Posted on June 14, 2018 by Colleen Lynn

2018 Dog Bite Fatality: Infant Mauled to Death by Babysitter's Dog in Georgia

Paige Bradley, killed by babysitters dog
Paige Bradley, 5-months old, was killed by her babysitter's dog in Forest Park.

No Charges Warranted
UPDATE 06/15/18: There will be no charges after a 5-month old baby was mauled to death by a family dog while she was sleeping. Investigators concluded that no unlawful or neglectful act was committed. In the early morning hours of Sunday, June 10, about 2:55 am, police received a 911 call from a "frantic" caller who was "not able to communicate the nature of their emergency," according to a news release issued by the Clayton County Police Department on June 14.

Upon arrival, responding officers discovered that the family dog (German Shepherd) had mauled a 5-month-old female to death. According to the family of the child, she was placed in a bed to sleep and left in the care of her mother’s roommate while her mother left the home for a few hours. When the mother returned, she discovered that her roommate had fallen asleep in another area of the home and when they went to check on the welfare of the baby, it was discovered that the baby had been mauled to death in the bedroom where she had been placed to sleep.

The family advised detectives that the dog had been around the baby since the baby’s birth had never shown any signs of aggression toward the baby or anyone else in the home. The dog was removed from the home by Clayton County Animal Control officers on the night of the incident and has since been surrendered by his owner to Animal Control and euthanized.

At the conclusion of the investigation, it was determined that no unlawful or neglectful act had been committed by anyone in the home and no charges were filed. - Clayton County Police Department, June 14, 2018

The release clears up the conflicting date of death being reported by different news outlets, and more importantly (in our minds) clears up where the baby lived. Earlier, we reported that the child was visiting the babysitter's home, which is one of our 33 parameters in collecting dog bite fatality data. However, the Clayton County Police Department confirms the baby lived at the home on Watts Road with her mother and her mother's roommate, who is also a longtime family friend.

On Thursday, the baby's mother, T'erika George, spoke to WSB-TV. Struggling through emotions, she gave a slightly different version of the timeline. What is clear in her voice is her immense grief for the loss of her baby. "I told her I’m so sorry because I always take you with me," George said. When asked by the reporter, "What do you think happened?" George replied, "I can't even say. I just gave it to God and I told him to figure this all out for me." Our hearts go out to this mother.

06/14/18: Baby Killed by Family Dog
Forest Park, GA - An infant is dead after being mauled to death by a dog. The deadly attack occurred Tuesday at a home on Watts Road in Forest Park. At the time of the attack, the baby was under the care of a babysitter, her mother's roommate. The mother told police she left her daughter with her roommate for a few hours. When she returned, she found her infant dead and the roommate asleep. Clayton County authorities seized the roommate's German shepherd.

There is conflicting information about the date of the baby's death -- Sunday or Tuesday and whether the baby lived at home on Watts Road.

After WSB-TV updated their article, "roommate" was dropped and the babysitter became a "longtime friend" of the child's mother, T'erika George. According to police, this male friend was watching the baby that night. He put the baby down to sleep on a bed in one room then he fell asleep in another room. About 3:00 am, someone called police saying a German shepherd had killed a baby. According to George, baby Paige had been around this particular dog her whole life.

"He ate by us, he slept by us, he followed us and sometimes I had her in her car seat and he would go over and check on her and walk away. I never heard of anything like this," George told WSB-TV. No criminal charges have been filed so far and animal control already euthanized the dog, police said. The family has set up a GoFundMe page. "All proceeds go toward the funeral arrangements for Paige. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers," states the fundraiser.

The death of baby Paige while under her babysitter's care marks the fourth infant, 8-months old or younger, attacked and killed by a family dog this year, 31% of all dog bite fatality victims.

Baby Paige Bradly killed by babysitter's dog

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 30, 2018 by Colleen Lynn

2018 Dog Bite Fatality: Infant Killed by Family Pit Bull While Under Care of Grandmother in Miramar, Florida

Liana Valino, 9-months old, was killed by a family pit bull in Miramar, Florida.

911 Call Released
UPDATE 06/07/18: On May 30, a baby was mauled to death by a family pit bull in the 2400 block of Kingston Drive. Liana Valino, 9-months old, was pronounced dead at the scene. Media footage showed an investigator removing the infant from the home wrapped in a red blanket. On Wednesday, the Broward County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled the death was accidental. The family had owned the pit bull for 3 or 4 years. The family also had two other pit bulls, both related.

Miramar police also released the 911 call made by the baby's grandmother. At the time of the attack, Liana was under her care. The grandmother told a Spanish-speaking 911 translator, “My son’s dog killed the 8-month-old girl,” she said. “I locked the dog in the bathroom and the baby is dead in the living room.” The dispatcher tells the grandmother that paramedics and police are on the way. The frantic grandmother responded, “The baby’s on the floor, dead, in the living room.”

The grandmother was babysitting the 9-month old in a household with three adult pit bulls that belonged to her son. What could go wrong?

Authorities confiscated all three pit bulls after the attack. None of which had a history of reported attacks in Broward County, according to Stefanie Chicko, assistant director of the county’s animal care division. As of Wednesday, the attacking dog was turned over to the county, reports the Sun Sentinel. It is unclear what occurred to the family's two remaining pit bulls -- neither of them participated in the attack. So far, the baby Liana's funeral fund has reached over $14,500.

Miramar Mayor Wayne Messam, who is currently looking into the city's reported dog bites and dangerous dog designations to evaluate if there is a problem, told the Sun Sentinel, “It’s just a heartbreaking story for any family to endure." Messam also addresses the fact that this baby was killed by a family pet and states, “it begs the question, would an ordinance have prevented what happened?” The only ordinance that could have prevented this deadly attack is a pit bull ban.

05/31/18: Pit Bulls Bring Tragedy
On Wednesday, a 9-month old baby girl was mauled to death by a family pit bull while under the care of her paternal grandmother in Miramar, Florida. Liana Valino was pronounced dead at the scene. The child's mother, Brenda Villasin, told reporters that her daughter lived with her, but she often dropped her off at her grandmother's home when she didn't attend daycare. The grandmother's household had three pit bulls, all related, a mother and her two adult offspring.

The culprit was one of the offspring, a male pit bull about 3 or 4 years old. Broward County Animal Control officers confiscated all three dogs.

The death of Liana falls under multiple attack scenarios that our nonprofit tracks. Liana was visiting her grandmother's home when she was killed by the pit bull. Liana was also under the care of her grandmother at the time -- the owner of the three pit bulls (technically) was away. From 2005 to 2017, 27% (116) of all dog bite fatality victims were either visiting or living temporarily with the dog's owner when the fatal attack occurred. Pit bulls inflicted 73% (85) of these deaths.

A statement by Miramar Police Officer Yessenia Diaz describes what happened: "The child was in a bedroom, in a bouncy chair, and the grandmother was with the child" when the dog attacked. What preceded this is less clear, though USA Today and Buzzfeed report the grandmother was bringing the pit bull back from a walk, when it overpowered her and "went directly into the room where the child was bouncing and attacked her." Buzzfeed attributed that statement to Diaz.

The family had raised the dog since it was a puppy. Of the 284 fatal attacks inflicted pit bulls from 2005 to 2017, 52% (149) involved killing a family or household member. Right now, two families after separate attacks are mourning the loss of a child after a family pit bull attack. Last week, 6-year old Gauge Eckenrode was killed by a "rescued pit bull" that had belonged to his family for several years. The boy's father could only stop the attack by stabbing the pit bull multiple times.

05/30/18: Multi-Pit Bull Household
A 9-month old baby girl is dead after being attacked by a family pit bull, police confirmed Wednesday afternoon. The baby was under the care of her grandmother at the time of the deadly attack. There were three dogs in the family's home -- all related. The attacker was a male pit bull, 3 to 4 years old and had been raised by the family since it was a puppy, Miramar Police Officer Yessenia Diaz said. The other two dogs were its sibling and their mother, both pit bulls.

Earlier today, police confirmed the baby was in a bouncy chair in a bedroom when the pit bull attacked her. The Sun Sentinel spoke to Alex Bernal, who is the landlord of the family's home on Kingston Drive. Bernal said they have been renting for about 18 months. "They are excellent tenants," Bernal said. Police are withholding the baby's name until relatives can be informed of her tragic death. "We want to respect their wishes, being that the child was so young," Diaz said.

"She was the best thing to ever happen to me," the baby's mother, Brenda Villasin, said. "We smiled every morning. She was my world."

However, the child's mother, Brenda Villasin, identified her daughter as Liana Villasin to the Miami-Herald and other news agencies. Villasin said she drops her daughter off at her grandmother's home every morning so that she can go to work. "Nobody wakes up in the morning and thinks they are going to lose the person they love," Villasin said. Yet, the infant's grandmother had multiple pit bulls in her home, a mother and its two offspring, which is a reckless "babysitting" environment.

After arriving at the scene, Villasin told Local 10 News, "I'm numb right now. I don't feel -- I can't express myself correctly. My emotions are all over the place." Part of this video footage shows an investigator from the medical examiner's office removing the infant from the home wrapped in a red blanket. The footage also shows a woman, presumably the grandmother, being escorted from the home by detectives. The Department of Children and Families is investigating the family.

Finally, in a late afternoon update, WSVN sheds more light on the people living at the Kingston Drive home and their relationship. The ex-husband of Brenda Villasin, who is the baby's father, resides at the home with his mother (the baby's paternal grandmother). Thus, the ex-husband may actually be the owner of the dogs. The ex-husband was not home when one of his pit bulls killed baby Liana. Police have not identified the baby's father or the baby's paternal grandmother.

05/30/18: Family Dog Kills Baby
Miramar, FL - Miramar Police have confirmed that an 8-month old baby girl is dead after being attacked by a dog. Police responded to 2420 Kingston Drive about 11:30 am. At the time of the attack, the baby was under the care of a female relative, Miramar Police Officer Yessenia Diaz said. There were three dogs in the home (one large seen in video here). The breeds have not yet been identified. Broward County Medical Examiner’s Office investigators were at the scene.

Over the 13-year period of 2005 to 2017, 16% (68) of all dog bite fatalities involved a babysitter, grandparent or relative watching a child, or the dog being "watched" by a person other than its owner when the canine inflicted a deadly attack. Pit bulls carried out 74% (50) of these attacks. In the most recent fatality, the WSVN 7Skyforce chopper shows 32 minutes of raw footage of police and investigators at the scene, where the baby's home is taped off, and media crews setting up.

Afternoon Updates

Miramar Police confirmed the attacking dog is a "spotted brown pit bull" the family has owned for 3 to 4 years. The infant was in a bouncy chair in a bedroom when the deadly attack occurred. The infant was under the care of her grandmother at the time, police said. The family had three dogs in their home on Kingston Drive. Police confirmed that the large dog seen in the backyard by the WSVN 7Skyforce chopper was not the attacker. This continues to be a developing news story.

Local 10 News reports that Broward County Animal Care and Adoption Division removed all three dogs from the family's home. "This child is only eight months old," Officer Yessenia Diaz told Local 10. "It is very difficult for the entire department and our heartfelt sympathy goes out to the entire family." This infant's death marks the fourth child, 13-months old or younger, killed by a canine this year. In three of these deaths, 75%, the baby was under the care of a babysitter at the time.

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

Posted on May 25, 2018 by Colleen Lynn

2018 Dog Bite Fatality: 6-Year Old Boy Killed by Rescued Pit Bull in Blair County, Pennsylvania

Gauge Eckenrode, 6-years old, was killed by a family pit bull in Lakemont.

Rescued Pit Bull
UPDATE 05/26/18: On Saturday, Blair County Coroner Patricia Ross officially identified the 6-year old boy killed Thursday by a family pit bull as Gauge Eckenrode. A fundraiser started by Taylor Crawford on May 24 had already done so. Logan Township Police Chief David Reese confirmed that family members tried to stop the attack by stabbing the dog. Police ultimately killed the dog. The dog was a "rescued pit bull" and had belonged to the family for several years, Reese said.

No other information was released about the pit bull, such as which rescue agency was involved, the dog's gender or spay/neuter status.

The boy's family had two dogs, according to news reports. The attacking pit bull was killed, and the family asked authorities to take away their other dog. The deadly attack occurred inside the family's home, Rick Vaughan said, a spokesman for the family. The child's father was cutting grass when he heard the mother screaming and discovered "the dog on the boy." By stabbing the dog, the father was able to get the animal off the child, but "It was already too late,” Vaughan said.

05/25/18: Family Pit Bull Kills Boy
Lakemont, PA - Blair County Coroner Patty Ross confirmed late Thursday that a 6-year old boy was killed by a family pit bull. The coroner ruled the boy died of blunt force trauma. The attack occurred at a home on Gesser Avenue. The child attended Baker Elementary School. Logan Township Police continue to investigate. Counselors will be available to help students and staff Friday. The child's name is being withheld out of respect for the family's wishes, reports WTAJ.

Rick Vaughan, a friend of the boy's family, said the boy died after the family dog attacked him just before 6:00 pm. Vaughan told the Altoona Mirror the boy's father was cutting grass when he heard the mother screaming and rushed to find "the dog on the boy." Despite the father's actions to get the dog off the child, "It was already too late," Vaughan said. The dog that killed the boy is dead. The family asked police to remove a second dog from their home, reports the Altoona Mirror.

A fundraiser for the little boy's family identifies him as Gauge Allen Eckenrode. He was a "happy little six year old boy who lost his little life to a pit bull attack," states the fundraiser page, created by Taylor Crawford. "We are trying to raise money to help cover all the expenses that this family needs, from medical bills all the way to the funeral expenses." The family "never expected" for anything like this to ever happen, states the page. Gauge had a little sister named Gypsy.

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

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

DogsBite blog ::

2018 Dog Bite Fatality: Infant Mauled to Death by Babysitter's Dog in Georgia

2018 Dog Bite Fatality: Infant Killed by Family Pit Bull While Under Care of Grandmother in Miramar, Florida

2018 Dog Bite Fatality: 6-Year Old Boy Killed by Rescued Pit Bull in Blair County, Pennsylvania

After Blind Woman and Guide Dog Endure Multiple Attacks, She Hopes City Officials Crack Down on Loose Dogs

Agnes Courville Addressed City Council Members in Early May