Posted on March 5, 2019 by Colleen Lynn

2019 Dog Bite Fatality: Child Killed by Babysitter's Pit Bull-Mix in Salisbury, North Carolina

Jacari Long, 6-months old, was mauled to death by his babysitter's pit bull-boxer mix.

Police Investigate
UPDATE 03/06/19: Multiple news stations captured footage of the pit bull-boxer mix that killed baby Jacari while under the care of his babysitter on Tuesday. The dog is currently being held by Rowan County Animal Control. Shelter officials confirmed the dog has shown aggression toward people while being at the facility. The male dog is 4-years old, police said. Police continue to investigate to determine if the babysitter's dog had displayed aggressive behaviors in the past.

"It was very horrific. Especially for the first responders, the hospital staff involved yesterday, I know they took it hard." - Lt. Greg Beam with Salisbury Police

The WCNC report also states the babysitter left Jacari in a car seat inside the home while she went outside to clean the back of her car to make room for the baby. When she heard her mother screaming, she ran back inside and found her dog attacking the baby. The two women rushed Jacari to a hospital. He was then airlifted to Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, where he died. Police were not called until after the baby was airlifted to the trauma center in Winston-Salem.

Fox 46 Charlotte reports that "King" has been euthanized. The news station also spoke to Denise Small on the phone, a friend the baby boy's family. Small said she is heartbroken over Jacari's mauling death. "He didn't even have the chance to live life or even have a chance to enjoy life," she said. Small also wants the owner held responsible. "Right is right and wrong is wrong. They have to take the responsibility of what they did by having that dog around that baby," she said.

Deaths by Babysitter's Dog

Last year, 28% (10) of dog bite fatalities involved a babysitting or dog sitting scenario. Nine of these victims were ages 0 to 6. Five of these deaths involved the child visiting the babysitter or dog owner's home at the time, including the traumatic deaths of Jaevon Torres, killed by three pit bulls while under the care of his godmother in Philadelphia and Liana Valino, killed by one of her father's three pit bulls while under the care of her paternal grandmother in Miramar, Florida.

Of these 10 deaths, 70% involved pit bulls. Recent criminal convictions involving babysitters after a baby's mauling death include Erica Jordan, 33, in connection to the mauling death of Loxli Chavez in Missouri in 2018 and Sandra Adams, 70, in connection to the mauling death of Paris Adams, her own grandson, in Georgia in 2017. Jordan began her 4-year prison term in January 2019. It is unknown if Jacari was related to the babysitter, who is reportedly the baby's godmother.

03/05/19: Babysitter's Dog Kills Child
Salisbury, NC - A baby boy is dead after being attacked by a dog belonging to his babysitter, Salisbury police said. Jacari Long, 6-months old, died of the injuries he sustained in the attack. The attack occurred at a home in the 700 block of Wilson Road, near Livingstone College. The baby was taken to Novant Health Rowan Medical Center and airlifted to Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, where he died. The dog is described as a boxer-pit bull mix.

Police were called to the scene about 2:30 pm and determined that Jacari was inside the babysitter's home when the deadly attack happened. Police said the babysitter sat the child in the living room of her home and walked outside to clean the back seat of her car so that she and the baby could leave. While outside, the babysitter heard her mother scream. She ran back inside and found her dog attacking the baby. Rowan County Animal Control confiscated the animal.

Police said that no additional details would be released tonight. In the livecast of Fox 46 Charlotte 10:00 pm news, they called the dog a "pit bull." The baby's father shared the last video he made with Jacari on his Facebook page. Family relatives also posted in memory of Jacari to Facebook.

The family has started a GoFundMe to help with funeral costs - Jacari Long Memorial Fund.

Salisbury Police News Release

On March 5, 2019 at 2:29 pm, Salisbury Police were notified of a child that was being airlifted to NC Baptist Hospital for treatment of a dog bite. Upon investigation, officers determined that the incident happened at the home of the child’s baby sitter at 716 Wilson Road in Salisbury.

The baby sitter had sat the child down in the living room of her residence and walked outside to clean the backseat of her car so that she and the child could leave. The babysitter heard her mother scream and ran back inside of the residence. There she found the child being attacked by her boxer/pit bull mix dog. The child was taken to Novant Rowan and then Airlifted to NC Baptist Hospital in Winston-Salem.

Due to the extent of the dog bite, 6 month old Jacari Long of Lexington NC passed away from his injuries. Rowan County Animal Control responded to the residence and took custody of the dog. Salisbury Police are still investigating and no further information will be released at this time. - Salisbury Police, March 5, 2019

The babysitter's 4-year old male pit bull-mix, named King, that killed baby Jacari on Tuesday.

salisbury pit bull attack - Denise Small

Denise Small, a friend the baby boy's family, hopes the dog's owner is held responsible.

View the DogsBite.org Google State Map: North Carolina Fatal Pit Bull Attacks.

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.

Posted on March 4, 2019 by Colleen Lynn

Million Dollar Lawsuit: Mother of Child Mauled by an 'Emotional Support' Pit Bull at Portland Airport Sues

Facial injuries inflicted on Gabriella Gonzalez by an emotional support pit bull.

Million Dollar Lawsuit
Portland, OR - A civil lawsuit seeking $1.1 million in damages was filed last week by the mother of a 5-year old child who was mauled in the face by an unconfined emotional support pit bull at the Portland International Airport in 2017. The lawsuit was filed in Multnomah County Circuit Court and names multiple defendants, including the dog's owner, Michelle Brannan, who should have known that her pit bull "possessed vicious propensities," the Port of Portland and Alaska Airlines.

The lawsuit claims the Port of Portland is at fault for allowing a dangerous emotional support animal (ESA) into the airport and to pass through security without the dog being in a crate. The lawsuit also claims that Alaska Airlines is at fault for allowing Brannan to bring a dangerous ESA into the gate waiting area, where the attack happened, when the dog was not a trained service animal and was not crated, muzzled or otherwise restrained from attacking a person.

On or about December 18, 2017, Gabriella Gonzalez, age 5, was at Gate C7 of the Portland International Airport waiting for a flight with her family. Defendant Michelle Brannan came to the Portland International Airport with her pit bull. Ms. Brannan claimed the pit bull was an emotional support animal. She went through the ticketing process at Alaska Airlines without the pit bull being in a crate, kennel or other secure container. She then took the pit bull through Port of Portland security without the animal being in a crate, kennel or another secure container. Once inside the secure area of the airport, she went to gate C7 where her pit bull attacked Gabriella Gonzalez causing serious injuries as fully set forth below.

Download: Mirna Gonzalez v. Michelle Brannan, Alaska Airlines and Port of Portland

Gabriella suffered the economic damages of $100,000 and the non-economic damages of $1 million, which includes past and future pain and suffering, states the lawsuit. "Gabriella Gonzalez suffered injury to the muscles, tendons, bones, nerves and soft tissue of her face, eye, eyelid, tear duct and lip, as well as emotional trauma," states the lawsuit. All of the injuries and the "consequences of them, are permanent" and have caused her to suffer non-economic damages.

In Oregon, dog owners are only held strictly liable for the payment of "economic damages," such as medical bills. For full compensation, the victim has to prove "negligence, violation of an animal control law like a leash law, or that the dog was known to be vicious toward humans," states dogbitelaw.com. The lawsuit alleges that Brannan had "prior notice of the vicious propensities and disposition of her pit bull" and is strictly liable for the economic and non-economic damages.

The Port of Portland and Alaska Airlines are strictly liable for both types of damages due to negligence. The entities violated the Portland International Rules, which prohibit bringing an animal into the airport unless it is in a carrier or other approved container or is a trained service or law enforcement animal. Both also failed to "inspect the premises" to discover that passengers were bringing unsecured, untrained, dangerous animals into the airport, states the lawsuit.

All three defendants are strictly liable for both types of damages due to negligence; Brannan alone is accused of the "vicious propensities" claim.

Portland attorney Chad Stavely filed the lawsuit. He told The Oregonian that Gabriella and her family were waiting at gate C7 to board a plane to Texas for the Christmas holiday. The child's mother and her older sister stepped away to get coffee while Gabriella and her 13-year old brother waited at the gate. With Brannan’s consent, Gabriella started to pet the dog. The pit bull then attacked her face, puncturing her eyelid, severing her tear duct and inflicting other injuries.

The Oregonian also spoke to Kama Simonds, a spokesperson for the Port of Portland. Simonds said the port does distinguish between trained service animals and emotional support animals -- the latter must be in carriers while moving through the airport. If the animal is too large for a carrier, it must be on a leash within three feet of its owner. Port officials cited Brannan for failing to crate her pit bull, so officials must have believed the dog was not too large for a carrier.

Unlike in most aircraft cabins, where ESAs are allowed uncaged, the Port of Portland required them to be in carriers during the ticketing process, passing through security and moving through the airport. Six months after Gabriella was bitten, the Port of Portland updated their rules and posted signage in the terminal to inform owners of emotional support animals that they must be kept in a pet carrier. Only ESAs "too large" for a carrier can be "carried" or on a short leash.

Untrained, Uncaged Emotional Support Animals

In July 2017, we published a special report after an untrained, uncaged "support dog" repeatedly attacked a passenger in the face onboard a Delta aircraft in Atlanta. The report details the unprovoked attack, how passengers routinely "game the system" by buying fake service dog and ESA credentials online and argued that ESAs in the cabin should be limited in size. The 50-pound "support dog" had been sitting on its owner's lap when it attacked the passenger one seat over.

Our report was limited to inside an aircraft. The Portland case involves the broader experience of airline travel -- time spent traversing, waiting and interacting at an airport. There are numerous security protocols at airports to keep the public safe and to stop threats from boarding a plane. Yet in this case, Brannan waltzed through the security checkpoint with her support pit bull uncrated, while knowing of the dog's vicious propensities, and gave a young child consent to pet her dog.

We cannot emphasize enough the negligent actions of Brannan, given her alleged "prior notice of the vicious propensities" of her pit bull.

The definition of an ESA is that they do not require any training, much less any training for public access. The sole function of an ESA is to "provide comfort" to a person with disabilities. If the Port of Portland and Alaska Airlines had been enforcing the Portland International Rules, Brannan and her unsecured ESA would have been stopped at the Alaska Airline ticketing area or when reaching the airport's security checkpoint. Both entities failed to do so and a lawsuit has resulted.

The lawsuit also states the Port of Portland and Alaska Airlines are negligent for "failing to warn guests of the dangers of unsecured, untrained animals in the airport so that they could protect themselves." When Brannan's unsecured emotional support pit bull bit Gabriella in the face at gate C7, there was no notice to the public that ESAs by definition are untrained (as are fake service dogs) and can pose a danger when unsecured. Such notices are likely absent today too.

Tightening the Reins on Untrained ESAs

In January 2018, Delta Air Lines introduced "enhanced requirements" for service and emotional support animals, requiring proof of vaccinations and more. Many airlines followed, including Alaska Airlines, whose new policy came into effect in May 2018 -- just five months after Gabriella was bitten. Among Alaska's requirements are a Confirmation of Liability and Emotional Support Animal Behavior form and an Animal Health Advisory form -- no proof of vaccinations is required.

In June 2018, Delta Air Lines announced additional restrictions on service and support animals. The restrictions include limiting each passenger to one emotional support animal per flight and banning pit bull-type dogs as service or support animals. "These updates, which come as the peak summer travel season is underway, are the direct result of growing safety concerns following recent incidents in which several employees were bitten," states the Delta news release.

The Delta policy went into effect July 10, one day after public comments closed by the Department of Transportation to determine the "appropriate definition of a service animal" and ways to reduce the number of fake service and support animals. Nothing has resulted from the proposed rulemaking process thus far. Allegiant Air followed suit in December 2018, stating on their service animal and ESA forms, "Please note Allegiant does not transport pit bull or pit bull-type breeds."

That same month, Delta pushed even further by banning ESAs on long haul flights and banning all service and support animals under the age of four months. “We will continue to review and enhance our policies and procedures as health and safety are core values at Delta,” said John Laughter, Senior Vice President – Corporate Safety, Security and Compliance. Again, the rulemaking process can be arduous and Delta must only provide "reasonable accommodation."

Port Authorities and Airlines on Notice

The million dollar lawsuit filed by Gabriella's mother places all port authorities and airlines on notice. An airport is a "public access" space that is governed under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The act does not afford ESAs access to public spaces. Only trained service animals have this authorization. Municipal port authorities with lax enforcement of their own rules or those that grant ESAs the same access privileges as service dogs may be at risk of a similar lawsuit.

Stavely told the Washington Post that he hopes the lawsuit will push port authorities and airlines to strictly enforce the strengthened polices around ESAs that were largely created in response to the severe facial attack inflicted by a "support dog" onboard a Delta aircraft in 2017.1 Stavely also said that he plans to investigate whether the pit bull that bit Gabriella was a legitimate emotional support dog. Brannan's ESA letter simply prescribed an "animal" for her, not even an animal type.

This $1.1 million lawsuit will indeed push the envelope on this competing public interests debate. The public and airlines like Delta exhibit far less tolerance today for people abusing the Air Carrier Access Act so their pets can fly free. The severe facial attack Gabriella suffered while waiting at gate C7 could have been averted. All three parties, the dog's owner, the Port of Portland and Alaska Air, are now being accused of fault. We hope this civil lawsuit is argued before a jury.

The Portland Law Office of Chad Stavley specializes in significant injury and wrongful death cases and has the "largest dog attack verdict in recent Oregon history," according to the firm's website.

emotional support pit bull - portland airport

On February 27, 2019, Michelle Kay Brannan removed the above Facebook profile image.

emotional support pit bull PDX facial attack

Reflects the Portland International Airport (PDX) rules six months after the attack (6/28/2018).

1Technically, the 50-pound dog that attacked Marlin Jackson in the face was a psychiatric service dog (PSA), according to comments by Delta Air Lines posted to the U.S. Department of Transportation website in July 2018. Most airlines treat these two types of dogs the same in flying requirements, despite one being a service dog under the ADA that "performs a task" and the other, which "provides comfort" to a person with a qualifying disability.

Posted on February 28, 2019 by Colleen Lynn

2019 Dog Bite Fatality: Elderly Woman Killed by Neighbor's Pack of Dogs in Lubbock, Texas

Johnnie Mae Garner, 88, died after she was attacked by a pack of dogs in Lubbock.

Charged with Felony
UPDATE 03/09/19: On Friday, police arrested Courtney White, 47, the owner of six pit bull-mixes that fatally attacked an elderly woman last month, in connection to her mauling death. White is charged with a second-degree felony count of "attack by dog." On February 27, Johnnie Garner, 88, was brutally attacked by White's loose dogs at her northeast Lubbock home in the 1800 block of East Colgate Street. She sustained life-threatening injuries and later died at a local hospital.

White was arrested a few hours after Lubbock police investigators presented their case to the Lubbock County Criminal District Attorney’s office. White was booked into the Lubbock County Detention Center Friday. White's dogs had a history of running loose and attacking people. Just two days before killing Garner, Roy Brown said that four of White's dogs attacked him after killing a dog. Brown suffered multiple injuries and was taken to UMC by ambulance after the attack.

The Texas felony dog attack statute (Health and Safety Code 822.005), "Attack by Dog," was enacted in 2007 and has two sections. White is likely being charged under the first: "with criminal negligence, as defined by Section 6.03, Penal Code, fails to secure the dog and the dog makes an unprovoked attack on another person that occurs at a location other than the owner's real property ... that causes serious bodily injury, as defined by Section 1.07, Penal Code, or death..."

Arrest Warrant Released

Three days after White was arrested and charged, additional facts became known when the arrest warrant was released. On February 25, four of White's dogs attacked Brown and killed a dog. At that time, White called Lubbock Animal Services to turn over the dogs, stating he could no longer care for them or keep them secure. White reportedly showed investigators his call logs, which showed that he called the city agency two days before his pack of pit bull-mixes killed Garner.

According to White, the agency told him he needed to "make an appointment" to drop off the dogs and the earliest timeslot was March 1. Investigators said a portion of White's backyard fence was blown down and other parts of the fence were in disrepair. So, why didn't the agency seize White's dogs after they attacked Brown and killed a dog on February 25? Also, why did White have to wait four days to surrender his "biting" and dangerous dogs to an "open admission" city shelter?

Roy Brown cries during the KCBD interview after Garner was mauled and killed and states, "This lady did not have to die, she really didn't."

White's dogs killed Garner on February 27. At that time, animal services seized all six of his dogs -- no "waiting period" was required. The four dogs that attacked Brown and killed a dog on February 25 should have been in quarantine at the time of Garner's death. At the very least, White should have been able to surrender his dogs quickly after the February 25 attack. The Lubbock Animal Shelter and Adoption Center is open daily 8am - 6pm and Saturday 12pm - 4pm.

03/04/19: Dogs Euthanized
All six dogs involved in the mauling death of 88-year old Johnnie Garner were euthanized. Steven Greene, director of Lubbock Animal Services, said his agency responded to the scene last Wednesday and impounded the dogs. Greene described all six dogs as pit bull-mixes. Greene said he's never seen an attack that has caused death. "I've been here since August of 2013 with the department and I haven't ever seen an attack that's caused a death within the city," he said.

The death of Garner is the first dog bite fatality we have recorded in Lubbock County since 2005; the year that marks our data collection of all U.S. dog bite fatalities. The Fatal Pit Bull Attacks archive shows that Alva Rogers, 82, was killed by a pit bull in Lubbock County in 2000 and Aurora Gonzales, 64, was struck down by a pit bull in the county in 1997. All three victims were older females. There are no recorded Lubbock County deaths in the Fatal Rottweiler Attacks archive.

Just after we published this update, KCBD reported that a Lubbock man was attacked by four of these same pit bull-mixes just two days before they killed Garner. Roy Brown said the dogs attacked him in an alley as he was walking home. “That lady didn’t have to die, she really didn’t," Brown said. He said he unknowingly walked up on the pack of dogs after they had killed another dog. Then the dogs attacked him. Brown was taken to UMC by ambulance after the attack.

These previous attacks on a person and pet dog while being "at large" should prompt charges under the Texas felony dog attack law. Police have not released the name of the dogs' owner.

02/28/19: Pack of Dogs Kill Woman
Lubbock, TX - An 88-year old woman is dead after being mauled to death by a pack of dogs, Lubbock police confirmed. Police responded to the 1800 block of East Colgate Street about 6:30 pm Wednesday after it was reported that six dogs attacked her. "The reporting party came home and found his dogs had gotten out of his yard," police said. "He found them attacking his neighbor," police said. The victim was transported to Covenant Health where she later died.

Lubbock Animal Control confiscated the attacking dogs. Police later released identification photographs of the dogs to media outlets.

Family members identified the victim as Johnnie Mae Garner. According to the police report, a neighbor told the dogs' owner that his dogs were loose and running around. The owner went into the alley to find them and heard Garner screaming for help. He found the dogs mauling Garner. He jumped the fence to help, but his own "pack of dogs" then charged him. Police have not released the dog owner's name, who apparently flagged down the officers to help them locate Garner.

In an evening update by Fox 19 News, identification photographs of all six dogs were released. Two of the dogs are pit bulls. The rest appear to be part pit bull. The dogs may be related too -- siblings or offspring. In the City of Lubbock, no residence shall harbor more than four adult dogs. Any person desiring more must apply with the director of animal services for a multipet permit, which requires a premises inspection to determine compliance and renewal every two years.

Packs of Dogs Killing Women

Garner's death marks a string of women killed by a pack of loose dogs, starting with Dianne Reves, 70, who was killed by seven dogs belonging to her neighbor on January 9 in Grenada, Mississippi. Reves had worked for years as a nurse. She died alone in her backyard. On January 16, Lana Bergman, 70, was mauled to death by a pack of loose pit bulls on her own property in Joshua Tree, California. The dogs belonged to unwelcome squatters staying on her property.

On February 9, Angela Johnson, 54, died following a brutal mauling late last year. On December 15, Johnson was hanging laundry in her yard in rural Anza, California when three loose pit bulls attacked her. On February 18, Brenda Hamilton, 77, was attacked by a suspected pack of dogs near her home in Pentago, North Carolina. She died two days later. Hamilton had been an English teacher at Pungo Christian School since 1968 and was known as the school's "matriarch."

Finally, just two days ago, Bessie Peterson, 88, was discovered horribly injured by a pack of dogs on her own property in Pickett County, Tennessee. She was airlifted from the scene to Vanderbilt Medical Center where she later died. The pack of dogs are alleged to belong to a neighbor. No breed information or description of the dogs has been made public. Garner's death marks the sixth female victim, aged 54 to 88, in this series of similar fatal pack attack maulings since January 9.

Despite each death involving a pack of loose dogs and negligent owners, no criminal charges have been filed in any case yet. Local and state dog attack statutes are so deficient in the U.S. that even when a "pack of dogs" -- which by definition is "dangerous" -- escapes a dog owner's property and savagely mauls a person to death, authorities are slow-moving at best and at worst, they throw up their arms and say, "My hands are tied. There is no statute to charge under."

In each case, the women were on their own property when the dogs attacked, except for Hamilton, who was taking her routine morning walk on Indian Run Road near her home. After Johnson was brutally attacked, her son published an update on her GoFundMe page. "She was lifeless when family found her. Her eyes were stuck as wide open as could be … and that terrified expression stayed on my mom's face, until she was airlifted to Desert Regional Hospital," her son wrote.

Four of the six fatally attacking dogs -- at least two are pit bulls and two are pit bull-mixes.

Two of the six dogs involved in the fatal mauling of 88-year old Johnnie Mae Garner.

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

Posted on February 27, 2019 by Colleen Lynn

2019 Dog Bite Fatality: Elderly Woman Mauled by Pack of Dogs in Pickett County Dies

Bessie "Jill" Peterson, 88, died Tuesday after being mauled by a pack of dogs.

Owner Faces Two Felonies
UPDATE 09/10/19: On August 13, the Pickett County Grand Jury indicted Holland "Holly" Evans of Pall Mall in connection to the death of 88-year old Bessie Jill Peterson. On February 26, Jill was savagely attacked and killed by a pack of six dogs. Her sister, Nina Brown, 85, witnessed part of the attack. "They dragged her down the yard and all of her clothes were off, her shoes, everything. They tore all of her hair out, the casket can't be open, it's like a nightmare," Brown said back then.

The attack occurred in Jill's backyard. Evans, who owns the dogs and resided next door, now faces two felonies: 1.) Dogs running at large causing death, a Class D Felony and 2.) Criminally negligent homicide, a Class E Felony. Evans is currently being held at the Fentress County Jail, with a bond of $500,000. An arraignment hearing is scheduled for November 14. District Attorney General Bryant Dunaway had attempted to indict Evans in April, but that grand jury declined.

The Pickett County Press did not run this article online. Kim Brown is a niece of the victim. Evans has multiple aliases, including: Holland "Holly" Evans-Delk, Holland Hugh Evans and Holly Evans.

04/24/19: Report Clarifies Breeds Involved
The local newspaper, The Pickett County Press, recently clarified the breeds involved in the brutal mauling death of 88-year old Jill Peterson. Sheriff Dowdy stated that the veterinarian report determined that each of the six dogs is a mixed-breed. One of the dogs "could have had some type of shepherd mix," reports The Press, but none of the dogs had pit bull features. No photographs of the attacking dogs were released. The owner of the dogs remains unnamed.

"This is a very sad situation. Once we gather the facts, we'll determine if there's criminal liability or not." - District Attorney Bryant Dunaway

The vicious pack attack occurred on February 26 while Peterson was in her own backyard. Her sister Nina Brown witnessed part of the deadly mauling. "They drug her down there in the yard and all of her clothes was off. They just tore them, her shoes and everything. All of her hair is out. The casket can't be open," Brown said back in February. District Attorney Bryant Dunaway said his office would likely present this case before the Pickett County grand jury at the end of April.

Previous news reports stated that authorities had been contacted about these dogs in the past. Through a records request, The Press was able to review the Pickett County Sheriff call logs pertaining to any calls at Evans Lane about dogs. They found five calls regarding dogs that began on July 7, 2016 with the last being placed on May 8, 2018. The calls were made by different people for complaints of "unidentified" dogs barking and approaching people, reports The Press.

02/28/19: Sister Shares Attack Details
Bessie "Jill" Peterson's sister, Nina Brown, shared the horrific details of her sister's violent dog mauling death with News Channel 5. On Tuesday, Jill went out to the back of her home to clear a drainage ditch after recent heavy rains. A pack of six German shepherd-mixes came up behind her and viciously attacked her. "They dragged her down the yard and all of her clothes were off, her shoes, everything. They tore all of her hair out, the casket can’t be open," Brown said.

"Whatever she (the owner) gets, it won’t be enough," Brown said. "She knew the dogs were dangerous and did nothing about it." - Nina Brown

Brown, who is 85, witnessed part of the attack. She tried to intervene, but three of the dogs charged her. "They started after me and I had to call 911," Brown said. Peterson was airlifted to Vanderbilt University Medical Center where she later died. The dogs belong to a neighbor who lives behind her home. Over the years, prior incidents by these dogs had been reported to authorities. District Attorney Bryant Dunaway said the dog's owner could face homicide charges.

02/27/19: Pack of Dogs Kill Woman
Pall Mall, TN - An elderly woman is dead after being attacked by a pack of dogs, Pickett County Sheriff Dana Dowdy said today. The attack occurred Tuesday about 5:00 pm. Deputies responded to a 911 call at 161 Evans Lane. Bessie Jill Peterson, 88, was airlifted from the scene to Vanderbilt Medical Center where she later died. Police believe six dogs inflicted the mauling and are alleged to belong to a neighbor. The 13th Judicial District Attorney's Office is aiding in the investigation.

Pickett County is the least populated county in Tennessee with just over 5,000 estimated people. Peterson only had one residential neighbor, according to Pickett County property records. The two other nearby properties are classified as agricultural. Limited information is being released by the sheriff at this time. No description of the dogs has been made public. In early February, in another small town along the Tennessee and Kentucky border, a family pit bull fatally mauled a baby boy.

Past Tennessee Fatalities

The most recent news from Tennessee is a $2.5 million dollar verdict awarded to a family after two pit bulls killed William Parker in 2010. For seven years, his daughter and her mother fought a legal battle against the apartment complex where the pit bulls were kept. They sued management, Epstein Enterprises, and the property owner, Longview Heights Partners, saying they knew or should have known of the dogs' vicious propensities. The dogs had attacked people before.

Our records show there have been at least 11 fatal dog maulings in Tennessee since 2005. Nearly half of these deaths occurred over the 2-year period of 2005 to 2006. In February 2017, two English mastiffs killed a 5-year old boy in Clarksville, another northern Tennessee city. In November 2015, Anthony Riggs, 57-years old, was brutally killed by a rottweiler he had adopted just hours earlier from Jackson-Madison County Rabies Control -- the county animal shelter.

The location where a pack of dogs fatally mauled Bessie "Jill" Peterson in Pall Mall.

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