Posted on March 12, 2018 by Colleen Lynn

Guilty of Felony Manslaughter; Ordered to Serve Maximum Time

On January 14, Erica Nicole Jordan, 33, was sentenced to the maximum of four years in prison in connection to the mauling death of a baby. She is currently incarcerated in a Missouri prison.

The dog that killed Loxli Chavez while under Jordan's supervision had previously attacked Jordan's own son in the head in 2016. The dog belonged to Jordan's "homeless" brother.

We obtained the Cape Girardeau Police report to sort out the confusion of the dog's breed -- it was alleged to be a male "Labrador, malamute, pit bull" mix weighing 30-40 pounds at the age of 6.

Sentenced to Maximum
UPDATE 02/01/19: Without any fanfare, on January 14, Erica Nicole Jordan, 33, was sentenced to the maximum of four years in prison in connection to the death baby Loxli, according to the Missouri Courts website. On March 9, 2018, while under the babysitting supervision of Jordan, a pit bull-mix named "Smokey" latched onto the baby's head. "He just kept going at the baby's head. He was really aggressive," Jordan told police. Loxli Chavez, 13-months old, did not survive.

We obtained the police report under the Missouri Sunshine Law. We sought it out over the confusion of the dog's multiple breeds -- it was alleged to be a male "Labrador, malamute, pit bull" mix weighing 30-40 pounds at the age of 6. The 102 page police report states the dog is a "pit bull mix" in Jordan's own words multiple times, including in hospital records after Smokey bit Jordan's son on the head in 2016, and Jordan identifying the dog as a "pit bull mix" after it killed Loxli.

[Jordan] then stated "for the most part, the dogs run loose. Every once in a while, I would put the one that attacked the little girl [Loxli] in my son's room and the other dog in the kennel because they're not good with kids. I knew that because of a prior incident with my kids. The dog had attacked my kid and he had to have stitches."

I asked Jordan when this had occurred and she stated it was sometime within the last year. She stated the dog, identified as "Smokey" had been neutered since that time and "we thought he had calmed down."

I asked Jordan what kind of dog it was that attacked Loxli and she said it was a "pit bull mix." She stated "Smokey" was about 6-7 years old. - Officer Estes interview, March 13, 2018

Loxli died of multiple traumatic brain injuries, states the autopsy report. "In consideration of the circumstances surrounding the death, and after the examination of the body, it is my opinion that Loxli Chavez, a 1 year old female, died as a result of cranio-cerebral injuries, resulting a reported dog attack," states the report. Along with scalp fractures, contusions and punctures, bone fragments were embedded in her brain tissue. The manner of death was ruled homicide.

Jordan's "Homeless" Brother

It was the owner of the dog, Jordan's brother, who told police that his dog was a confusing mixture of Labrador, malamute and pit bull. Chris is also self-serving with a high degree of entitlement. Jordan told police that Chris was between homes at the time of the fatal mauling because his home in Scott City, Missouri had flooded. Jordan had been temporarily watching his two dogs -- the other dog was a small terrier-type. This arrangement had only begun about 10 days earlier.

Chris figures into the report early on. After police called and told him the nature of the attack, Chris only asked, "Will I get my dog back?" A short while later, while at St. Francis Emergency room, Officer Metzger interacts with him. "I was greeted by the owner of the dog, Chris ... I explained why the dog is being impounded and that the baby was in the process of being resuscitated," states the report. "Chris rolled his head and turned his body away from me," noted Metzger.

Chris then blamed his sister. "If she would have done what I told her to do, this wouldn't have happened." Chris said, "Smokey isn't dangerous, he doesn't like little kids" and the reason Erica's son was bitten by Smokey, is because her son "tormented and tortured Smokey by pulling and grabbing at him." Chris then said, "Law enforcement had no right to take his dog." Chris later called police and demanded, "If you're going to kill my dog, I'd like to keep him over the weekend."

Chris was denied any possession of the dog. The dog was euthanized March 27th and Chris was allowed to be present during the procedure.

Meanwhile, as demonstrated by both Jordan and Chris' early "tell all" statements to police about the dog's history of child aggression, along with Chris blaming the children for provoking the attacks, police continued to build an airtight felony case against Jordan. In December, Jordan avoided a trial by pleading guilty to second-degree involuntary manslaughter in a plea deal. Her incarceration date began on January 14, 2019, according to the Missouri Courts website.

Breed in Previous Bite

On 09-03-16, [juvenile] was taken to St. Francis by his mother, Erica, after being bitten by a "family pet." According to the records, the dog was a "pit bull mix" and the bite was "unprovoked." Nelson noted that [juvenile] had a "laceration to the left side of the scalp, laceration left side forehead" … For these lacerations, [juvenile] received 4 sutures to the left scalp and 6 sutures to the left side of his forehead. - Officer Estes narrative, April 9, 2018

6-year-old male presents status post dog bite that occurred 30 minutes prior to arrival. Dog bite from family pet which was a pit bull mix. He had 10 sutures put in his scalp on Saturday. He was bit by a dog. It was a family pet pit bull mix. Mother is primary historian, patient is very upset and difficult to discussed symptoms with -- he is very anxious. Mother states after the incident occur they came directly to the ER to be evaluated. - ED provider notes, September 4, 2016

The Guilty Babysitter

Erica Jordan is the guilty party in baby Loxli's preventable death -- there are no two ways about it. We believe, however, that Chris was initially being "gauged" by police too, given his narcissistic responses to them. Along with Jordan, Chris knew about the dog's previous attack, Jordan's new babysitting arrangement with two young children, and that Jordan had not told Loxli's mother about the dog's vicious propensities. In a recorded interview with Chris, police hinted at this:

I asked Christopher, "How long did she, Erica, have the dog?" Christopher replied, "At this house, about a week."

I asked Christopher, "Did his sister say anything to the mother about the dog biting anyone?" Christopher replied, "No." I asked Christopher if he had met [Loxli's] mom, Mrs. Bailey?" Christopher replied, "She was at my sister's for a brief minute, picking up the kid one day, but I was in the bathroom, so I really didn't get a chance to say anything."- Officer Metzger interview, March 19, 2018

While Jordan -- seemingly unbeknownst to her -- implicates herself over and over in her statements to police, she never defends the dog or blames the children like her brother does. Jordan is guilty of what she pleaded guilty to: second-degree involuntary manslaughter. Jordan omitted to Loxli's mother the dog had attacked a child before and allowed the dog to roam loose in the presence of baby Loxli while knowing the dog's vicious propensities. That is a criminal act.

12/01/18: Babysitter Pleads Guilty
Back in April, Erica Nancy Jordan, 33, was charged with second-degree involuntary manslaughter, a felony, and endangering the welfare of a child, also a felony, in connection to the mauling death of 13-month old Loxli Chavez. On Friday, in Cape Girardeau County Circuit Court, Jordan pleaded guilty to the charge of second-degree involuntary manslaughter as part of a plea deal. Prosecutors dropped the othe charge of endangering the welfare of a child as part of the plea agreement.

Jordan had been scheduled for a bench trial Friday, but reached the plea agreement before the trial began. The plea agreement did not include a punishment recommendation, reports the Southeastern Missourian. Cape Girardeau County assistant prosecutor Julia Koester urged Judge Benjamin Lewis to impose the maximum penalty of four years in prison. The sentencing hearing for Jordan was set for January 18, 2019 in Cape Girardeau County Circuit Court in Jackson.

04/06/18: Babysitter Charged
Police have charged a babysitter in connection to the death of a baby under her care last month. Erica Nancy Jordan, 33, was charged with second-degree involuntary manslaughter for acting with criminal negligence that resulted in the death of 13-month old Loxli Chavez. She was also charged with endangering the welfare of a child. Jordan admitted to police that she knew the dog was dangerous around children; the dog had "attacked" her own son last year, biting him in the head.

The dog belonged to Jordan's brother. After the baby's death, her brother told police the dog was a mixture of Labrador retriever, Alaskan malamute and pit bull terrier, only noting the pit bull aspect in the last part. Yet, it was a male dog that only weighed 40-pounds.1 We also now know the dog was 6 or 7 years old. Court documents more accurately depict "pit bull" as being the predominant breed (listed first), calling the canine a "pit bull Labrador malamute-mix named Smokey."

Jordan was "temporarily" taking care of a known biter for her brother while she babysat two new children = felony manslaughter charges.

At the time of the deadly attack, Jordan was also watching the baby's older sibling. In the probable cause statement, the mother of the baby stated the attack happened in the first week Jordan had babysat her children. She said it was never disclosed to her the dog had previously attacked Jordan's child or that it was unsuitable around kids. Jordan told police the dog had been neutered since it attacked her son; Jordan falsely believed this would remove the dog's aggression.

The Southeast Missourian provided more details from the probable cause statement. Jordan said Smokey was drinking water from a dog bowl within a few feet of Loxli just before the attack. She said she suddenly "heard screaming and crying" and saw "blood everywhere," according to the statement. Jordan said she tried to pull the dog away, but "he was so aggressive" and "just kept going for the baby." If convicted, Jordan faces a maximum sentence of four years in prison.

03/13/18: Attacker was Part Pit Bull
On Monday, KZIM KSIM Radio spoke to Cape Girardeau Police Public Information Officer Sergeant Rick Schmidt who said that the owner of the dog that killed the 13-month old baby stated the dog was a mixture of Labrador retriever, Alaskan malamute and pit bull terrier. Cape Girardeau Police also reiterated this on their Facebook page. The Alaskan pit bull is a designer breed involving 50% Alaskan malamute and 50% pit bull. One website even calls it a "Mally Pit."

Schmidt also confirmed the child was at the babysitter's home when the dog attacked the baby in the face. On Friday, police responded to a call about a "dog bite" incident at 2:12 pm to a home on North Hanover Street near Themis Street. When they arrived, they found the baby girl critically injured and quickly transported her to an area hospital. She was pronounced dead about 3:30 pm. The male mixed-breed dog, which weighs about 40-pounds, belongs to the owner of the home.

03/12/18: 13-Month Old Killed by Dog
Cape Girardeau, MO - On Monday, Cape Girardeau Police issued a media release about a 13-month old baby girl that was killed by a dog. Police did not release this information until three days after the child's death. Police received a call about 2:12 pm Friday regarding an animal bite in the 000 block of North Hanover Street. They discovered a dog that lived in the residence had attacked the young child. The baby was transported to a local hospital where she was pronounced dead.

The animal was impounded. Police have not released any breed information about the attacking dog. Various comments on the Cape Girardeau Police Facebook page suggest a babysitter was watching the child at the time of the deadly attack. "The child was not in the care of her parents," states one. It remains unclear if the baby lived at the North Hanover Street residence or if that residence is the babysitter's home. Ownership of the attacking dog remains unclear as well.

Afternoon Updates

The baby was attacked in the babysitter's home on North Hanover Street. Police described the dog as a 40-pound "mixed-breed" -- which can certainly indicate a pit bull-mix. KFVS reports police were told they were called in to investigate a "dog bite," but when they arrived, they found the baby severely wounded and immediately took her to an area hospital. She was pronounced dead about an hour later. The dog, referred to as a male, belongs to the owner of the residence.

This was not a dog bite; it was a violent dog attack involving a 13-month old baby girl. This information, combined with the description of the dog and questionable behavior of the person watching the baby (and the dog's owner if two people were involved), serve as strong indicators that a pit bull-mix may be involved and that a criminal element may be too. Over the 13-year period of 2005 to 2017, 75% of all dog bite fatalities resulting in criminal charges involved pit bulls.

1According to the AKC, an adult male malamute is about 85 pounds and an adult male Labrador is from 65 to 80 pounds. The UKC standard for pit bulls lists the desirable weight for a mature male between 35 and 60 pounds. There is a wide rage of variances in the pit bull breed. But there is rarely such a thing as a 40-pound, 7-year old male malamute-Labrador mix. This is the type of case where police really should release of a photo of the 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 March 9, 2018 by Colleen Lynn

2018 Dog Bite Fatality: Pet Wolf-Dog Hybrid Kills 8-Day Old Baby Girl in Virginia

A pet wolf-dog hybrid killed an 8-day old infant lying in a bassinet in Lee County.

No Criminal Charges
UPDATE 04/11/18: There will be no criminal charges after a newborn was fatally attacked by a pet wolf-dog hybrid. The dog gained entry into a room and mauled the infant as it lay in a bassinet. The commonwealth's attorney for Lee County, H. Fuller Cridlin, stated in a news release today the baby's death was "simply a horrific tragedy, and our thoughts and prayers go out to the family of the child that died." The attack occurred March 7 at the family's home in the Seminary community.

According to Cridlin, the mother had left the newborn in a bedroom and was preparing lunch when she heard the baby crying. When she returned to the bedroom, she found the wolf dog standing over the infant. Cridlin said the dog had been living in the home, along with two young foster children, for several months with no prior incidents. In fact, the Wise County Department of Social Services approved this wolf-dog hybrid household for the placement of these two young children.

Wolf-dog hybrids are restricted or banned in 12 states and are regulated in a dozen more. There is no approved rabies vaccine for wolf dogs either. 1

Currently, we are trying to get a full copy of the news release. Evidently, the Wise County Department of Social Services is either oblivious to the historical fact -- or has institutionalized "willed ignorance" -- that legislative battles were fought in many U.S. states over the last 25 years to prevent wolf-dog hybrids from injuring and killing young children. Cridlin also appears to omit in the release that Virginia state law does allow jurisdictions to regulate and even ban wolf-dog hybrids.

Not bringing criminal charges under these circumstances -- the mother stepped away from the baby, did not securely close the door and the dog had not shown aggression before -- is commonplace after fatal dog maulings. What is unusual, and frankly incredulous in this case, is that the Wise County Department of Social Services allowed the placement of two young children into a wolf-dog hybrid household. Apparently, no alarm bells went off anywhere: W-O-L-F-D-O-G and young children.

03/09/18: Wolf Dog Kills Newborn
Lee County, Virginia - An 8-day old baby girl is dead after being mauled to death by a family dog, according to Sheriff Gary Parsons of the Lee County Sheriff's Office. Parsons' office received a call for assistance around 11:40 am Wednesday from a home in the Seminary community, which is close to Big Stone Gap and near the Tennessee border. By the time deputies arrived, the father was already en route with his injured newborn to Lonesome Pine Hospital in Big Stone Gap.

It was "very serious injuries to the upper body, and the head, the child had been seriously mauled by the animal." - Lee County Sheriff Gary Parsons

Deputies were told the dog attacked the infant while she was in a bassinet. She suffered extensive injuries to her head and the upper portion of her body. She was taken to Holston Valley Medical Center in Kingsport then airlifted to the University of Tennessee Medical Center, where she died. Parsons confirmed Thursday the dog involved was a wolf-dog hybrid. The father's Facebook page shows a male wolf-dog hybrid-malamute mix that was purchased from AE Kennel in October 2014.2

Parsons' said the newborn's death is being investigated by the sheriff’s office and the Lee County Department of Social Services. The family also has two other older children. "We are going to continue to look into it and see what develops and of course consult with our commonwealth’s attorney to see if any charges are to be placed," Sheriff Parsons said. On Thursday, Parsons confirmed the dog was destroyed after the baby's parent's relinquished custody of the animal.

Highest Age-Specific Fatality Rate

On February 28, we published our 2017 U.S. dog bite fatality statistics and statistics from our 13-year fatality data set (2005 to 2017). Despite being in the 21st Century, infants continue to have the highest age-specific fatality rate in fatal dog attacks. Infants ≤11 months made up 48% of all victims ages 0-2 and 13% of all dog bite fatality victims during the 13-year period. During the early CDC study period (1979-1988), infants ≤11 months comprised 16% of all dog bite fatalities.

Above and beyond this disturbing 35-year trend, the dog in this case is a wolf-dog hybrid -- a canid hybrid resulting from the mating of a wolf and a dog -- and a blend of dog that is banned at a state-level in various states across the country, including Alaska, Michigan and others. In Virginia, wolf-dog hybrids are legal, but can be subjected to local regulation. For instance, the city of Fredericksburg bans wolf hybrids. Wolf hybrids have always maintained a position on our Dangerous Dogs page.

View Chart: 13-Year U.S. Dog Bite Fatality Chart - 2005 to 2017 Victims By Age Groups

1Wolf Hybrids, by Claudine Wilkins and Jessica Rock, Founders of Animal Law Source (www.animallawsource.org).
2By Friday morning, March 9, 2018, two days after an 8-day old baby was killed by a wolf-dog hybrid that came from their kennel in October 2014, AE Kennels removed their business website on Weebly (https://aekennel.weebly.com) and their business page on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/ae.kennel.5). One of the co-owners even removed her personal Facebook page. We have replaced live links with static screenshots of the cached website. One can also view the AE Kennel website at the Internet Archive Wayback Machine.
A cached version of their site states they have been providing "quality northern breed mixes and wolfdogs" since 1998. The owners, Erika Andreas and Antoine Robertson, say they provide the following wolf dog blends: "Malamute Husky mix. Low content Eastern Timberwolf, Siberian husky mix. Low content Timberwolf, Malamute, husky mix. Mid content Timberwolf, malamute husky mix. And upper mid Timberwolf Malamute mix. We provide low contents with real wolf heritage for first time owners and mid contents for more advanced owners," according to their site. The kennel is located about 25 minutes from Tallahassee, Florida. An advertisement on AmericanListed.com for "Husky Whitefang" puppies states AE Kennel is based in Greensboro, Florida. An advertisement on Hobbly Classifieds for AE Kennel wolf dog hybrid puppies (70% content range), state the cost is $950 and the low content rage wolf dog puppies start at $850, according to their cached website.

Related articles:
04/23/18: Fatal Wolf-Dog Hybrid Attacks - The Archival Record - DogsBite.org

Posted on February 28, 2018 by Colleen Lynn

2017 U.S. Dog Bite Fatality Statistics - DogsBite.org

Fatal Dog Attack Statistics
DogsBite.org recorded 39 fatal dog attacks in 2017. Pit bulls contributed to 74% (29) of these deaths, the highest death count on record for pit bulls and seven times more than the next closest breed. German shepherds followed, inflicting 4 deaths. 13 different dog breeds contributed to lethal attacks in 2017. The last time the CDC collected "breed" data about dogs involved in fatal human attacks was 1998. Since this time, pit bulls have mauled to death over 340 Americans.

39 U.S. dog bite-related fatalities occurred in 2017. Despite being regulated in Military Housing areas and over 900 U.S. cities, pit bulls contributed to 74% (29) of these deaths. Pit bulls make up about 6.5% of the total U.S. dog population.
During the 13-year period of 2005 to 2017, canines killed 433 Americans. Two dog breeds, pit bulls (284) and rottweilers (45), contributed to 76% (329) of these deaths. 32 different dog breeds contributed to the remaining fatal dog maulings.
In 2017, the combination of pit bulls (29), their close cousins, American bulldogs (1) and mastiff-type guard dogs and war dogs (2) contributed to 82% (32) of all dog bite-related fatalities. Rottweilers inflicted 1 death, killing an 18-month old Phoenix boy.
See full report: 2017 U.S. Dog Bite Fatality Statistics - DogsBite.org
News release: Nonprofit Releases 2017 Dog Bite Fatality Statistics...

This year's release includes statistics from our 13-year data set. From Jan. 1, 2005 to Dec. 31, 2017, canines killed 433 Americans. Pit bulls contributed to 66% (284) of these deaths. Combined, pit bulls (284) and rottweilers (45) contributed to 76% (329) of attacks resulting in death. When mastiff-type guard dogs and war dogs are added -- the types used to create "baiting" bull breeds and fighting breeds -- this small group of dog breeds accounts for 84% (363) of all dog bite-related deaths. In discussion notes, we examine 2017 trends, two changing metrics since the CDC study years (1979 to 1998) and the "Exponential Effect."

Discussion Notes

DogsBite.org - 2017 saw a surge of dog bite fatalities at the end of the year with 8 fatal dog attacks, including the high profile case of a 22-year old woman, whose remains were discovered on December 14 after she was killed and eaten by her own two pit bulls. Other late-year cases include two women in Alabama who were killed by "packs" of pet pit bulls one week apart and a woman in Arizona who was fatally mauled by a rescue akita she was hoping to rehome.

Due to two events in 2017, the public became more aware of the risk unregulated rescues and their "transport" operations pose, which routinely "pull" dogs with behavior problems from death row and truck them across state-lines to be rehomed. The grave facial mauling of a child in Iowa by a pit bull-mix shortly after adoption and a lethal attack in Virginia, carried out by a pit bull adopted seven hours earlier, set the stage for debate, civil lawsuits and new state legislation.

Inclusions and Exclusions

Over the course of 2017, our nonprofit sent out 8 FOIAs to uncover more information about suspected fatal dog maulings. We uncovered 2 new deaths in 2017, one in Adams County, Illinois, the other in Palm Beach County, Florida. Two deaths by sepsis due to untreated severe dog bite injuries were also discovered, the 2013 death of a 61-year old Palm Beach County, Florida man and the 2016 death of Lisa Breckenridge in Bexar County, Texas. Both attacks involved pit bulls.

Currently, death by sepsis cases due to untreated severe dog bite injuries are excluded from our data set, but we still retain the case information. In 2017, 10 dog attack-related deaths were also excluded. Two of those deaths involved aggressive non-bite injuries (struck by dog death).1 Qualifying struck by dog deaths may be added to our fatality data set at a future time, since the CDC already combines "bitten or struck by dog" deaths under the same ICD-10 mortality code.

2017 Dog Bite Fatality Trends

2017 marks the highest annual death count for pit bulls (29) since we began tracking this data over 10 years ago. The last 5-year death rate average for pit bulls (2013 to 2017) is 26.4. In an earlier 5-year period (2005 to 2009), it was 17. That is a 55% rise in the annual pit bull death rate between the two periods. In 2017, German shepherds inflicted the second highest death rate, 4, followed by mixed-breeds with 3 deaths, and 10 different breeds involved in 1 to 2 deaths.

Rottweilers, the second most lethal breed since 2005, inflicted one death in 2017, a predatory attack on a child. A chart breaking down the 13-year data set into two periods (6- and 7-years respectively), shows that deaths inflicted by rottweilers have decreased from 14% to 7% and deaths inflicted by pit bulls have increased from 58% to 71%. The charts indicate that soon only two categories may be relevant in fatal dog attack statistics: pit bulls vs. all other dog breeds.

Adult Deaths Outpace Child Deaths Metric Shift

In 2017, the ratio of adult deaths (62%) to child deaths (38%) was the highest on record. Last year we examined changing metrics in fatal dog attacks since the CDC last examined this issue. The rise in adult deaths was one of them. During the early CDC study period (1979-1988), only 30% of all fatality victims were ages 10-years and older. This metric has been increasing ever since. From 2005 to 2017, 52% (225) of all dog bite fatality victims (433) were ages 10-years and older.

Pit bulls inflicted 72% (163 of 225) of the attacks that killed a person 10-years and older vs. all other dog breeds combined, which killed 28% (62).

What remains constant today, as in the CDC study years, is that infants ≤11 months have the highest age specific fatality rate. Over the 13-year period from 2005 to 2017, infants made up 48% (55 of 115) of all deaths in the 0-2 age group and 13% of all dog bite fatality victims. During the early CDC study period (1979-1988), infants ≤11 months comprised 16% of all deaths (25 of 157). Despite decades of safety advancements since, these preventable infant deaths continue.

Fatality Victim Ages - Pit Bulls vs. All Other Dog Breeds Combined (2005 to 2017)

Category	0-2	3-4	5-9	10-29	30-49	50-69	70+	Total
Total Deaths	115	42	51	23	50	76	76	433
				52% ages 10 and older				225
Pit Bulls	65	23	33	21	36	56	50	284
				72% ages 10 and older				163
All Other Breeds Combined	50	19	18	2	14	20	26	149
				28% ages 10 and older				62

Single Dog Metric Shrinking Metric Shift

Another metric shift we examined last year was the falling rate of fatal attacks inflicted by a single dog. In 2017, 49% of all dog bite-related fatalities involved a single dog, down from the first CDC study, when 70% of all deaths involved one dog. In our 13-year data set, 53% (231) of all fatalities involved a single dog and 47% (202) involved multiple dogs. Attacks by pit bulls involving more than one dog (commonly another pit bull), contributed to 72% (146) of the multi-dog subset.

In the last 13-years, 51% of all fatal pit bull attacks (146 of 284) involved more than one dog, vs. 38% (56 of 149) of attacks not involving pit bulls.

Multi-pit bull households are a chief contributing factor to the rise of fatal attacks inflicted by multiple dogs. Of the 202 deaths involving more than one dog, 65% (131) were carried out by two or more pit bulls belonging to the same household. 50% (66) of these deaths involved 2 pit bulls; 33% (43) 3 to 4 pit bulls; 11% (14) 5 to 6 pit bulls and 6% (8) 7 to 17 pit bulls. In our 13-year data set, pit bulls also accounted for 72% (73 of 102) of all deaths that involved recent breeding activity.

Single Dog Involved in Fatal Dog Attacks - Various Studies (1979-2017)

% Single Dog	Years	Single Dog of Total Studied	Entity/Study
70%	1979-1988	(76 of 108)	CDC/Sacks 1989
73%	1989-1994	(62 of 85)	CDC/Sacks, 1996
67%	1979-1998	(160 of 238)	CDC/AVMA, 2000
56%	2005-2010	(102 of 183)	DogsBite.org, 2017
52%	2011-2017	(129 of 250)	DogsBite.org, 2018
49%	2017	(19 of 39)	DogsBite.org, 2018

The Exponential Effect

In 2005, when the City and County of Denver defended its pit bull ban, Dr. Peter L. Borchelt, PhD, an expert witness for the City, testified about the effect of increasing the number of pit bulls involved in an attack upon a human in terms of the likelihood of serious injuries or death. Rather than a simple multiplying effect (i.e., the mathematical pattern of x, x + x = 2x, 2x + x = 3x), Dr. Borchelt testified the effect would be closer to an exponential effect (i.e., 1 = x1, 2 = x2, 3 = x3).

When asked in court by the Denver Assistant City Attorney how the level of dangerousness and potential damage changes when multiple pit bulls attack a human, versus one pit bull, Dr. Borchelt testified, "by an order of magnitude," meaning extremely worse. Furthermore, when asked by the City, "Is it your opinion that an attack upon a human by multiple pit bulls, in fact, is exponentially more dangerous than an attack by multiple dogs of other breeds?" Dr. Borchelt answered, "Yes."2

We examined this effect by reviewing fatal attack cases involving 3 or more dogs and the number of pit bulls that factored into each death.

Of the 97 fatal attacks involving 3 or more dogs since 2005, 73% (71) included at least 1 pit bull attacking and 69% (67) included at least 2 pit bulls attacking. Only 4% (4) of the total 97 attacks involving 3 or more dogs included a single pit bull attacking (71-67=4). Of all fatal attacks (71 of 97) involving 3 or more dogs that included 1 pit bull, death resulted 16 times more frequently when 2 or more pit bulls were attacking than when the group of dogs only included 1 pit bull attacking.

Family Dogs and Rescue Dogs

In 2017, family dogs inflicted 72% (28) of all dog bite fatalities, a sharp rise from the 12-year average of 52%. Family pit bulls inflicted 64% (18) of these deaths. 43% (12) of family dog-inflicted deaths involved multi-dog households and 36% (10) of all victims were children under 2-years old. 29% (8) of family dog-inflicted deaths involved a dog or person new to a household (0-2 month period) and 14% (4) involved a babysitter watching a child at the time of the deadly attack.

In 2017, 15% (6) of all fatal dog attacks involved rescued or rehomed dogs. Rescued pit bulls were involved in 83% (5) of these attacks and 80% (4) of these pit bulls had been vetted by an animal agency or foster prior to adoption. 67% (4) of all deaths involving rescued or rehomed dogs had known aggression or behavioral issues at the time of the fatal attack. In half of all death scenarios, the rescue dog was added to a home that already had one or more dogs (multi-dog household).3

Criminal Charges and Legislation

In 2017, 21% (8) of all dog bite fatalities resulted in meaningful criminal charges, equal to the 12-year average. 38% (3) of all criminal charges were brought in the state of Georgia last year, including "next-day" second-degree murder charges against a grandmother after two family pit bulls under her care killed her grandson. The other two dog bite fatalities in Georgia resulted in involuntary manslaughter and reckless conduct charges. All three cases involved pit bulls.4

Pit bulls were involved in 100% of fatal attacks that resulted in criminal charges in 2017, up from the breed's 12-year average of 73% (59 of 81).

Three states responded with legislation after a fatal pit bull attack in 2017. Legislators in Alabama introduced "Emily's Law," named after Emily Colvin who was killed by her neighbor's five pit bulls. In Virginia, after a newly adopted pit bull killed a woman, legislators put forth a bill requiring releasing agencies to disclose the bite history of all animals to adopters. In Ohio, a renewed attempt is underway to pass the Klonda Richey Act after a pit bull killed a Dayton man in 2017.

Summary and Call-to-Action

13 years of fatal dog bite statistical data is sufficient to evaluate the "breed-specific" issue. Pit bulls dramatically dominate attacks causing death. With the addition of rottweilers, these two breeds accounted for 76% of all deaths. This year we removed the other breeds involved in fatal attacks from our 13-year fatality pie chart and renamed it, "not involving pit bulls or rottweilers." This shows how disproportionately the top killing breeds kill and how infrequently 35 other breeds do.

Despite this glaring disproportionate fact, which the CDC first identified in 2000, powerful animal lobbying groups continue to push state-level preemption bills that prohibit local governments from adopting and enforcing breed-specific laws. Importantly, over the last three years (2015 to 2017), legislatures in 10 different states have rejected these preemption bills -- 90% failed to pass. Currently, six states face this type of legislation in 2018, including: Michigan and Missouri.

Our call to action this year is to use our statistics and charts in correspondence with local and state officials. Use nonfatal severe injury statistics as well. Our 2016 special report summarizes key peer-reviewed medical studies (2009 to 2016). Since 2011, the majority of these studies report similar findings: pit bulls are producing a higher prevalence of injuries and a higher severity of injuries, requiring 3 to 5 times the rate of surgical intervention compared to all other dog breeds.

Additional Annual and Combined Year Statistical Graphics (2005 to 2017)

Data Collection Method: How We Collect U.S. Dog Bite Fatality Data

1Aggressive struck by dog deaths during 2017: Shirley Wright, 89-years old of Toledo, Ohio and Dr. William Deneke, 70-years old of Pine Bluff, Arkansas.
2Transcript: City and County of Denver, et al, v. The State of Colorado, et al, District Court of City and County of Denver, Colorado, Case No. 04CV3756, April 7, 2005.
3In one case, the couple had 5 dogs in their home already and had been under investigation by CPS prior to adopting a pit bull from the El Paso Animal Services Shelter. Five months later, this pit bull joined the other neglected family dogs in a fatal pack attack that brutally killed a child. That is the "no kill equation" at work.
4Updated April 10, 2018 to add two cases with criminal charges that were filed after the publication of this post on February 28. Both cases are from Alabama and involve the deaths of Emily Colvin and Tracy Cornelius.

Recent nonfatal studies:
09/20/17: Meme Campaign - Pit Bull Injury Statistics from Peer-Reviewed Medical Studies
10/10/16: Special Report: Level 1 Trauma Center Dog Bite Studies in All U.S. Geographical...

Posted on February 17, 2018 by Colleen Lynn

2018 Dog Bite Fatality: Man Dies, Woman Seriously Injured by Dog in Owensboro, Kentucky

Location of family pit bull attack that left a man dead and a woman seriously injured.

Pit Bull Confirmed
UPDATE 02/17/18: On Thursday evening, Owensboro Police and Owensboro Fire responded to a home in the 2300 block of Heritage Park Drive at about 6 pm after reports of a dog attack. When police entered the home, they shot and killed a large aggressive dog and tasered a beagle. Police found David and Dana Brown on the ground with injuries after trying to break up a fight between two family dogs. It has now been confirmed that the larger aggressive dog was a family pit bull.

In a Messenger-Inquirer article, which is behind a paywall, Daviess County Animal Control Director Ashley Clark described the large dog as a pit bull. This confirms what multiple people close to the case have been stating on social media in the aftermath of Thursday's attack. David G. Brown, 46, was pronounced dead at Owensboro Health Regional Hospital after the attack. As of Friday, his wife Dana Brown, 45, was also hospitalized at the same location and listed in fair condition.

Officer Andrew Bell, public information for the Owensboro Police Department, told the Messenger-Inquirer that Dana told officers the incident began after the family pit bull and beagle got into a fight. When Dana tried to break up the fight, she was attacked, Bell said. When David came to help, he was also attacked. "He jumped in, and they turned on him," Bell said. Daviess County Coroner Jeff Jones said the attack was a factor in Brown's death; he also had heart issues.

Clark provided additional details about the couple's dogs, noting that they were all fixed and well cared for. "The dogs were well-taken care of," Clark said. "They were clean and fixed. You could tell they were beloved pets of the family." The pit bull "was probably 90 pounds," Clark said. The family's third household dog, a dachshund, was also attacked by the pit bull during the fight. The surviving dogs were removed from the home and will be placed with family members, Clark said.

02/16/18: Man Dies After Dog Attack
Owensboro, KY - A man is dead and a woman was injured after being attacked by a dog, according to information provided by the Owensboro Police Department. The attack occurred around 6:00 pm in the 2300 block of Heritage Park Drive in the Heritage Park neighborhood in Owensboro. At least three dogs resided at the home, but apparently only two were involved in the attack. A responding officer shot and killed one of the dogs after it tried to attack the officer.

Archive dispatch calls from Owensboro Fire -- accessed through Broadcastify.com -- indicate traumatic injury from a dog attack involving at least one victim. "Engine 3 response for a traumatic injury in reference to a dog attack ... Heritage Park Drive ... Do have OPD in route. Two dogs are still outside that attacked the subject ... Engine 3 response for a traumatic injury in reference to a dog attack. Ambulance is already responding ... male that was attacked by two dogs," she states.

A few minutes later, the dispatcher states, "Male subject was attacked by two dogs and went inside his residence. Caller is advising someone is possibly giving him CPR at this time. Just use caution as the two dogs are still in the front yard." A variety of unverified Facebook comments from people close to the case indicate the surviving female victim went into emergency surgery, the man who died may have also suffered a heart attack and that the culprit was a family pit bull.

Friday Morning Update

Continuing on the 14 News comment thread we were viewing last night, more people directly involved in the case spoke out Friday morning. Casey Cecil, who would not "say the breed," said her son was there and that police shot the dog when it chased her son into a car. "My son was there and was the one that called the cops for help." Melody McKinney said her daughter was there too, "She too can't get the screams out of her head." McKinney stated the dog was a pit bull.

Both Cecil and McKinney agreed, "If any one of our kids tried to intervene more than they did, we would be planning their funerals today." McKinney added, "They [the kids] also kept the wife from being attacked and some neighbors who had pulled up and got out of their car. The kids were screaming, 'Get back in your car' because the dog was headed their direction. They saved several lives last night. Including their own!" We are still waiting on confirmation from Owensboro police.

Friday Afternoon Update

14 News released an update Friday afternoon confirming some of the Facebook comments. Responding officers arrived to a scene of two aggressive dogs; they shot and killed one of them due to its aggression. When officers entered into the Heritage Park home, they found an injured man and woman lying on the floor. Both suffered injuries while trying to break up a fight between their family dogs. Police have identified the couple as David Brown, 46, and Dana Brown, 45.

David Brown did not survive his injuries. The Daviess County Coroner’s report states that he suffered a cardiac arrest that was complicated by the dog attack. Last night people close to the case said that Dana underwent emergency surgery. Comments from this morning indicate that four teenagers were near the scene, one even called police for help. Multiple people close to the case have stated the attacking dog is a pit bull. Presumably, the same animal police shot to death.

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

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2017 U.S. Dog Bite Fatality Statistics - DogsBite.org

Discussion Notes

2018 Dog Bite Fatality: Man Dies, Woman Seriously Injured by Dog in Owensboro, Kentucky