Posted on October 5, 2018 by Colleen Lynn

The Animal Foundation "Vetted" and Adopted Out the Dog

Susan Sweeney, 58, was killed by a mastiff-mix she adopted three days earlier.

Shelter Dog Kills Adopter
UPDATE 10/09/18: On October 1, around 11:40 pm, a Las Vegas man came home from work and discovered his wife of 26 years dead, mauled to death by the family's recently adopted dog. Susan Sweeney, 58, was alone with the mastiff-mix at her home in the 5000 block of River Splash Avenue when the animal fatally attacked her. Sweeney was declared dead at 1:05 am Tuesday. The coroner's office ruled the cause of death a mauling. The manner of death was an accident.

The 3-year old male mastiff-mix was adopted to the family three days earlier by The Animal Foundation, which claims to be the "highest volume single-site animal shelter in America," on their website. The dog was 83 pounds, not large enough to be a mastiff-presa canario mix, as stated by city officials. The Foundation released a statement saying, it "did not have any information regarding the dog’s prior circumstances that would have led us to believe that he was unsafe."

One day before the family adopted the mastiff-mix, her husband posted photographs of the dog on Facebook. He also asked about the breed, "Question is never had this breed before so anyone out there know anything about them please share." Certainly, it never occurred to him that his question held "life or death" consequences. Unfortunately, it truly is a "life or death" decision every adopter accepts -- knowingly or not -- when adopting a dangerous dog breed from a public shelter today.

The 911 call by Sweeney's husband after finding his wife is horrific and heartbreaking.

Notably, during the news coverage, a bright, colorful Best Friends Animal Society transport van was seen in The Animal Foundation's parking lot. Best Friends is the largest promoter of reckless no kill policies, which places "save rates" an order of magnitude higher than public safety.

10/05/18: Woman Killed by Own Dog
Las Vegas, NV - A 58-year old woman was killed on October 1 by a recently adopted dog. Today, the Clark County Coroner identified the victim as Susan Sweeney. The cause of death was ruled a dog mauling. On October 1, Las Vegas police were dispatched to a home in the 5000 block of River Splash Avenue around 11:40 pm after a family member called saying a woman appeared to be deceased. The family member told police they had only had the mastiff-mix for a few days.

The victim's family recently started a GoFundMe page. "This GoFundMe will cover the funeral expenses for our beloved Susie," states the page. Sweeney leaves behind two children and a husband of 26 years, states the page. According to her husband Patrick's Facebook page, the couple adopted a 3-year old male mastiff-mix on September 28 from an unspecified shelter. The dog literally attacked and killed her three days later. The shelter facility has not been identified.

The husband also posted on September 6, saying that his family dog had recently been laid to rest. "All those dog lovers know the emptiness after the fact and to say I miss him and love him so much doesn't say enough but I know he will always be with me," Patrick said. This may have been why the couple decided to adopt a dog a few weeks later. That should have never been a "life or death" decision, but it is today when you adopt certain dog breeds from a rescue or shelter.

Sweeney's mauling death marks the fourth deadly dog attack this year by a recently adopted or rehomed dog. Three of these fatalities involved rescue pit bulls. Sweeney's death also marks the seventh dog bite fatality in 2018, where the animal fatally attacked its owner. Five of these owner fatalities involved pit bulls, one fatality involved a dogo Argentino and Sweeny's death involved a mastiff-mix. So far in 2018, at least 24 Americans have been mauled to death by a canine.

Afternoon Updates

An update by KTNV News around 4:15 pm Central time, states the dog is mastiff-presa canario mix. It was adopted from The Animal Foundation, which is the "highest volume single-site animal shelter in America," according to their website. Las Vegas Animal Control said the dog's behavior was assessed before it was adopted. For over a decade, The Animal Foundation operated the city's municipal shelter (Lied Animal Shelter). Apparently, the nonprofit still maintains this contract.

The Animal Foundation released a statement to KTNV News about Sweeney's mauling death:

"The Animal Foundation has recently learned that a woman who adopted a large dog from our shelter lost her life as the result of an apparent attack from the same dog. At the request of her husband, the dog was humanely euthanized after the conclusion of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department’s investigation. The Animal Foundation did not have any information regarding the dog’s prior circumstances that would have led us to believe that he was unsafe, and while this dog was in our care his behavior did not raise any concerns. There are no words that can appropriately convey the deep sadness felt by The Animal Foundation. Our sympathies, thoughts, and prayers are with this woman’s family in the wake of their heartbreaking loss."

The Animal Foundation now joins a growing number of shelters that adopted out a dog that killed a person. In September, the Logan County Pound (WV) allowed a rescue to "pull" a death row pit bull, which quickly killed its new owner. In 2017, the Kent County Animal Shelter (MI) and El Paso Animal Services (TX) were the origins of dogs that each killed a child. In late 2016, the New York City municipal shelter allowed a rescue to "pull" a death row pit bull, which killed its new adopter.

In April 2016, the San Diego Humane Society adopted out a pit bull-mix that struck down an infant. In 2015, the Jackson-Madison County Pound (TN) adopted out a rottweiler that instantly killed its new owner. Also in 2015, the Asheville Humane Society adopted out a pit bull that killed a 6-year old boy three weeks later. Asheville Humane used the "state-of-the-art" temperament test, SAFER, to test the dog, which cannot measure unpredictable aggression nor can any temperament test.

Animal behaviorist Alexandra Semyonova wrote an analysis of shelter dog assessments in September 2016: Behavior Testing Shelter Dogs -- A Summary of Where We Are Now

The newly adopted mastiff-mix as seen on the victim's husband's Facebook page September 27.

A Best Friends Animal Society's transport van seen in Animal Foundation's parking lot 10/5/18.

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 September 14, 2018 by Colleen Lynn

2018 Dog Bite Fatality: Pit Bull Kills Owner in Baker City Who Tried to Stop a Dog Fight Inside His Home

Mitchelle Dean Segerdahl, 53, died after one of his six pit bulls clamped onto his neck.

Letter to the Editor
UPDATE 09/20/18: On Wednesday, the Baker City Herald published a follow up article in their print version. We were able to gain a copy. Baker City Police did receive a complaint about one of Mitchelle Segerdahl's pit bulls on July 26. One of his dogs had reportedly nipped at someone's ankle and was growling and acting aggressively, Police Chief Dustin Newman told the Herald. Police met with Segerdahl at his home and the matter was resolved -- no citation was issued.

At some point (no date was listed), police cited Segerdahl for failing to have a kennel permit. All households harboring more than four dogs are required to have a kennel permit, according to a local ordinance. Segerdahl obtained a permit on January 3, 2018. "If you're having too much of a problem, we will revoke a kennel permit," Chief Newman said. Apparently, that was not the case with Segerdahl, who also had to undergo a background check in order to obtain the permit.

"We all knew about the dogs," Chief Newman said, adding that they were well cared for, reports the Herald.

The major issue with Segerdahl's six pit bulls is that they would fight each other, Newman said. When police discovered Segerdahl dead inside his home on September 9, two of his six pit bulls were also dead. The dogs literally fought to their death. A September 14 news release issued by District Attorney Matt Shirtcliff states, "Evidence at the scene indicated that Mr. Segerdahl may have been attempting to break up a fight between the dogs when he received a fatal dog bite."

The Herald also interviewed Kiashandra Zimmerman, who was a good friend of Segerdahl and owns a pit bull named Batman. Despite the dogs mauling their owner to death, Zimmerman believes his surviving four pit bulls could have been adoptable. Zimmerman, who has a 3-year old daughter, said she would have gladly taken in at least two of his pit bulls, if she did not already have three dogs. Segerdahl's four remaining pit bulls were impounded by officials and euthanized.

Finally, the Herald did publish a letter to the editor on their website. Steve Culley questioned why the September 14 front page of the paper was monopolized by the recent cougar attack in Oregon, but Segerdahl's death was allocated to page two. "We have had our second pit bull death in Baker City," Culley states (since 2013 and in a city of less than 10,000 people). "The odds of being killed by a pit bull far exceed any probability of being killed by a cougar or bear," Culley said.

09/14/18: Man Killed by His Own Pit Bull
Baker City, OR - A 53-year old man died after he was attacked by a pit bull in the neck, District Attorney Matt Shirtcliff said in a press release. Mitchelle Dean Segerdahl was found dead inside his home on September 9 along with six pit bulls, two of which were dead. The cause of death was determined to be a dog bite to his neck. All six pit bulls belonged to Segerdahl. Officials believe Segerdahl was trying to break up a fight between the pit bulls when he suffered a fatal bite.

"Evidence at the scene indicated that Mr. Segerdahl may have been attempting to break up a fight between the dogs when he received a fatal dog bite." - District Attorney Matt Shirtcliff

Shirtcliff said it appears the two dead pit bulls died as a result of the dog fight. "The four remaining dogs were impounded by the Baker City Police Department and have been euthanized," states the release. Police said it was unclear exactly when the fight happened, but friends had not seen Segerdahl since September 6. In 2013, in this same small city, Jordan Ryan, 5-years old, was mauled to death by a recently adopted "rescue" pit bull belonging to his babysitter, Mary Lane.

Ten days ago, Robin Conway, 64-years old, was killed by a pit bull she had rescued from death row two weeks earlier in Columbia, Maryland. In February, David Brown, 46, died after trying to break up a fight between his family pit bull and beagle in Owensboro, Kentucky. In March, Hong Saengsamly, 49, was violently attacked and killed by her own pit bull in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Finally, in August, Della Riley, 42, was brutally killed by her family pit bull in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Needless to say, 2018 will weigh in as a heavy year for pit bulls killing their owners, the very hands that house and feed them. On the Baker City Herald Facebook page, a woman named Nina Walker claims to be Segerdahl's neighbor. She claims his pit bulls killed her dog and that he was also trying to obtain a dog kennel license for his home at 2251 Mitchell Avenue to bring in more pit bulls. We hope the Baker City Herald can verify some of these claims in the next few days.

The Baker City animal ordinance does state that a kennel permit is required to harbor more than four dogs. All property owners within 600 feet of the proposed kennel property are sent written notice in advance and have 30 days to respond if they oppose the issuance of the permit. In May 2016, Segerdahl reported to police that five of his adult pit bulls were stolen from his van while parked on Broadway Street. Segerdahl was already in violation of the city ordinance back then.

View the DogsBite.org Google State Map: Oregon Fatal Pit Bull Maulings.

Posted on September 13, 2018 by Colleen Lynn

Coroner Rules Cause of Death Heart Attack After Pit Bull Attacks Two in Morgan County, Missouri

A woman, 61, was found dead after being attacked by a pit bull she was dog sitting.

Post-Fatality Dog Bites
UPDATE 10/07/18: Last week, we were finally able to talk to the county coroner. He confirmed the victim suffered a fatal heart attack and was bitten by the dog afterward. The bites were inflicted post-mortem. Despite the conflicting media reports, one news report did clearly state this. Initially, police did not know the order of the events, not until the autopsy was complete. To add more confusion, this pit bull attacked the man who tried to help the woman and also had a history of attacks.

09/13/18: Woman Found Dead
Morgan County, MO - On September 1, the Morgan County Sheriff’s Department received a 911 call from a man who reported that a 61-year old woman had been viciously attacked by a large pit bull at a home in the 30000 block of Proctor Road. The woman was dog sitting the pit bull at the owner's home. The man went to the home to check on the woman, Morgan County Sheriff Norman Dills said. He found her on the ground, and when he tried to help her, the pit bull attacked him.

Responding paramedics found the woman on the floor, but could not treat her due to the aggressive pit bull that was guarding her body. In addition to the September 1 attacks on the woman and man, who required surgery for his wounds, the pit bull attacked two other people previously, Sheriff Dills said. Deputies were forced to gun down the dog to reach the woman. When emergency responders were able to reach her, they discovered she was deceased.

On September 5, Captain J. D. Williams identified the victim as 61-year old Deborah Russell. The medical examiner determined the cause of death was a heart attack and not the injuries sustained in the vicious attack. Instances involving fatal heart attacks and vicious dog attacks are included in DogsBite.org statistical data when the victim sustains serious bite injuries, like the vicious attack of David Brown and his wife by a family pit bull in Owensboro, Kentucky in February of this year.

Deaths like Russell are examined on a case-by-case basis. The requirements are a vicious attack causing serious injuries when the underlying cause of death is a heart attack. Over the 13-year period of 2005 to 2017, canines killed 433 Americans. Only 1.4% (6) of those deaths involved fatal heart attacks where the victim suffered bite injuries ranging from serious to catastrophic. Typically, but not always, coroners remark that bites are a contributing cause of death in these cases.

The gist of what the sheriff is saying in the Lake Expo piece -- and in earlier news articles -- is that the woman was attacked and injured by the dog and suffered a fatal heart attack. The dog was in the home alone with the deceased victim for about an hour before being discovered. According to the coroner, the bite injuries were not lethal. The idea that a coroner could not determine pre- from post-mortem bite injuries, as Sheriff Dills states, is the only part of this case that lacks reason.

Posted on September 4, 2018 by Colleen Lynn

Originating County Shelter of Fatally Attacking Pit Bull is Logan, WV

Robin Conway, 64, was mauled to death by a pit bull she adopted two weeks earlier.

Victim and Killer Dog
UPDATE 09/27/18: On September 27, we were alerted to an updated portion of a Baltimore Sun article that contained descriptive information about the male pit bull that attacked and killed Robin Conway on September 3, two weeks after Conway rescued the dog from death row. "Ramsey said Conway had been in contact with a West Virginia rescue group for some time about the all-white male pit bull initially named Snowball that she eventually brought home," reports The Sun.

Usually, news sources show the first and last update in the time stamp -- but not The Sun. So we did not review this article again until today. With this new information, we were able to quickly locate the pit bull and validate Robin Conway as its new owner. On August 21, Conway is photographed with an all-white pit bull named Snowball, which was pulled from the Logan County Pound in West Virginia by Laura Shamblin-Smith's rescue then transported by Robin Kilgore.

Several days earlier, Selena Marcum of The Paws Squad, who frequently pulls death row dogs from the Logan County Pound, put out an "urgent call" for Snowball -- previously named Bullet. Marcum stated the dog was an owner surrender that had been given up two times previously. Snowball was living on "borrowed time," Marcum wrote, and had been the longest stay at the shelter. "Good with male and female dogs and loves human attention," Marcum wrote.

On August 9, Marcum wrote that Snowball is only slated for rescues -- not available for adoption. The Logan County Pound apparently does not adopt out pit bulls or disagreed with her assessment of the dog. On August 1, the dog's previous owner states in comments: "Yes this is my pit, his name is Bullet not Snowball, Angel Harley Sumpter states. "I was letting a friend keep him cause I can't have a pet where I live." It is unclear if Sumpter knows that Bullet killed Conway.

Watch behavior videos of Snowball before being "saved" from death row: Video 1 | Video 2

Robin Conway seen with the pit bull named Snowball, AKA "Bullet," on August 21, 2018.

A recent GoFundMe page by Shamblin-Smith, who is based in Amma, West Virginia, states that donations for her rescue efforts are "tax exempt." The fund is titled: Wheels 4 Paws. It is unclear at this time if Shamblin-Smith is one of many drivers for North Carolina-based Wheels 4 Paws, which offers "freedom rides" for unwanted and death row dogs in southeastern states up to northeastern states. They also do "emergency" cross-country transports, according to the nonprofit's website.

Finally, while Marcum of Paws Squad credit's Shamblin-Smith for the lifesaving "pull" of Snowball on August 21, a fundraiser for "Snowball's Vetting Costs" shows that Ray of Hope Dog Rescue, a Howard County, Maryland-based rescue, takes credit for "pulling" Snowball on the same day -- two days before his August 23 scheduled euthanasia date. Though all players are eager to take credit for the "pull and save," they are just as eager now to delete pages associated to Snowball.

Snowball seen at the Logan County Pound, posted July 25, 2018 (right), and other photographs.

09/06/18: No New Information
The Howard County Police Department has still not released information about the shelter or rescue that adopted out a pit bull that killed its owner two weeks later. On Labor Day, Robin Conway, 64, was mauled to death by a male pit bull she went out-of-state to adopt two weeks earlier. The adoption date coincides with August 18, where NBC and Telemundo news stations teamed up with shelters nationwide for the fourth annual "Clear the Shelters" adoption drive.

A report from Fox Baltimore states, "Family members say Conway found the dog two weeks ago at an out-of-town shelter and saved the animal from being put to death." This pit bull, presumably, was a death row dog. Despite hundreds of unwanted pit bulls in shelters closer to Conway -- eager to be adopted on August 18 -- the victim went out-of-state to get this particular dog. The results were deadly. The animal mauled her to death just after she took the dog for an evening walk.

The term "out-of-state" pertaining to rescue pit bulls is more loaded that it sounds. Hypothetically, the dog was on death row at a southern high-kill shelter until a rescue transport swooped in and gave the dog a "freedom ride" up North, where it wound up on death row (again) in a Northeastern shelter. While sitting on that death row, the dog was pulled by a different out-of-state rescue and passed through two different states before being delivered to its umpteenth "forever home."

Early reports indicate Conway was fostering the dog, which is another "fast fix" to stop the euthanasia clock for aggressive pit bulls. But the clock always keeps ticking, because virtually no foster can handle such a problematic dog for more than a few weeks. When the foster returns the dog, the "urgent death row dog" calls go out again for a new foster to stop the clock again for a few weeks. It's unknown what happened in this case, but there is a world of possibilities.

Also, the victim's sister, Susan Eve LeClair, offered up a press conference to an array of news stations Tuesday professing that not all pit bulls are bad." No one has ever said, "all pit bulls are bad." The argument is that the public -- and even trained professionals -- cannot tell the difference between a good pit bull and bad pit bull. The attack methods are the same: A "no warning," unprovoked attack with explosive aggression followed by the dog executing the killing bite.

In 2012, the highest court in Maryland issued the seminal ruling declaring "pit bulls inherently dangerous" in Tracey v. Solesky. The Court's decision was in part due to their attack method and the severe and fatal injuries pit bulls inflict. The Court did not ban pit bulls. They attached strict liability to the owner when a pit bull attacks. "When an attack involves pit bulls, it is no longer necessary to prove that the particular pit bull or pit bulls are dangerous," the Court wrote.

"Everybody's different. Every animal's different. Some animals have their problems that you don’t see on the outside." - Susan Eve LeClair

The state legislature muted the high court's ruling in 2014 after two years of high profile legislative attempts to derail the ruling and replace it with a statutory dog bite law. People like Conway and LeClair celebrated afterward. Four years later, and less than 24 hours after her sister was killed by a pit bull, LeClair sticks to her propaganda-based logic that every "dog is an individual." Even the CDC admitted 18 years ago, "there appears to be a breed-specific problem with fatalities."

09/04/18: Adopted Pit Bull Kills Owner
Columbia, MD - A 64-year old woman is dead after being attacked by a pit bull she adopted two weeks ago, states a news release by the Howard County Police Department. Robin Conway had adopted the pit bull out-of-state. On Labor Day, police were called to a home in the 6300 block of Tamar Drive for a report that a woman had been attacked and badly injured by a pit bull she recently adopted. Officers found Conway deceased in her backyard with "significant injuries."

A family member discovered Conway in her backyard about 7:20 pm with the dog standing over. The person tied the dog to a fence post and called 911. The pit bull was "barking and lunging," and still attached to the fence post, when paramedics and police arrived. It was ultimately euthanized. Police are awaiting autopsy results from the state medical examiner's office to determine the cause of death. Police have no additional information about the adopting agency at this time.

Dispatch recordings on Broadcastify.com paint an ugly picture of what first responders arrived to. "The caller is saying he thinks his wife was attacked by a dog and might be dead." There was confusion over what to do with the dog after paramedics arrived too. "It’s not safe for anyone to handle this dog right now. They are going to have to come out," presumably referring to animal control. The news release issued by police infers the pit bull was put down at the scene.

WBAL-TV interviewed the victim's sister, Susan Eve LeClair. "This is one animal she thought she could save. An animal that needed to be rescued. (And that) animal unfortunately killed her," LeClair said. Conway brought the dog home two weeks ago and began "providing foster care," reports WBAL-TV. LeClair pleaded that her sister's death should "not to be taken as something to be held against all pit bulls" less than 24 hours after the male pit bull "unfortunately killed her."

News Release: Columbia woman reportedly mauled to death by dog; Robin Conway, 64, had recently adopted pit bull out-of-state.

Howard County police were called to a residence in the 6300 block of Tamar Drive Sept. 3 for a report that a woman had been mauled to death by a pit bull she adopted two weeks ago. Officers found Robin Conway, 64, deceased in her back yard with significant injuries. The cause of Conway’s death will be determined in an autopsy by the state medical examiner.

A family member reported finding Conway injured in her yard around 7:20 p.m., with the dog standing over her. The witness called 911 and tied the dog to a fence post until assistance could arrive.

Police and paramedics responded and pronounced Conway deceased at the scene. The dog, still attached to the post, was barking and lunging on the leash and had to be subdued by animal control officers and ultimately euthanized. A necropsy will be performed to determine if the dog had rabies or any other medical issues.

There were no previous calls to animal control related to this address prior to this incident. Police do not have information about the dog’s adoption, except that it came from out-of-state.

Police are conducting a standard death investigation and awaiting autopsy results to confirm the cause of Conway’s death. - Howard County Police Department

Conway's death recalls a similar fatality in Maryland. In January 2015, Eugene Smith, 87, was critically injured by his rescue pit bull while taking down his Christmas tree. When police arrived, the pit bull was still actively attacking Smith. Officers were able to "disengage" the dog. Smith was taken to a hospital with severe injuries where he died. The male neutered pit bull was 4-years old. Smith had adopted the dog from an undisclosed Baltimore area rescue seven months earlier.