Summary | Full blog post | Patricia Henson, 8-months old, was killed by a dog while her mother slept in Tucson, Arizona. The autopsy report stated she sustained "abrasions, lacerations, contusions, and puncture wounds; absence of soft tissues; hemorrhages; hematomas and lacerations." Her mother was charged with felony child abuse.

Ashton McGhee - Guthrie, Kentucky

Photos of family pit bull on mother's facebook page (DogsBite & social media)

Ashton McGhee fatal pit bull attack, breed identification photograph

See: Summary | Full blog post | Ashton McGhee, 1-year old, was killed by a family pit bull-mix while visiting his grandparent's home in Guthrie, Kentucky on February 7, 2019. The baby had been playing with a ball on the floor when the dog came inside from outdoors. The dog viciously attacked the baby's head, including breaking the baby's jaw.

Elaine Richman - Houston, Texas

Photos of two fatally attacking Doberman pinschers (animal services & news media)

Elaine Richman fatal dog attack, breed identification photograph

See: Summary | Full blog post | Elaine Richman, 66-years old, was found dead in her backyard with multiple dog bites. Her two show dogs, Doberman pinschers, were found inside her home. The autopsy conducted by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences determined Richman died from "sharp force injuries" to her face, neck and scalp.

Angela Johnson - Anza, California

Photos of two of three fatally attacking pit bulls (animal services & news media)

Angela Johnson fatal pit bull attack, breed identification photograph

See: Summary | Full blog post | Angela Johnson, 54-years old, died nearly two months after a violent pit bull attack. She remained on life support until she died on February 9. The dogs ripped out a "main artery in her throat, causing a severe stroke to the left side of her brain, leaving her half brain dead," her son stated on her GoFundme page.

Nancy Burgess-Dismuke - Greenville, South Carolina

Photos of two fatally attacking family boxer-mixes (news media)

Nancy Burgess-Dismuke fatal dog attack, breed identification photograph

See: Summary | Full blog post | Nancy Burgess-Dismuke, 52-years old, died after a wrestling game with her two boxer-mixes turned into a violent attack. Neighbors heard her cries and found one dog latched onto each of her arms tearing into her flesh "eating her." One of the dogs had attacked her in the past, but Burgess-Dismuke refused to put it down.

Johnnie Garner - Lubbock, Texas

Photos of fatally attacking pit bull-mixes (police & news media)

Johnnie Garner fatal pit bull attack, breed identification photograph

See: Summary | Full blog post | Johnnie Garner, 88-years old, was brutally killed by a pack of pit bulls on February 27. Two days earlier, the dogs' owner had tried to surrender his dogs to Lubbock Animal Services after a separate attack. The agency told him he needed to "make an appointment" to drop off the dogs and the earliest date was March 1.

Jacari Long - Salisbury, North Carolina

Photos of fatally attacking pit bull-boxer mix (news media)

Jacari Long fatal pit bull attack, breed identification photograph

See: Summary | Full blog post | Jacari Long, 6-months old, was killed by his babysitter's male pit bull-boxer mix in Salisbury, North Carolina. The babysitter left him inside her home in a car seat while she cleaned out the back of her car to make room for the baby. When she returned, the dog was attacking the baby. No criminal charges were filed.

Tanner Kinnamon - High Springs, Florida

Photos of fatally attacking pit bull and American bulldog-mix (DogsBite & social media)

Tanner Kinnamon fatal pit bull attack, breed identification photograph

See: Summary | Full blog post | Tanner Kinnamon, 2-years old, was killed by two of his aunt's six pit bull-type rescue dogs while under the care of his grandmother. Two of the dogs were let out of their crates into the yard. The child went outside to play and the grandmother went inside the home. When she returned, the dogs were attacking the child.

Jimmy Grigg - Galveston County, Texas

Photos of two of three fatally attacking dogs (DogsBite FOIA)

Jimmy Grigg fatal dog attack, breed identification photograph

See: Summary | Full blog post | Jimmy Grigg, 53-years old, was mauled and killed by three dogs belonging to his brother on March 13, 2019 in Galveston County, Texas. His brother told police after the attack that his dogs were usually "put up and secured," but was unsure how they got out and attacked his brother. No criminal charges were brought.

Jaysiah Chavez - Fresno, California

Photos of two fatally attacking rottweilers (news media)

Jaysiah Chavez fatal rottweiler attack, breed identification photograph

See: Summary | Full blog post | Jaysiah Chavez, 2-years old, was killed by a pair of roaming rottweilers in his own front yard. Investigators said the rottweilers dug a hole under their owner's fence, ran through a neighbor's yard, crossed a street then attacked the boy who had wandered out his front door into his yard. No criminal charges were brought.

Johana Villafane - Irving, Texas

Photos of two fatally attacking family pit bulls (DogsBite & social media)

Johana Villafane fatal pit bull attack, breed identification photograph

See: Summary | Full blog post | Johana Villafane, 33-years old, was killed by her own two pit bulls. The attack happened while Villafane was visiting her dogs in quarantine due to biting a man eight days earlier. She took her dogs into the backyard exercise area, where they attacked her. She was not discovered by staff for 35 minutes.

Isaiah Geiling - Louisville, Kentucky

Photos of fatally attacking family pit bull "King" (news media & social media)

Isaiah Geiling fatal pit bull attack, breed identification photograph

See: Summary | Full blog post | Isaiah Geiling, 2-years old, was killed by a male pit bull. The boy's grandmother said the dog had bitten Isaiah three weeks earlier. The dog's owners, Jack Charpring Jr. and Sharon Charpring were charged with second-degree manslaughter. The boy's mother, Jennifer Geiling, was charged with reckless homicide.

Robert Quick - Fort Madison, Iowa

Photo of fatally attacking male boxer-mix "Hercules" (DogsBite, owner supplied)

Robert Quick boxer pit bull attack, breed identification photograph

See: Summary | Full blog post | Robert Quick, 33-years old, died after being attacked by a brown male boxer-mix. During the rampage attack, the dog attacked two adult males and a 5-year old female. Fort Madison police open fired on the dog at the scene, killing it. All three victims were transported to a local hospital, where Quick was pronounced dead.

Crystal Pearigen - Bakersfield, California

Photos of two of three fatally attacking dogs (DogsBite, social media & news media)

Crystal Pearigen fatal pit bull attack, breed identification photograph

See: Summary | Full blog post | Crystal Pearigen, 36-years old, died in a Costco parking lot after being attacked by three dogs. Two of the dogs, a pit bull and mixed-breed, belonged to a nearby business owner. The third dog, also a pit bull, was a stray. Pearigen was homeless at the time. When she was a teenager, her mother was murdered.

Nicholas Farris - Newman, California

Photos of fatally attacking pit bull-mastiff mix (DogsBite & social media)

Nicholas Farris fatal pit bull attack, breed identification photograph

See: Summary | Full blog post | Nicholas Farris, 2-years old, was killed by a family dog in Newman, California on June 27, 2019. Arriving officers found the boy in the backyard. He was taken to Emmanuel Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. A Stanislaus County Sheriff's news release stated the dog involved was a pit bull-mastiff cross.

Maria Crawford - Ventura, California

Photos of fatally attacking pit bull-mix (DogsBite FOIA & social media)

Maria Crawford fatal pit bull-mix attack, breed identification photograph

See: Summary | Full blog post | Maria Crawford, 54-years old, died of "dog bite wounds of the head, neck and leg" on June 28, 2019, according to the Ventura County Medical Examiner's report. The family dog, described as an "elderly pit bull-mix" by family members, had attacked Crawford two times before her death, including severing her ear.

Brian Butler - Gilbertsville, Kentucky

Photos of two of three fatally attacking pit bulls (DogsBite & social media)

Brian Butler fatal pit bull attack, breed identification photograph

See: Summary | Full blog post | Brian Butler, 46-years old, was killed by up to three pit bulls in Gilbertsville, Kentucky on June 29, 2019. Kentucky State Police arrested Daniel Kai Alexander, 29, on a felony arrest warrant in connection to his mauling death. The investigation showed that Alexander tampered with evidence at the crime scene and more.

Ruth Flores - Gainesville, Georgia

Photos of twin littermate huskies, only one fatally attacked (DogsBite & social media)

Ruth Flores fatal husky attack, breed identification photograph

See: Summary | Full blog post | Ruth Flores, 3-weeks old, died after being bitten on the head an "undetermined number of times" by a family dog. The infant's mother was in the home when the family's 2-year old husky attacked the sleeping baby in a bedroom. At least two other huskies and another dog also lived at the home in Gainesville, Georgia.

Homer Utterback - Uniontown, Pennsylvania

Photos of fatally attacking family pit bull "Petey" (social media & news media)

Homer Utterback fatal pit bull attack, breed identification photograph

See: Summary | Full blog post | Homer Utterback, 52-years old, was mauled to death by his own pit bull in Uniontown, Pennsylvania. Utterback's girlfriend told police the male pit bull, Petey, had been their pet for a decade and was Utterback's "best friend." The Utterback household also had at least four more pit bulls; all offspring of Petey.

Mario Moore - Memphis, Tennessee

Photos of two fatally attacking dogs in pack attack (animal control & news media)

Mario Moore fatal pit bull attack, breed identification photograph

See: Summary | Full blog post | Mario Moore, 40-years old, died after being attacked by a pack of dogs in Memphis, Tennessee on July 18, 2019. Sherry Pruitt said she was attacked by the same dogs on May 7. Officials released photographs of two dogs, a mixed-breed and a pit bull-mix, that were involved in both Moore's and Pruitt's attack.

Nelson Cabrera - Irving, Texas

Photo of fatally attacking pit bull "Bella" (DogsBite & social media)

Nelson Cabrera fatal pit bull attack, breed identification photograph

See: Summary | Full blog post | Nelson Cabrera, 16-years old, was killed by three pit bulls secured in their owner's backyard. The dogs' owner, Guillermo Lorenzo, told media outlets, "He has no right to be in [my] yard." Cabrera had stayed at Lorenzo's home for a few days before the attack, but Lorenzo later canceled the boy's access to his property.

Emma Hernandez - Detroit, Michigan

Photos of two of three fatally attacking pit bulls and pit bull-mixes (news media)

Emma Hernandez fatal pit bull attack, breed identification photograph

See: Summary | Full blog post | Emma Hernandez, 9-years old, was killed by three dogs, pit bulls and pit bull-mixes, while riding her bike in an alley behind her home in southwest Detroit on August 19, 2019. One bystander began firing on the dogs. Deputy Fire Commissioner Dave Fornell said, "We were performing EMS under gunfire" at the scene.

Adrieanna O'Shea - Knox County, Tennessee

Photos of three of five fatally attacking dogs (social media & news media)

Adrieanna O'Shea fatal pack attack, breed identification photograph

See: Summary | Full blog post | Adrieanna O'Shea, 19-years old, was brutally killed by a pack of dogs after visiting a home to pick up her purse -- she had left it there the night before. The landlord and owner of the dogs told deputies "the dogs were doing their jobs." The dogs included, three mastiff/mastiff-mixes, one rottweiler-mix and a pit bull.

Arlene Renna - Pleasant Valley, New York

Photo of one of two fatally attacking coonhounds (DogsBite & social media)

Arlene Renna fatal coonhound attack, breed identification photograph

See: Summary | Full blog post | Arlene Renna, 67-years old, was discovered unconscious on the living room floor by her husband after he arrived home. The investigation by New York State Police determined the wounds and circumstances were "consistent with a dog attack." Both pet coonhounds were seized. It is unknown if the dogs were euthanized.

Baby "Doug" Doe - Granite Bay, California

Photos of fatally attacking female family pit bull (DogsBite & social media)

Baby Doug Doe fatal pit bull attack, breed identification photograph

See: Summary | Full blog post | Baby "Doug" Doe, 13-months old, was mauled to death by a female pit bull while under the care of a babysitter. The babysitter, a female relative, was in "very close proximity" with the child when the dog attacked. In July of 2015, the baby's parents created an Instagram page for their female family pit bull "Bella."

Alan Bruce - Bennington, Oklahoma

Photo of one of three fatally attacking pit bulls (news media)

Alan Bruce fatal pit bull attack, breed identification photograph

See: Summary | Full blog post | Alan Bruce, 56-years old, was brutally attacked by three dogs, two pit bulls and a pit bull-mix, while trying to visit the owner's home. The dogs' owner was away at the time. "He had severe trauma, bite marks to his trunk and head and arms with just massive trauma," Bennington Police Chief James Heil said.

Morgan Crayton - Hampton, Virginia

Photos of fatally attacking pit bull "Chopper" (DogsBite & social media)

Morgan Crayton fatal pit bull attack, breed identification photograph

See: Summary | Full blog post | Morgan Crayton, 31-years old, was attacked in the throat by her pit bull and died of her injuries the next day. Her 92-pound male pit bull, named "Chopper," was taken into custody by authorities. Police estimated the dog was at least 2-years old. Crayton and her partner had owned the dog for about nine months.

Steven Thornton III - Louisville, Kentucky

Photos of one of two fatally attacking rottweiler-mixes (news media)

Steven Thornton fatal rottweiler attack, breed identification photograph

See: Summary | Full blog post | Steven Thornton III, 3-years old, was killed by two rottweiler-mixes that were kept in his family's backyard. Police said the boy climbed through an open bedroom window while the rest of his family slept. Family members found him the next morning. A neighbor indicated the two rottweilers were new to the child's home.

Dustin Bryan - Modesto, California

Photos of two fatally attacking family pit bulls (animal control & news media)

Dustin Bryan fatal pit bull attack, breed identification photograph

See: Summary | Full blog post | Dustin Bryan, 21-years old, was found covered in blood and dead on a couch in a family member's home on October 9, 2019. Police believe two pit bulls living at the home, "Beze" and "Saxon" mauled and killed Bryan. Jacob Anderson, who lived at the home said the pit bulls "had never been aggressive in the past."

Brandy Boschen-O'Dell - Bay City, Michigan

Photos of fatally attacking pit bull "Chester" (DogsBite & social media)

Brandy Boschen-O'Dell fatal pit bull attack, breed identification photograph

See: Summary | Full blog post | Brandy Boschen-O'Dell, 41-years old, died after she was attacked by a pit bull belonging to her live-in boyfriend in Bay City, Michigan. Her boyfriend told investigators that Boschen-O'Dell told him that his male pit bull "Chester" had previously bitten her, but she told other people the bite injury was from a "box cutter."

Mary Matthews - Clearcreek Township, Ohio

Photos of two fatally attacking rescue great danes (social media & news media)

Mary Matthews fatal great dane attack, breed identification photograph

See: Summary | Full blog post | Mary Matthews, 49-years old, was killed by her two rescue great danes in Clearcreek Township, Ohio. Her husband, Dale, and his son found her bloated and bloody body. Earlier that day, Dale had been released from the Warren County Jail. Coroner Doyle Burke said an autopsy showed the "cause of death is dog attack."

Janet D'Aleo - Suffield, Connecticut

Photos of fatally attacking rescue pit bull "Dexter" (DogsBite, social media & news media)

Janet D'Aleo fatal pit bull attack, breed identification photograph

See: Summary | Full blog post | Janet D'Aleo, 95-years old, died after being attacked by a pit bull owned by Annie Hornish, a senior state director of the Humane Society of the United States. D'Aloe sustained "massive injuries including flesh, muscle and tendon loss to the lower extremities." Hornish had acquired "Dexter" four months earlier.

Lasaro Macedo - Madera, California

Photos of fatally attacking pit bull at different ages (DogsBite & social media)

Lasaro Macedo fatal pit bull attack, breed identification photograph

See: Summary | Full blog post | Lasaro Macedo, 38-years old, was found dead in a dry riverbed with dog bite injuries on November 11, 2019. Officers shot and killed a "vicious" pit bull with blood on its face at the scene. The dogs' owner, Heather Anglin, was a longtime backyard pit bull breeder. Anglin and her boyfriend were charged with manslaughter.

Lorena Cordova - Dacula, Georgia

Photos of two of three fatally attacking pit bulls (DogsBite & social media)

Lorena Cordova fatal pit bull attack, breed identification photograph

See: Summary | Full blog post | Lorena Cordova, 47-years old, died after suffering a vicious attack by three pit bulls in Dacula, Georgia. The attack occurred in the 3000 block of Luther Wages Road on September 16. Cordova remained at a trauma center until her death on November 21. The dogs' owners were charged with reckless conduct.

Cledith Davenport - Broken Bow, Oklahoma

Photos of two fatally attacking dogs in pack attack (DogsBite, social media & news media)

Cledith Davenport fatal pack attack, breed identification photograph

See: Summary | Full blog post | Cledith Davenport, 79-years old, was killed by a pack of loose dogs belonging to his neighbor on December 14, 2019. McCurtain County deputies were called to the scene after a mail carrier saw Davenport lying halfway in a ditch on his property. The attacking dogs were part pit bull, part cattle dog and mixed-breeds.

Melissa Astacio - Somerset, Massachusetts

Photos of fatally attacking family pit bull "Amigo" (social media & news media)

Melissa Astacio fatal pit bull attack, breed identification photograph

See: Summary | Full blog post | Melissa Astacio, 44-years old, was mauled to death by her pet pit bull of eight years at her home on December 20, 2019. Police officers were forced to deploy a Taser on the dog so that paramedics could assist the victim. The neutered male pit bull "Amigo" killed Astacio while she was allegedly having a seizure.

Medessa Ragsdale - Houston, Texas

Photos of two of three fatally attacking pit bulls (news media)

Medessa Ragsdale fatal pit bull attack, breed identification photograph

See: Summary | Full blog post | Medessa Ragsdale, 44-years old, was found dead lying in a ditch after being mauled by three pit bulls. The dogs also attacked and seriously injured a 49-year old female. She was transported to local hospital in stable condition. The attack occurred just before 6:00 am at 5521 Arlington Street on December 21.

Post Publication Identification Photographs

Breed identification photographs discovered after the publication of this post on January 7, 2020. These photographs are not included in our overall analysis; they were unavailable at that time.

Wayne Pattison - Lumberton, Texas

Photos of fatally attacking rescue pit bull-mix (DogsBite & social media)

Wayne Pattison fatal pit bull attack - breed identification photograph

See: Summary | Wayne Pattison, 79-years old, died five days after being attacked by his dog. The attack occurred on January 15. He was transported to a hospital and released on January 18. He died two days later. Pattison had taken over the care of "Bradford," a pit bull-mix, from his granddaughter, who had rescued the dog from death row.

Benjamin Cobb - Hazel Park, Michigan

Photos of fatally attacking male pit bull (DogsBite & provided)

Benjamin Cobb fatal pit bull attack - breed identification photograph

See: Summary | Full blog post | Benjamin Cobb, 4-years old, was brutally killed by a pit bull being housed at his home in Hazel Park, Michigan. The child's mother was in the room when the 60-pound dog attacked. She tried to fight the dog off by stabbing it with scissors then a steak knife. The dog was still "actively attacking" the boy when police arrived.

How We Track Photograph Sources

We track the identification photograph's original source. There may be multiple images of a dog, thus multiple sources may be attributed to a single death. We also track where the image was published. For instance, after the death Maria Crawford, DogsBite obtained a quarantine photograph through a FOIA, as well as an image from the dog owner's social media page. Neither images were published by the news media, thus it was sourced to our FOIA and social media.

What is easy to see in our tracking and analysis is the rising number of breed identification photographs located on social media, from only 16% of all collected images in 2013 to 59% in 2019, a 269% rise. It is also easy to see the rising number of overall breed identification images collected, from 59% of all fatalities in 2013 to 81% in 2019, a 37% rise. Finally, the number of pit bull images collected is also rising, from 68% of fatal pit bull attacks in 2013 to 88% in 2019.

Photograph Tracking Categories

  • U.S. News media supplied original photograph and/or republished photograph
  • DogsBite.org published only; no news media republished the photograph
  • Social media website supplied breed identification photograph
  • Law enforcement or animal control department supplied photograph
  • Animal control allowed news media to take photographs inside shelter
  • Canines shot to death at the scene of a fatal dog attack
  • Canines taken into quarantine after a fatal dog attack

Related articles:
01/08/19: 2018 Fatal Dog Attack Breed Identification Photographs - DogsBite.org
01/11/18: 2017 Fatal Dog Attack Breed Identification Photographs - DogsBite.org
01/09/17: 2016 Fatal Dog Attack Breed Identification Photographs - DogsBite.org
01/14/16: 2015 Fatal Dog Attack Breed Identification Photographs - DogsBite.org
08/31/15: Who Can Identify a Pit Bull? A Dog Owner of 'Ordinary Intelligence'...

Baseline reporting requirements:
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.

Annual Update: Estimated U.S. Cities, Counties, States and Military Housing with Breed-Specific Laws (2019-2020)

US estimate - breed-specific laws 2020
The top three regulated dog breeds: pit bulls, rottweilers and wolf-dog hybrids.

BSL Estimate 2019-2020
DogsBite.org - Since 2011, we have maintained an estimate of breed-specific laws across the United States, including breed-specific policies governing military housing. A decade ago, all three major military divisions -- U.S. Army, U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Air Force -- banned a group of dangerous dog breeds, chiefly pit bulls, rottweilers and wolf-dog hybrids, due to the "unreasonable risk to the health and safety of personnel in family housing areas" these dog breeds pose.

In 2018, Delta Airlines became the first airline to ban pit bulls as service and support dogs, citing "untrained" pit bulls as a "potential safety risk."1

Our estimate is updated each December. Currently, over 1,100 cities, towns and villages regulate specific dog breeds for safety purposes and 40 counties have enacted countywide breed safety laws too. Jurisdictions in 39 different states have enacted breed-specific ordinances. Our estimate also tracks international breed-specific laws. Currently there are jurisdictions in at least 53 countries with breed-specific laws. In 42 of those countries, the regulation is a national-level law.

Many U.S. municipalities with breed-specific laws are concentrated in the Midwest. Other states, primarily preemption states, have virtually no breed-specific laws. In the early 1980s, cities began enacting breed-specific laws in response to grisly pit bull maulings. By 1992, dogfighting and dog breeder interests had pushed through preemption laws in ten states, including three of the most populous, California, Florida and Texas, prohibiting local jurisdictions from adopting pit bull laws.

There have been many horrific fatal maulings carried out by pit bulls and rottweilers in these three states ever since (See: Deaths After State Preemption). The most recent state to pass legislation in this area is Washington, which enacted a mandatory exemption law. The law requires cities with existing or new breed-specific laws to provide an exemption for the owners of regulated breeds if their dog passes the American Kennel Club's Canine Good Citizen (CGC) test or its equivalent.

2019 Legislative News

In 2019, only two states, Michigan and Missouri, faced actual state preemption bills, down from six states in 2018, nine states in 2016 and seven states in 2015. This may be a signal that Wave II of these preemption bills, 2012 to present day, is coming to a close. (Learn more about: Wave I and Wave II). During the 20-year CDC study period (1979 to 1998) pit bulls on average killed 20 people every five years. Now they kill nearly 140 people in a 5-year period, seven times more.

Download: 40 Years of U.S. Fatal Pit Bull Attacks in 5-Year Periods (1980-2019)2

During the 2020 legislative session, South Carolina legislators may again review House Bill 3709 that requires registration to own a fertile pit bull. This is a bill that many states should be studying. Instead of preempting local pit bull ordinances, state legislators should be working to limit the excessive over breeding of pit bulls, which results in a large population of unwanted, unadoptable pit bulls continuously filling up city and county shelters and eventually having to be euthanized.

"Whereas, the pit bull dog is the most desired breed for dogfighting and is dying at a higher rate in local animal shelters than any other breed of dog in South Carolina; and

Whereas, fertile dogs are more likely to be territorial and therefore more likely to bite. Most dog bite fatalities are committed by dogs that were not altered; and

Whereas, requiring registration to own a fertile pit bull dog would provide a safety component for the public and the dog." - H 3709, 123rd Session, 2019-2020

Going against the "humane alliance," which typically opposes all breed-specific laws, Joe Elmore, CEO of Charleston Animal Society, supported the bill last year. "(The pit bull is) a wonderful dog, I have a pit bull type dog," Elmore said. "But we've got to cut down on the breeding. We've got to spay and neuter these dogs. Across shelters throughout the South, including South Carolina, they are dying at a much higher rate than other dogs because of the prevalence of them," he said.

Rental & Housing Properties

A substantial source of breed-specific policies, which our estimate does not track, are the million-plus rental properties governed by breed-specific leases in all 50 states.3 Rental property and insurance companies assess risk. Insurance carriers may refuse coverage for apartments, condominiums and homes if a lease fails to prohibit dog breeds on their blacklist. Private rental properties, HOAs and insurance agencies are typically unaffected by state preemption laws too.

When you combine the many types of breed-specific laws -- municipal ordinances, military policies, Indian reservation and public housing policies, airline policies, insurance blacklists and the tens of millions of Americans living in private rental properties governed by breed-specific leases -- one gains a clearer picture of these safety laws. They are designed to prevent serious attacks by high-risk dog breeds that are well recognized for inflicting severe bite injuries.

Our estimated summary of breed-specific laws is just one source of this prevention. When or if another state passes a preemption law peddled by an out-of-state special interest group, a source of this protection will be removed from that state, but other sources will remain, such as rental leases. Finally, the significance of breed-specific laws worldwide shows that the genetics of a dog breed remain the same, whether the dog lives in the U.S., France, South Korea or New Zealand.

US estimate - breed specific laws 2020

40 years of fatal pit bull attacks in 5-year periods 1980-2019

Deaths inflicted by pit bulls have increased by 670% since the 5-year period of 1995 to 1999.

1Kelli Bender, "Delta Airlines Bans Pit Bull-Type Service and Emotional Support Dogs from All Flights," People, June 22, 2018 (people.com)
2The 40 Years of U.S. Fatal Pit Bull Attacks in 5-Year Periods chart is an extension of the 35 Years of U.S. Fatal Pit Bull Attacks in 5-Year Periods chart we released in 2015 when discussing the two waves of state preemption laws.
3We could find no estimate for the vast number of rental properties governed by breed-specific leases, but breed restrictions are common. According to the National Multifamily Housing Council, over 43 million households are renter-occupied and comprise over 100 million residents (34% of the U.S. population), all of which are subject to a lease agreement. Nearly one-third of these residents, 27 million, rent a unit within a multi-unit rental property.

Related articles:
12/22/18: Estimated U.S. Jurisdictions with Breed-Specific Laws (2018-2019)
01/01/20: Fatal Pit Bull Attacks - The Archival Record - DogsBite.org
01/01/20: Fatal Rottweiler Attacks - The Archival Record - DogsBite.org
04/23/18: Fatal Wolf-Dog Hybrid Attacks - The Archival Record - DogsBite.org
04/20/15: A Primer on State Preemption Laws and Charts for Advocates by DogsBite.org

See also: Breed-Specific Legislation FAQ - DogsBite.org

2019 Dog Bite Fatality: Pit Bull Kills 44-Year Old Female Owner in Somerset, Massachusetts

somerset woman killed by pit bull
Melissa Astacio, 44-years old, died after being viciously attacked by her pet pit bull.

Pit Bull Kills Owner
Somerset, MA - A 44-year old woman died after being mauled by a family pit bull. Melissa Astacio suffered a seizure Friday evening in her Somerset home. Her daughter called 911 and said that her mother was having a seizure when the dog started to attack her, according to a press release from the Bristol County District Attorney's Office. Police were forced to Taser the dog before they could help the victim. Astacio was rushed to a Rhode Island hospital and pronounced dead.

The family dog is believed to be an 8-year old pit bull. The animal was taken into custody by Swansea Animal rescue, states the release. Photographs from the victim's Facebook page show a family pit bull named Amigo (also referred to as Diego) that is at least 7 years old. Astacio's mauling death marks the seventh adult, ages 40 to 49, killed by a dog this year. The victims are four females and three males. 86% of these deadly attacks (6 of 7) were carried out by pit bulls.

Astacio's death also marks another fatal attack inflicted by a family pit bull, where the attack began after the victim allegedly suffered a seizure. Earlier this year, Homer Utterback, 52, was brutally killed by his pet pit bull of 10 years after suffering a seizure in Uniontown, Pennsylvania. More recently, Dustin Bryan, 21, was killed by pit bulls while sleeping on the couch of the dog owner's home in Modesto, California. A family member blamed the fatal attack on a possible seizure.

GoFundMe for Victim

In a devastating GoFundMe written by one of the victim's daughters, we learned that Melissa Ausmus Astacio was a single parent to three girls of various ages. Elysandra writes, "On Dec. 20, 2019 my mother passed away unexpectedly. She suffered from seizures and the details still are unclear why, our family dog attacked my mother while having a seizure. My 13-year old little sister ran to get help but she passed away due to her injuries. I don't know how or what to do."

WJAR spoke to neighbors, some of whom had known Astacio since she was a little girl. Part of the 911 call is also played in the news video. Astacio was fatally attacked by her pit bull of eight years at her home in the 200 block of Lees River Avenue early Friday evening. A male neighbor who was not identified told WJAR that first responders carried the woman from her home over their shoulders. "They did not wait for a stretcher or anything … she was bleeding pretty bad," he said.

The family pit bull suspected in the mauling death of its owner in Somerset, Massachusetts.

map iconView the DogsBite.org Google State Map: Massachusetts Fatal Pit Bull Attacks.

Related articles:
11/08/19: 2019 Dog Bite Fatality: Man Found Dead in Modesto Home, Two Pit Bulls Suspected
07/11/19: 2019 Dog Bite Fatality: Pit Bull Kills Owner in Uniontown; Dog was Victim's 'Best Friend'

Baseline reporting requirements:
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.

2019 Dog Bite Fatality: Woman Killed, Another Seriously Injured by Three Pit Bulls in North Houston

Medessa Ragsdale - North houston pit bull attack
Medessa Ragsdale, 44, was found dead after a vicious dog attack in north Houston.

Dogs Kill Woman
Houston, TX - One woman is dead and another severely injured after a vicious dog attack in north Houston, according to police. The attack occurred in the 5500 block of Arlington Street near East Hamilton Road. About 5:45 am police received a call from a man who said his wife was attacked and injured by dogs. Several minutes later, another person called who said he owned the dogs. According to him, the dogs also attacked a second woman, who he thought was dead in a ditch.

HPD homicide detectives are currently at the scene. The surviving woman was transported to a local hospital. All three dogs have been contained and are in the possession of animal control, police said. KTRK reports that all three dogs are pit bulls. The dogs' owner is being cooperative, police said. The case will go to the district attorney's office for review. This appears to be an off-property attack resulting in death and should fall under the Texas state felony dog attack statute.

The Two Female Victims

The injured woman is expected to survive her injuries, reports the Houston Chronicle. By about 9:00 am, the unidentified victim still lay dead in a ditch outside the dog owner's home. Horrifically, in an unrelated attack, a dog lay dead in a ditch across the street. Neighbors said the dead dog had been there for days. Neighbors said the attacking pit bulls had a history of violence, including previously attacking their owner and a home invasion attack on a neighbor a few years ago.

HPD Press Conference:

"This morning we received two separate calls about vicious animals. The first call dropped at 05:48 this morning where the complainant's husband called in and said his wife was attacked by dogs. Officers arrived at 05:52 and met the complainant and the husband at Courtland and Hamilton, where she had multiple dog bites. She was transported to Memorial Greater Heights in stable condition. She's going to survive her wounds.

At 5:55 this morning, the owner of the dogs that did the attack called the police and reported that his dogs had attacked a woman and she was lying in a ditch and she was possibly deceased. Officers tied both calls together and they came back to the scene and they found a woman, unfortunately who was deceased. She was bitten by some animals and that's why we are here.

Homicide was called to the scene and they are doing an investigation. The original investigation is that the dog owners -- when the officers went to the house -- he reported that his dogs probably attacked the lady. She's lying dead in the ditch. He's cooperative, but he's not giving any statements right now until he gets to homicide.

There are three pit bulls that we know. We don't know if they have any shots ... we have them contained. Harris County animal control is en route to take custody of the dogs. That is all we have at this time. We do not know the identity of the deceased lady yet. That is what we are trying to investigate right now." - Assistant Chief Pete Lopez, Houston Police Department

By December 23, the identity of the deceased female was still pending verification by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences. The second female victim was 49-years old. "The two women were not walking together at the time of the attack," states the Houston PD website. A friend of the deceased woman said Medessa "was out here in the streets, but she was full of life." She also said the pit bull "with the ears clipped, the big gray and white one" was aggressive.

On January 2, we contacted the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences. The office identified the victim as 44-year old Medessa Jean Ragsdale. The cause and manner of death is pending.

North houston pit bull attack

One collarless pit bull at the fatal dog mauling scene being led away by a "twine" leash.

north houston dog attack

Two other pit bulls at the north Houston fatal dog mauling scene before animal control arrives.

map iconView the DogsBite.org Google State Map: Texas Fatal Pit Bull Attacks.

Related articles:
08/13/19: 2019 Dog Bite Fatality: Texas Teen Dies After Brutal Attack by Three Pit Bulls in Irving
06/24/19: Central Texas Pediatric Study: Pit Bulls Inflicted the Highest Prevalence and Severity...
03/27/19: 2019 Dog Bite Fatality: Pit Bulls Attack, Kill Owner While in Bite Quarantine Facility

Baseline reporting requirements:
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.