2018 Dog Bite Fatality: New Family Pit Bull Kills 3-Year Old Girl in Duncan, Oklahoma

family pit bull kills child in duncan, oklahoma
Rylee Marie Dodge, 3, was killed by her family's new pit bull in Duncan, Oklahoma.

Father Speaks Out
UPDATE 01/15/18: In a heartbreaking story, Jason Dodge, whose daughter was killed Sunday by a family pit bull, talks about the newly acquired dog. Dodge got the approximately 1-year old pit bull from a friend who said she would take the dog to the pound if Dodge did not take it -- red flag number one. Dodge loved animals and knew "what would happen to a pit bull" at a pound -- red flag number two. Someone else's misfortune and guilt led to a decision that cost his child's life.

There is no doubt that pit bull propaganda played a large role as well, generously dished out by animal welfare groups, celebrities like Cesar Millan, and the pit bull lobby. From the misunderstood Nanny Dog myth to "It's all how you raise 'em," then blanketing pit bulls in victimization by calling them unfairly discriminated against. No one ever told Dodge these are "zero margin of error" dogs that kill a person in the U.S. about every 12 days and initiate LifeFlights daily across the country.

"I got [the dog] from a friend. I had it five days. I was very cautious about it, because I don't just bring around dogs into my home. It was over a year, I was trying to do a good thing, because she was going to take it to the pound if I didn't, and I love animals. So, I wanted to take it into my house because I know what would happen to a pit bull, you know.

I took my son over there. The dog didn't attack him. It loved him, gave him a hug and licked him on the face and everything. Brought him here and my son come outside all day long and played with him. He didn't do nothing to him. Then I bring my daughter here two days prior to that and this happened." - Jason Dodge

Dodge also talked about his mother who intervened in the attack. "She actually pulled her arm out of its socket by holding the dog down so long, until I got home. She had to check herself into the hospital because her arm was so messed up from holding the dog down too long," Dodge said. "She couldn't breath. She had no stamina whatsoever. She couldn't even get up," he said. "She had the dog in a headlock laying on the back of it. The dog was trying to get out from under her."

Please visit the Dodge family's GoFundMe page: Funeral Costs For Rylee Marie Dodge.

01/15/18: Dog Mauling Victim Identified
A 3-year old girl killed by a family dog has been identified as Rylee Dodge. Her father, Jason Dodge, said the dog is a pit bull that he had only taken in five days earlier from a friend. In an interview with KFOR, Dodge said he left his daughter at home Sunday with Rylee's grandmother. Dodge had only been away for about 20 minutes when he received a call that Rylee had been attacked. Dodge said Rylee opened up the front door to play with the dog and it attacked her.

Police continue to investigate what led up to the deadly attack. There are now conflicting reports about how long the family owned the pit bull, five days versus two weeks. Police also continue to describe the dog as a "bulldog mixed-breed," even though the dog's owner states it is a pit bull, as do other family relatives. Rylee's body was taken to the Oklahoma State Medical Examiner's Office where they will perform an autopsy. The family's attacking dog will undergo a necropsy.

Finally, Dodge also provided photos of his dog, named Remington, to KSWO. Dodge told reporter Re'Chelle Turner that Remington is a "fully blooded pit bull," as the photo mainly indicates, erasing further breed misidentification rumors. This video has so far only been published to the KSWO Facebook page. We expect to see it incorporated into their main news website sometime later today. Meanwhile, Turner will be interviewing other family members and neighbors for reactions.

family pit bull remington killed rylee dodge

01/14/18: New Family Dog Kills Child
Duncan, OK - Police confirm a child died after being attacked by a family dog. Officers responded to a dog bite report at a home near F Street at 3:19 pm Sunday, Duncan Police Lt. John Byers said. The child was taken to a hospital, but did not survive. When officers arrived at the scene, the medium sized "mixed-breed" dog fled. When the dog was located it lunged at an officer and was shot to death. The family dog will be sent to a veterinarian to determine the breed, Byers said.

"When they arrived on the scene the young juvenile female had been attacked by a dog and the dog was still in the area,” Byers told The Duncan Banner. The canine was "later located by officers and that dog was put down by the officers," he said. "We are currently still investigating all of the circumstances around it right now," Byers said. More details will be released when the information becomes available, Byers said. Authorities did not release the mauling victim's age or identity.

Late Evening Updates

The Lawton Constitution published more details in a piece that will run in full in their print daily tomorrow. The mauling victim is only 3-years old. The deadly attack occurred in the 600 block of North F Street. Officers arrived at the scene and saw the dog had drug the child into the yard and was still actively attacking the child, Police Chief Dan Ford said. "Officers got the dog off the girl and dispatched the dog. They tried to do CPR on the girl but she didn't make it," Ford said.

In 2015, in nearby Lawton, 3-year old Jordan Collins-Tyson was killed by a pit bull while under the care of his babysitter. He was in the backyard of his great-grandmother's home with two dogs when he was attacked. According to police, the babysitter was watching the boy through a window from inside the home. When she glanced away then back, he was on the ground. The pit bull latched onto Jordan's throat, killing him. Police said the boy had spent time with the dog before.

Unverified comments by a relative on the KSWO-TV Facebook thread state the dog was a pit bull that a male individual had owned for a few weeks. Commenter, last name Robinson, states, "The little girl who passed is my daughter's half sister. Her family needs lots of prayers. She was just trying to play with the dog and it attacked her. It was not a stray like everyone is saying." Robinson states the dog's owner, "got it from some girl who was homeless and he gave the dog a home."1

Home on north F street, child killed by family pit bull, duncan oklahoma

map iconView the DogsBite.org Google Map: Oklahoma Fatal Pit Bull Maulings.
1Though the dog certainly could have been "new" to the home, especially newly rehomed by someone Robinson knows, the "homeless" bit sounds a little far fetched. We shall see what police finally say about this.

Related articles:
11/04/17: 2015 Dog Bite Fatality: Oklahoma Man Dies After Vicious Attack by Five Pit Bulls
05/10/17: 2017 Dog Bite Fatality: Woman and Dog Killed by Two Pit Bulls While Walking...
06/29/15: 2015 Dog Bite Fatality: Pit Bull Kills Child Under Babysitter's Watch in Lawton...

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.

2017 Fatal Dog Attack Breed Identification Photographs

Photographs from Social Media Have Quadrupled Since 2013

2017 Fatal Dog Attack Identification Photographs
Photographs of six fatally attacking dogs in 2017 obtained from multiple sources.

Jump down to view all 2017 breed identification photographs or read our analysis first.

DogsBite.org - In 2013, we began the tradition of publishing breed identification photographs of fatally attacking dogs when available through news reports, social media websites and law enforcement agencies. Of the 39 U.S. dog bite-related fatalities recorded in 2017, 56% (22) had identification photographs, down from the high of 72% last year. Pit bulls and their mixes represent 82% (18) of all breed identification photographs collected in 2017, up from 76% last year.

Of the 22 cases with identification photographs, 73% (16) were captured by news media, up from 62% last year and 59% (13) were located on social media pages of the dog's owner or family members, over four times greater than in 2013. Animal control departments supplied 18% (4) of all photographs in 2017. Departments in California, Ohio, Georgia, Texas and Florida allowed news media to photograph the dogs while quarantined in 6 cases, raising that number from 18% to 45%.

Of all cases with photographs, DogsBite.org located 18% (4) on social media that were otherwise unpublished; each case involved pit bulls.

In 2017, 73% (16) of all collected identification photographs were family dogs. Pit bulls and their mixes perpetrated 75% (12) of these family member and household deaths, including killing three primary caretakers. No other dog breed with an identification image inflicted an owner death in 2017. The case of Carol Harris, who was rehabbing "an orphaned akita" to make it "adoptable" when the dog killed her, is similar, but Harris did not appear to be the akita's primary caretaker.

Of all cases with breed identification photographs, 91% (20) involved dogs taken into custody and quarantined and 14% (3) were shot and killed at the scene. Images of the shot dogs were located on social media pages of their owners, and in one mauling death, the NextDoor app. Of all 39 recorded dog bite fatalities in 2017, 15% (6) involved rescued or rehomed dogs. Identification photographs from social media and adoption websites captured 83% (5) of these rescue dogs.

Cases Lacking Photographs

Of the 17 cases that lacked an identification photograph, 65% (11) involved pit bulls and nearly half of all cases 47% (8) involved dogs shot to death at the scene. Pit bulls represent 88% (7) of the dogs shot and killed, including one that died in a "hail of police gunfire" after the horrific mauling death of Javien Candelario. Another shot to death pit bull case lacking a photograph involved Kentucky State Police having surveillance footage capturing the entire fatal dog attack.1

Of the 9 remaining quarantine cases, one lacked any media coverage, the death of 41-year old Grace Walks. In another case, also involving a pit bull, the shelter refused to allow news media to photograph the dogs. 35% (6) of all cases lacking an identification photograph did not involve pit bulls. If one adds the 7 shot pit bull cases and the 2 pit bull quarantine cases, that is 9 pit bull mauling deaths where an identification photograph had slim chances of ever becoming public.

Jump down to view all 2017 breed identification photographs or continue reading our analysis.

Breed Misidentification Wars

In 2017, there were two breed misidentification wars; both involved confusion. After three dogs killed a 6-year old boy and seriously injured a 5-year old girl while walking to a school bus stop in Atlanta, initial reports identified two of the dogs as a pit bull and pit bull-mix. Later reports revised the animals to a "pit bull and border collie." By this time, however, both pit bulls had already been photographed by the media and belonged to the same owner who had been taken into custody.

Animal control seized other loose dogs in the area, one was a border collie. To this day, there is no verification it was involved in the attack.

The other misidentification case was primarily due to law enforcement and the media being unfamiliar with XXL pit bull "designer" breeds. After the horrific mauling death of Cecille Short in Oklahoma City, and the accompanying image of the dogs, first located on the NextDoor app, the media simply began calling the dog a "large white dog." That evaporated fairly quickly once they learned about XXL pit bulls and the poor breeding practices of "designer" XXL bully breeders.

Finally, 2017 marked a year when we entered into territory that is more corrosive than breed misidentification wars. After a young woman who advocated for pit bulls was killed and eaten by her own two pit bulls, zealots on social media responded with denial and conspiracy theories, just like they did after the death of pit bull advocate Darla Napora in 2011. People claimed Bethany Stephens' pit bulls were innocent; she was instead "murdered" or "attacked by a wild animal."

The conspiracy theories, which spread like wildfire on social media, and were further fueled by media outlets that published them, were so destructive the Goochland County Sheriff's Office had to give a second press conference in order to stop to them. This is the part of the conference that you should always remember: "It's been difficult and I am afraid that even after releasing these additional facts as we have tonight, it's not going to nullify some of these people," the sheriff said.

Goochland County Sheriff James Agnew is exactly correct. Nothing will nullify pit bull zealots who willfully ignore the truth. In the face of a devastating mauling death, they lie to themselves, lie to their friends, lie to the public on social media and vilify the messenger. Our collection of over 400 fatal dog attacks with thousands of citations along with our breed identification reports are not meant for them. They are meant for people who are truly investigating this public safety issue.

More photos of larger sizes are often available at the indicated full blog post link for each victim. Also, jump down to learn how we track the photograph sources for each fatal dog attack case.

2017 Fatal Dog Attack Breed Identification Photographs

Logan Braatz fatal dog attack - pit bull, breed identification photograph

See: Summary | Full blog post | Logan Braatz, 6-years old, was brutally killed by up to three dogs while walking to a school bus stop with a group of children on January 17, 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia. The dogs critically injured 5-year old Syrai Sanders as well. The owner of the two involved pit bulls, Cameron Tucker, was charged with misdemeanor manslaughter.

John Doe Child fatal dog attack - English mastiff, breed identification photograph

See: Summary | Full blog post | John Doe (child), 5-years old, was mauled to death by his family's two English mastiffs on February 16, 2017 in Clarksville, Tennessee. Both dogs were 6-months old, according to a news release by the Clarksville Police Department. Emergency personnel discovered the boy with "extensive injuries" after being mauled by the two dogs.

Jamie Owsley fatal dog attack - pit bull, breed identification photograph

See: Summary | Full blog post | Jamie Owsley, 21-years old, died after being bitten in the neck by a family pit bull in Quincy, Illinois. The attack occurred at his home in the early hours of February 26. The dog involved was one of three pit bulls belonging to his roommate and cousin Kerry Talburt II. It is believed Owsley suffered a seizure before the dog attack.

Valentine Herrera fatal dog attack - pit bull, breed identification photograph

See: Summary | Full blog post | Valentine Herrera, 76-years old, was attacked by two pit bulls on February 2, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. The pit bulls first attacked and killed his pomeranian, named Dodger. When Herrera intervened, the pit bulls attacked him. Herrera remained in critical condition at LA County-USC Medical Center until he died February 27.

Cecille Short fatal dog attack - pit bull, breed identification photograph

See: Summary | Full blog post | Cecille Short, 82-years old, and her dog, named Taylor, were violently killed by a pit bull and a pit bull "designer" breed on April 6, 2017 in Oklahoma City. Emergency crews said the attack was so gruesome the victim was nearly decapitated. The dogs' owner, Antwon Demetris Burks, was charged with second-degree manslaughter.

Maurice Brown fatal dog attack - pit bull, breed identification photograph

See: Summary | Full blog post | Maurice Brown, 60-years old, was savagely killed by a pit bull on April 25, 2017 in Dayton, Ohio. Neighbors heard Brown shouting, "Jesus, help me, help me!" before he died. Officers shot and killed the pit bull that was actively attacking Brown. Three other pit bulls were confiscated from the attack scene at 345 Middle Street.2

Kamiko Dao Tsuda-Saelee fatal dog attack - pit bull, breed identification photograph

See: Summary | Full blog post | Kamiko Dao Tsuda-Saelee, 6-months old, was mauled to death by her family's pit bull of nine years on May 8, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Kamiko had been playing in a baby walker near the dog when the animal suddenly attacked her. The family said they were blindsided by the attack -- the dog had never bitten anyone before.

Susannah Murray fatal dog attack - pit bull, breed identification photograph

See: Summary | Full blog post | Susannah Murray, 3-weeks old, was mauled to death after being left alone with three pit bulls in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The baby was left alone in a bouncy chair for about five minutes. When one of the adults returned, she found her bloody with severe head injuries. All three pit bulls were "rescues," according to family members.

Margaret Colvin fatal dog attack - pit bull, breed identification photograph

See: Summary | Full blog post | Margaret Colvin, 91-years old, was killed by a pit bull in Virginia Beach that her daughter had acquired from a rescue group earlier that day. Forever Home Rescue sent the pit bull to the adopter's home wearing a shock collar. The dog had a history of bites and aggression, but the rescue did not disclose this information to the family.

Marcos Raya Jr fatal dog attack - rottweiler, breed identification photograph

See: Summary | Full blog post | Marcos Raya, Jr., 18-months old, was killed by his father's rottweiler on June 9, 2017 in Phoenix, Arizona.3 While the child's grandmother was doing chores, the rottweiler rushed inside, grabbed the baby boy then dragged it outside, viciously attacking him. He "never stood a chance," Phoenix fire spokesman Capt. Rob McDade said.

Melissa Barnes fatal dog attack - pit bull, breed identification photograph

See: Summary | Full blog post | Melissa Barnes, 65-years old, died after being savagely attacked by two pit bulls on June 24, 2017 in Bozeman, Montana. The dogs belonged to her tenant, Wayne Bartlett, who had been living on the property with her for some years. She was airlifted to a trauma center for treatment. Doctors pronounced her brain dead the next day.

Michael Parks fatal dog attack - pit bull, breed identification photograph

See: Summary | Full blog post | Michael Parks, 60-years old, died after trying to break up a violent pit bull fight on July 21, 2017 in Fostoria, Ohio. After Parks let his own pit bull, Mia, outside, the dog bolted across Davoli Street and began attacking another pit bull being walked by its owner Amy Loving. While trying to break up the fight, Parks was fatally bitten.

Jacob Brooks fatal pack attack involving pit bull, breed identification photograph

See: Summary | Full blog post | Jacob Brooks, 4-years old, died after being mauled by a pack of family dogs on July 27, 2017 in El Paso, Texas. His mother had left him in an enclosed trampoline in the backyard where the four dogs roamed. He got out of the enclosure and the dogs attacked him. His mother and partner were charged with felony Injury to a Child.

Paris Adams fatal dog attack - pit bull, breed identification photograph

See: Summary | Full blog post | Paris Adams, 20-months old, was killed by two pit bulls while under the care of his grandmother on August 1, 2017 in Hartwell, Georgia. Sandra Adams had been cited for the dogs multiple times in the past. Instead of taking Paris directly to the hospital, she picked up his mother first. She was charged with second-degree murder.

Michael Obergas fatal dog attack - giant schnauzer and labrador, breed identification photograph

See: Summary | Full blog post | Michael Obergas, 2-months old, was killed by a family dog while he slept in a bassinet on August 19, 2017 in Houston, Texas. One of the dogs was able to open the door and attack the infant after his parents briefly stepped away. The two male family dogs, a giant schnauzer and labrador both named Jack, were surrendered to police.

Alicia Malagon fatal dog attack - pit bull, breed identification photograph

See: Summary | Full blog post | Alicia Malagon, 76-years old, was killed by a pit bull she was dog-sitting for relatives on August 26, 2017 in Blountstown, Florida. Arriving deputies found a "significant blood trail" leading from a bedroom to the kitchen, where they found Malagon unresponsive. She was transported to a hospital where she was pronounced dead.

Barrett Hagans fatal dog attack - pit bull, breed identification photograph

See: Summary | Full blog post | Barrett Hagans, 1-month old, was killed by a family pit bull while he slept in his bassinet on September 20, 2017 in Pike Township, Ohio. His father awoke the next morning to his baby dead with head injuries so extensive he did not even perform CPR. The attack occurred on the first night the baby ever spent at his father's home.

David Baber fatal dog attack - pit bull, breed identification photograph

See: Summary | Full blog post | David Baber, 65-years old, was killed by his own two dogs on November 4, 2017 in Hamlet, North Carolina. A 9-year old boy witnessed the attack and threw bricks at the dogs, trying to get them to stop. "Only they wouldn’t get off of him. They bit his neck," little Kanorie said. Police later called the boy a "hero" for trying to save Baber's life.

Bethany Stephens fatal dog attack - pit bull, breed identification photograph

See: Summary | Full blog post | Bethany Stephens, 22-years old, was mauled to death then eaten by her two pit bulls between December 13 and 14 in Goochland County, Virginia. The dogs attacked her while she took them for a walk. Deputies found her dismembered body over a day later. "It was an absolutely grisly mauling," the Goochland County Sheriff said.

Carol Harris fatal dog attack - akita, breed identification photograph

See: Summary | Full blog post | Carol Harris, 69-years old, was killed "while helping to rehab an orphaned akita" to make the dog adoptable. The attack occurred at the Canine Country Club and Feline Inn, in Phoenix, Arizona. Carol was part of Akita Advocates, a rescue group. Her husband told the media he doesn’t want anyone to "blame the breed" for his wife’s death.

Lorraine Saylor fatal dog attack - pit bull, breed identification photograph

See: Summary | Full blog post | Lorraine Saylor, 66-years old, was brutally killed by her neighbor's two pit bulls on Christmas Eve in Arjay, Kentucky. The dogs seriously injured her husband too. The owner of the dogs, Johnny Dale Lankford, was being held at the Bell County Detention Center on unrelated charges when his two pit bulls attacked the couple.

Deborah Onsurez fatal pack attack involving pit bulls, breed identification photograph

See: Summary | Full blog post | Deborah Onsurez, 56-years old, was found mauled to death on Crows Landing Road on December 28, 2017 in Modesto. Authorities captured seven stray dogs they identified from surveillance cameras near the attack site. The pack was comprised of a variety of breeds, including German shepherd, doberman, pit bull and more.

Post Publication Identification Photographs

Breed identification photographs discovered after the publication of this post on January 11, 2018. These photographs are not included in our overall analysis; they were unavailable at that time.

Kimberly Burton fatal pit bull attack - pit bull, breed identification photograph

See: Summary | Kimberly Burton, 47-years old, died after suffering a heart attack and multiple dog bite injuries on June 7, 2017 in Detroit. There were dozens of dogs in her home on Hamburg Street, including mixed-breeds, pit bulls and others. The medical examiner determined that dog bites contributed to her death. The manner of death was an accident.

Emily Colvin fatal pit bull attack - pit bull, breed identification photograph

See: Summary | Full blog post | Emily Colvin, 24-years old, was killed by five pit bulls belonging to her neighbor on December 7, 2017 in Section, Alabama. A deputy shot and killed one of the dogs at the scene. On January 29, 2018 District Judge Don Word ordered the remaining four pit bulls belonging to Brian Graden and Melody Graden to be put down.

Jane Marie Egle fatal dog attack - breed identification photograph

See: Summary | Full blog post | Jane Marie Egle, 59-years old, was killed by her own South African boerboel on May 1, 2017 in Asheville, North Carolina. An autopsy conducted May 3 stated she died "due to dog mauling." The Buncombe County Sheriff's Office never released cause of death. The medical examiner's office released the autopsy report April 16, 2018.

How We Track Photograph Sources

We track the identification photograph's original source. There also may be multiple images in one case, so multiple sources may be attributed to a single case. For instance, after the death of Paris Adams, the news media shot original images, there were social media images and the shelter provided a photograph. Also, the news media can be an overlapping (dual) category because they often republish images provided by law enforcement that the public otherwise would not see.

What is easy to see in our tracking and analysis is the rising number of identification photographs located on social media, from only 16% (3) of all collected images in 2013 to 59% (13) in 2017. It is also easy to see the remarkably low number of law enforcement and shelters that release identification photographs after a fatal dog attack. They supplied 18% (4) of the 22 cases with identification images and just 14% (4) of the 29 quarantine cases after a dog bite fatality in 2017.

Photograph Tracking Categories

  • News media supplied photograph and/or an important republished photograph
  • Social media website supplied identification photograph
  • Law enforcement or animal control department supplied photograph
  • Animal control department allowed news media to take photographs
  • Canines shot to death at the scene of a fatal dog attack
  • Canines taken into quarantine after a fatal dog attack
1It isn't this fact that makes this so questionable -- the fact that the entire fatal dog attack was caught on surveillance footage and there was no breed identification photograph. What is eyebrow raising is that Kentucky State Police did not release any breed information after viewing the surveillance video nor after shooting one of the attacking dogs.
2The seized pit bull photographs are included because a backyard pit bull breeder, who had a "yard of chained pit bulls," was associated to the home at 345 Middle Street and two of the three pit bulls seized by Dayton and county authorities were clearly identifiable on his personal Facebook page.
3We could not get a front view. But as you can see, the dog is recognizable as a rottweiler even from this view.

Related articles:
01/09/17: 2016 Fatal Dog Attack Breed Identification Photographs - DogsBite.org
01/14/16: 2015 Fatal Dog Attack Breed Identification Photographs - DogsBite.org
08/31/15: Who Can Identify a Pit Bull? A Dog Owner of 'Ordinary Intelligence'...
01/07/15: 2014 Fatal Dog Attack Breed Identification Photographs - DogsBite.org
01/03/14: 2013 Fatal Dog Attack Breed Identification Photographs - DogsBite.org

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.

2018 Dog Bite Fatality: Woman Killed by Pit Bull at Pet Boarding Facility in Louisiana

Laura Ray killed by pit bull at pet boarding facility in West Monroe
Laura Ray, 53, died after being attacked by a pit bull at the Happy Hound Hotel.

Dog Kills Woman
West Monroe, LA - The Ouachita Parish Sheriff's Office confirmed that a woman died after being severely attacked by a dog at a pet boarding facility in West Monroe. On January 9, about 11:00 pm, deputies responded to the report of an injured person at The Happy Hound Hotel located at 517 Smith Street. Deputies found a female victim at the facility with severe injuries, apparently inflicted by a pit bull housed there. Ouachita Parish Animal Control took the dog into custody.

Her niece, Shena Molina Dedmon, posted to her Facebook page several hours ago: "My heart is so torn. My aunt passed away last night. A pit bull attacked her at her work place." Dedmon posted five photographs of Laura Williams Ray, describing her as not just my aunt, "she was my friend, that ride or die aunt that knew all my secrets and never judged" and "she was the most giving person I knew." She was asked to by friends to make her post public so it could be shared.

Charlotte Ann Gerhardt, a friend of of the victim, also posted to her Facebook page and provided more details about the deadly attack.1 "My dear friend Laura Williams (Ray) was mauled and killed by a pit bull last night," Gerhardt wrote. "She was cleaning a kennel where she was employed, when she was attacked. Laura didn't have much in this world, but what she had, she would give you if she thought you were in need." According to both posts, Laura is the mother of four children.

Evening Update and Clarifications

KNOE has updated their earlier report with new information. Laura worked at The Happy Hound Hotel. She was caring for the animals staying overnight when the 50-pound dog attacked her, investigators said. The hotel's owner said they were boarding the pit bull for the first time when it mauled her, but the pit bull's owner signed a form stating the dog was not aggressive. After the attack, the pit bull's owner told Happy Hound the dog had never done anything like this before.

Ouachita Parish Police Jury President, Scotty Robinson, confirmed the dog would be put down. "This situation is horrific and awful. That dog should and will be put down," he told KNOE. The name of the pit bull's owner has not been released, nor has the person agreed to talk to news media. The gender and spay and neuter status of the dog is unknown. The animal is now being quarantined at the Ouachita Parish Animal Shelter. The investigation is ongoing, deputies said.

In December, a rescue dog at a pet boarding facility in Phoenix killed a woman. Carol Harris, 69-years old, was mauled to death at Canine Country Club and Feline Inn, a facility that works with rescue groups by providing housing at a greatly reduced cost for animals that are being prepared for adoption. At the time of her death, Harris was trying to "rehab an orphaned akita" in the hopes of making the animal "adoptable." Harris was a member of Akita Advocates, a rescue group.

map iconView the DogsBite.org Google Map: Louisiana Fatal Pit Bull Maulings.
1Gerhardt later removed the pit bull and kennel cleaning language on her Facebook post. So we are now linking to a screenshot of her original post.

Related articles:
12/23/17: 2017 Dog Bite Fatality: Rescue Dog Kills Woman at Phoenix Boarding Facility

2017 Dog Bite Fatality: Woman to Mauled to Death by Pack of Dogs in Modesto, California

woman killed by dogs in Modesto
Flowers mark where Deborah Onsurez, 56-years old, was killed by dogs in Modesto.

Suspected Pack Captured
UPDATE 01/03/18: Seven dogs believed to be involved in the mauling death of a woman have been captured. Authorities identified the dogs by using images from surveillance cameras on businesses near the attack site. On Saturday, Stanislaus Animal Services and Modesto Animal Control located five of the dogs, one was dead and another was injured, both believed to be hit by cars. The injured dog was put down. The remaining three dogs were brought to the shelter.

Two more dogs were captured in traps on Sunday and Monday. The five dogs were placed on a 72-hour hold. No owner is expected to reclaim them. "They are not adoptable; when the time comes all will be euthanized, "Animal Services Agency Executive Director Annette Patton said. "In the area of Crows Landing Road there are a lot of stray dogs. It is an ongoing battle for us and the community out there. We can easily round up 30 stray dogs ... in a half day," Patton explained.

They were very aggressive. I was here when they were brought in. One of them had to be chemically captured -- very aggressive dogs. You can tell they've been running as a pack." - Annette Patton, Stanislaus Animal Services

The captured dogs were a variety of mix-breeds, including: doberman pinscher, German shepherd, Queensland heeler, Labrador and pit bull. Six puppies believed to belong to one of the impounded dogs were also captured in a den area near the attack site. The puppies, despite being the prodigy of fatally attacking dogs, will be available for adoption in several days. Of the six puppies, all appeared to be German shepherd-mixes except for one black-and-white pit bull-mix.

dog involved in fatal pack attack of Deborah Onsurez

12/30/17: Sheriff's Office Media Release
Modesto, CA - Authorities believe that loose dogs killed a woman Thursday morning in Modesto. Emergency responders were dispatched to the 500 block of Crows Landing Road about 7:50 am, states a release from the Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department. When deputies arrived, they found the body of Deborah Onsurez, 56, in the driveway of a business. She was pronounced dead at the scene. It's unclear why there is a "stray dog" assumption this early in the investigation.

99% of all fatal dog maulings are inflicted by "owned" dogs -- not strays, which lack ownership. Deputies and Stanislaus County Animal Services can't find these alleged ownerless "stray" dogs either. Last year in nearby Fresno County, the at large dogs of Harold Matthews mauled to death Valente Lopez Aguirre, 58, and indirectly caused the death of Robert Simonian, 74, who drowned after trying to flee the same pack of dogs. The fatal attacks happened about 2.5 months apart.

Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department

Modesto, CA - On 12-28-2017 at about 7:50 a.m., deputies and emergency services personnel were dispatched to a 911 call of an unresponsive person in the 500 block of Crows Landing Road. When deputies arrived, they found the body of 56-year-old Deborah Onsurez of Modesto in the driveway of a residence. Onsurez had severe injuries to her body, and she was pronounced deceased at the scene.

Detectives were called out to assist with the investigation. The preliminary investigation led detectives to believe the decedent was killed by stray dogs. Deputies and Animal Control officers searched several businesses in the immediate area, and no stray dogs were found. Detectives do not have any information on the breed or ages of the dogs.

We are working together with Stanislaus County Animal Services and the City of Modesto Animal Control to find the dogs responsible for this needless death. Deputies and animal control officers will be in the area of the 500 Block of Crows Landing Road on 12/30/17 to search for the stray dogs.

The Sheriff’s Office and Animal Control are asking for residents in the area to be careful. If you see any stray, vicious or aggressive dogs in the area, please stay away from them and call Stanislaus County Animal Services at 558-7387, the City of Modesto Animal Control at 552-2470 or the Stanislaus County Dispatch at 552-2468.

If you have any tips, you can leave an anonymous tip by calling Crime Stoppers at (209) 521-4636. Tipsters can also e-mail tips at http://www.modestopolice.com/CrimeStoppers, or text them to CRIMES (274637) by typing "Tip704" plus the message and be eligible for a cash reward.

Previous Modesto Dog Maulings

In 2014, four pit bulls residing at 828 Glenn Avenue in Modesto, which is about 2 miles from the 500 block of Crows Landing Road, escaped their property and savagely attacked two people killing one, 59-year old Juan Fernandez. “I’ve never seen anything like this in the history of my career -- four dogs simultaneously attacking and killing a human being,” said Stanislaus County Sheriff Adam Christianson back then. Now he's seen a fatal dog mauling twice in his career.

500 crows landing road junkyard dogs, auto businesses

map iconView the DogsBite.org Google State Map: California Fatal Pit Bull Attacks.

Related articles:
09/10/15: 2017 Dog Bite Fatality: Pack of Dogs Kill 79-Year Old Man in McCreary County
11/04/14: 2014 Dog Bite Fatality: Pit Bulls Kill Modesto Man, Critically Injure Another

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.