Posted on May 23, 2018 by Colleen Lynn

Agnes Courville Addressed City Council Members in Early May

Agnes Courville loose dog attacks Opelousas
Agnes Courville, legally blind, stands before Opelousas city council on May 8, 2018.

Blind Woman Testifies
Opelousas, LA - Last week, Agnes Courville of Opelousas shared with us a powerful letter she hand delivered to the mayor on May 8, 2018, just before she gave testimony at the Opelousas City Council meeting. Courville said that council members reassured her at that time that they would work on safety issues involving loose dogs and dog attacks. Opelousas is legally blind. Loose dogs have attacked Courville and her highly trained service dog multiple times since March 4.

The attacks started one day after she returned home with her guide dog after three weeks of training at Southeastern Guide Dogs in Florida.

So far, Courville has also met with the Opelousas director of Animal Control, the Opelousas director of Public Works and the city's K9 officer. She states in her email to us that she is "hoping for a successful change" though it may take years to accomplish. "It takes a village to change the mindset regarding how you treat animals," she wrote. Courville used to volunteer for St. Landry Parish Animal Control. She has seen the neglect and abandonment some parish dogs endure.

Her primary concern is the roaming dogs she and her guide dog constantly encounter -- two pit bulls in particular. Once, she was even thrown to the ground while in front of her own home. That dog jumped on her back then jumped her highly trained guide dog. Courville points out in her letter how serious this issue is for guide dogs, "Dog attacks and interference from other dogs are a problem for any dog owner, but they are a potential career-ending event for guide dog teams."

Courville told the Daily World that the police chief and mayor have not contacted her since her May 8 testimony. As for the two problematic pit bulls, Courville has reported them to Opelousas Animal Control Warden Joey Stelly and St. Landry Animal Control, but nothing has been done. “Joey Stelly is aware of the dogs and who they belong to," she said. Courville's case presents a powerful argument against a city that knowingly allows this dangerous problem to persist.

To: Reggie Tatum
Opelousas City Mayor
Opelousas, LA 70570

Subject: “Uncontrolled dogs in our Community, safety concerns”

Dear Mayor,

Today, May 8, 2018, I am attending Opelousas Council meeting to inquire about a dangerous situation in our city of Opelousas.
I have been living in Opelousas since 2013, I live in the historic district next to Opelousas South City Park, I work as a teacher at Park Vista Elementary, and I am an active volunteer in my city.

A few years ago, I developed a visual impairment and lost my driving privileges as I am legally blind. I became a pedestrian on the streets of Opelousas, not an easy task to accomplish, there is a lack of sidewalks, grass not cut, holes that are barely announced or not tagged, and lately I experienced loose dogs attack.

However, my main concern is about loose dogs that are rooming in our City as I walk the route to my work every day.

I came back with my guide dog March 3, 2018, after 3 weeks of training at Southeastern Guide Dogs in Florida. The following day on Sunday March 4, I had two dogs “pit bull breed” coming at me, I had to use the pepper spray. These dogs were loose, no collars, no leash in front of their house with owners who believe that they have the right to do so, because they are on their property.

I have been attacked by loose dogs numerous times since March 4, 2018.
I called St Landry Parish Animal Control, Opelousas animal control, St Landry Parish Sheriff’s office and Opelousas City Police came to my house. Several times, loose dogs came to my door steps, once I have been thrown on the ground as I was in front of my house, a loose dog came from the back and jumped on my back, he then jumped on my guide dog, I did not have enough time to use my mace. As I was falling on the ground I protected my guide dog and scared the loose dog away, I ended up with a swollen knee and some bruises. I have every incidents documented.

I am calling your attention regarding the safety of our streets, the different attacks I experienced as a hazard for the children, the elderly, the mailman, delivery workers and any citizen in our community.

Louisiana has a strict liability dog bite statute that states that the owner of a dog is liable for injuries to persons or property caused by the dog which the owner could have prevented and which did not result from the injured person's provocation of the dog. L.A. C.C. Art. 2321.

What about loose dogs? Who is liable? Who is responsible for the damage that can be caused by loose dogs and dogs’ attack?

Training a guide dog requires efforts and money investment. My guide dog is not only valuable, my dog is my safety net. Altercations with other dogs put my guide dog at risk and jeopardize my safety. The results of my encounters range from emotional injury to physical injury and can end the career of my guide dog.

Dog attacks and interference from other dogs are a problem for any dog owner, but they are a potential career-ending event for guide dog teams. Recently, The Seeing Eye (this country's first, and the world's oldest, guide dog school) conducted a survey of guide dog handlers to determine the scope of the problem (see US Survey document attached).

I am addressing Opelousas City Mayor, City Council President and Council president and members to find a solution to this ongoing issue.

Thank you for your time.
Agnes Courville

Copies:
Opelousas City Council President
Opelousas City Council members
Joey, Opelousas City Animal Control
Mr. Bill Fontenot, St Landry Parish President
St Landry Parish Council President
Stacey A McKnight, St Landry Parish Animal Control
Nicole Poiencot, MSW LMSV, Louisiana Rehabilitation Services, Lafayette, LA
Scott Crawford

Posted on May 17, 2018 by Colleen Lynn

2018 Dog Bite Fatality: Woman Dies After Being Attacked by a Pack of Dogs Near Ardmore, Oklahoma

Tracy Garcia died late Thursday after being attacked by a pack of dogs near Ardmore.

Vet Removes Post
UPDATE 05/17/18: Yesterday, inaccurate headlines about this fatal dog mauling went viral. Here are the themes: sausage dogs maul and weiner dogs attack. The media went viral around the world, not restricted to the United States. This is despite a statement by a veterinarian disputing it, who had examined these dogs while alive, the best way to determine breed identification. Dr. Douglas Aldridge stated, "The dogs appear to me to be a pit bull and 4 pit-bull mix puppies."

Two employees at the Ardmore Animal Shelter -- who received the dogs dead, never examined them alive -- are responsible for deliberately mislabeling six of the dogs as predominantly "dachshund." Vet technician Amanda Dinwiddie, whose husband has bred and sold pit bulls in the past, and shelter co-director Tena Layton, an owner of multiple pit bulls, are 100% responsible for misleading the sheriff, media and public about the breeds involved in this deadly attack.

What is a mystery to us is why Layton ever supplied photographs of the dogs to the public? Because one of those images "clearly" identifies the largest dog as a pit bull. It's younger offspring cannot even reliably be called dachshund-mixes. (The ears, among other things.) Bull terrier-mixes is a much better assessment. "Mixed-breed" will always technically be accurate as well. Some media stories are updating now after the explosion of inaccurate news stories yesterday.

Dinwiddie and Layton also claimed that all of the dogs were under 40 pounds. Dr. Aldridge refutes that as well, stating yesterday on Facebook, "There was one that was larger, approximately 55-60 pounds, that the owners described as the sire to these shorter dogs." Dr. Aldridge is referring to the pit bull, visible in the photographs as the largest dog in the pack. Furthermore, Aldridge spoke to the owner of the dogs and confirmed the male pit bull was the sire of the smaller offspring.

Earlier today, on May 17, Dr. Aldridge removed his post from the Westwood Veterinary Hospital Facebook page. All that we have now are screenshots. Instead of writing about this victim and her death, we are being forced to refute bullshit. As Alberto Brandolini's Bullshit Asymmetry Principle shows: "The amount of energy necessary to refute bullshit is an order of magnitude bigger than to produce it." You can thank Dinwiddie and Layton for this bullshit. Both should be fired ASAP.

05/15/18: Dog Mauling Victim Identified
Yesterday, the victim was identified as 52-year old Tracy Garcia. Several news stories were published stating that pit bulls were not involved. Mind you, this is after the Ardmore Animal Shelter released photographs of the dogs with at least one depicting a pit bull. Amanda Dinwiddie, a vet technician at the Ardmore Animal Shelter claimed that "dachshund" was the primary breed, mixed with terrier. Dinwiddie also claimed the pit bull was a "border collie mix."

Since 2005, border collies have been involved one fatal dog attack, which also involved two American bulldogs and a Neapolitan mastiff.1

Dinwiddie's assessment was incorrect. Further, her husband used to breed and sell pit bulls. Prior to the dogs reaching the Ardmore Animal Shelter, they were taken to the Westwood Veterinary Hospital, where they were euthanized. Due to the upheaval caused by Dinwiddie's "border collie mix" claim, Dr. Douglas Aldridge has spoken out on the Westwood Veterinary Hospital Facebook page. "The dogs appear to me to be a pit bull and 4 pit-bull mix puppies," Dr. Aldridge wrote.

There is no more "breed mislabeling" -- the good doctor has spoken. But readers can see that Dinwiddie of the Ardmore Animal Shelter was trying to alter U.S. fatal dog attack statistics to "protect the pit bull breed." She may have had the help of the shelter as well. The death of Tracy Garcia is tragic. She endured a horrible pack attack involving pit bulls. Then for Dinwiddie to deliberately mislead the sheriff, media and public about the breeds involved? That is a disgrace.2

"We have been receiving a lot of negative messages regarding the breeds of dogs involved in the terrible attack Thursday night. I believe that people are missing the point regarding the breeds of dogs that were involved. A woman died. The dogs appear to me to be a pit bull and 4 pit-bull mix puppies. Who knows what the female was. She looked to me like an Australian Shepherd mixed with something with short legs. It was tragic. The person who made a statement about the breed previously works at the shelter, not here.- Dr. Aldridge" Westwood Veterinary Hospital, May 15, 2018

05/11/18: Pit Bull Involved
Carter County Sheriff Chris Bryant confirmed that one of the dogs involved in the mauling death of a woman Thursday was a pit bull. The six other dogs were medium-sized dogs of mixed-breeds. All seven animals belong to the same owner. The attack happened at a residence just before 10 pm on Banyon Road near Ardmore. "Once we were notified that this female had succumbed to her injuries," the owner of the dogs decided to put the remaining dogs down, Sheriff Bryant said.

KXII reports that arriving officers shot and killed one of the dogs that charged them. The animals belonged to one of the victim's neighbors. "Anytime you go to a dog bite call or a dog is attacking people in general, it is disturbing," Bryant said. "Our prayers are with the family of the victim, and the rest of the community because this is a very unfortunate situation." Authorities are still investigating the fatal pack attack. There is no leash law in unincorporated parts of Carter County.

Photos of the seven deceased dogs released from the Ardmore Animal Shelter show one pit bull, five dachshund-(pit bull) terrier mixes and a longhaired mixed breed, which Shelter Co-director Tena Layton previously said could be the mother of the younger dogs. Authorities have not identified the dogs' owner or the victim. Sheriff Chris Bryant said that autopsy results will be forwarded to the district attorney's office to determine if the dogs' owner will face any charges.

View more photos (graphic): Dogs Involved in Fatal Pack Attack of Adult Female

05/11/18: Pack of Dogs Kill Woman
Ardmore, OK - A woman is dead after being attacked by a pack of dogs. The attack occurred Thursday night east of Ardmore. About 9:45 pm, Carter County Sheriff’s office, Ardmore Police Department Animal Control, Southern Oklahoma Ambulance Service and Air-Evac were dispatched to Banyon Road and Mary Niblack Road for a call about a woman being mauled by seven dogs. The woman, in her 50s, died at the scene. Authorities have not released her name.

Animal control officers seized all seven dogs. They were taken to Westwood Veterinary Hospital where they were euthanized, according to police records. Their bodies were then taken to the Ardmore Animal Shelter. Shelter Co-director Tena Layton said six of the dogs were about a year old and the other was possibly their mother. The dogs, smaller in nature, appeared to be part dachshund and part terrier. They were heavily infested with fleas and ticks, Layton said.

Conflicting information was released about the ownership of the dogs. Authorities did not release information about the circumstances of the attack, the degree or location of the victim's bite injuries or the health of the victim prior to the attack. Though extremely rare, there have been fatal dog maulings in the past involving two small dogs or a pack of small dogs killing an incapacitated or elderly person (See: case 3). The Carter County Sheriff’s office continues to investigate.

Oklahoma Dog Bite Fatalities

From January 1, 2005 to December 31, 2017, canines killed 11 people in Oklahoma. When considering the death rate per population of 10 million, Alaska has long maintained the highest rate. In 2012, Oklahoma had the sixth highest death rate. During the full 13-year period (2005 to 2017), Oklahoma had the seventh highest death rate. Arkansas, not even seen in the top ten states in our 2012 post, has since shot up to the third highest death rate in dog bite fatalities.

1The 2005 pack attack death of 83-year old Boyd Fiscus in Indiana was most certainly mainly carried out by the heavy lifters -- two American bulldogs and a Neapolitan mastiff. One of these American bulldogs had attacked a child previoulsy too, which is why criminal charges were pursued.
2On May 17, Dr. Douglas Aldridge removed his Facebook post. We have replaced it with a screenshot.

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 May 17, 2018 by Colleen Lynn

2018 Dog Bite Fatality: Elderly Woman Killed by Two Pit Bulls in Gulfport, Mississippi

Georgia Ruth Morgan, 75, died after being attacked by two pit bulls in Gulfport.

Victim Identified
UPDATE 05/17/18: Harrison County Coroner Gary Hargrove has identified the victim as 75-year old Georgia Morgan. Hargrove said she died of her injuries after being attacked by two dogs Wednesday morning on Deidra Court. Gulfport deputy police chief Chris Lopposer told WLOX: "Through an investigation, we determined that a woman entered a closed property through a gate, shut the gate behind her, and while inside the fenced in yard, was attacked by two dogs."

Morgan was mauled to death by two pit bulls belonging to Emily Craft. Police arrested Craft afterward on an outstanding warrant from 2017.

There is only speculation as to why Morgan entered Craft's yard. Morgan was known as "the can lady" who collected cans in the area. She may have been trying to reach cans she saw in Craft's yard. Diana Jones, who lives next to Craft, said, "How she got in, I don't know, but she was going to get her cans." In 2017, after Craft's pit bulls attacked Jones' dog for the second time, Jones filed a vicious animal complaint. This is why there was an outstanding warrant for Craft's arrest.

Jones also spoke to Fox10 News. "We heard a cry, a scream," Jones said about the morning of the attack. "There was pieces of clothing and stuff all in the front yard ... I hit the floor when I found out it was her." Jones showed Fox10 how Craft's pit bulls would escape the fencing around the home. She said Craft's pit bulls have always been aggressive. Craft surrendered both pit bulls to authorities for euthanasia. No criminal charges have been filed in connection to Morgan's death.

05/16/18: Pit Bulls Kill Woman
Gulfport, MS - An elderly woman is dead after being attacked by two pit bulls. On Wednesday, just before 8:00 am, Gulfport Police responded to a call of a woman being attacked by pit bulls in the 14400 block of Deidra Court. Arriving officers found the woman in the yard of a home, but she had already succumbed to her injuries. Gulfport Detectives, Crime Scene Units, and the Harrison County Coroner responded, states a news release issued by the Gulfport Police Department.

According to investigators, the 75-year old woman was known to walk in the area. She allegedly opened a closed gate to a fenced-in yard and was attacked by two pit bulls that resided inside. The victim did not live at the home, states the release. The owner of the two pit bulls surrendered both animals to Gulfport Animal Control. "While this is a tragic situation which is still under investigation, there are no charges at this time," states the Gulfport Police Department release.

Afternoon Updates

The Sun Herald reports that Gulfport Police arrested the owner of two pit bulls that attacked and killed a woman this morning. Emily Craft was arrested after the fatal mauling on an outstanding warrant issued last July for two misdemeanor charges -- having a dog at large and a vicious animal charge. A neighbor of Craft, Diana Jones, filed the vicious dog complaint after Craft's two pit bulls attacked her golden retriever for a second time. Jones did not report the first attack.

Police have not released the name of the 75-year old woman killed by Craft's pit bulls. She was known in the Orange Grove neighborhood as "the can lady." She walked daily and collected cans in the neighborhood. She was a kind lady and always greeted the children at the bus stop, Jones' daughters told the Sun Herald. Gulfport Police continue investigating her death. Sadly, there are other innocent victims of pit bull maulings whose only acts were daily walks and collecting cans.

Suspected Pit Bull Owner

The Sun Herald article states that the name of Craft's large male pit bull is "Cash." An Intelius search revealed that only one Emily Craft resides in Gulfport, Mississippi. In August 2016, a Gulfport-based Emily Craft Facebook user posted a "lost" announcement stating that her two pit bulls, Cash and June, "went missing." She claimed a $100,000 reward on the Stolen Lost Found Pets of the Mississippi Gulf Coast Facebook group for anyone who located her missing pit bulls.

Craft is also a backyard breeder and seller of pit bulls. In December 2016, this same Craft posted about pit bull puppies for sale in the Slidell Online Garage Sale group. Of all things, she was trying to sell merle pit bulls for $200 to $250; most pit bull breeders and organizations disdain merle breeding. Just five days ago, Craft posted about non-merle pit bull puppies for sale in the Pets for sale South MS Facebook group (inside comments). The price of her puppies is $200 each.

We continue to work to verify this suspected pit bull owner in this breaking dog bite fatality. At about 11:00 pm Central Time, Fox10 News identified the victim as Georgia Ruth Morgan.