Posted on October 28, 2017 by Colleen Lynn

2017 Dog Bite Fatality: Pit Bulls Kill 7-Year Old Boy in Lowell, Massachusetts

Police gather outside scene where two pit bulls killed 7-year old Javien Candelario.1

Victim Identified
UPDATE 10/27/17: The 7-year old boy has been identified as Javien Candelario. On October 21, he was brutally killed by two pit bulls housed behind a dilapidated gate between 56 and 58 Clare Street. Witnesses said about 15 people saw the horrific mauling. Two of them included Javien's mother and his older brother. No one knew how to save him from the jaws of the pit bulls. Five police officers that arrived too late to save Javien are also traumatized and undergoing counseling.

Lowell city councilor Rodney Elliott, who recently spoke about the attack on Nightside with Dan Rea, said the details about how the attack started remain sketchy. Javien went to pat the dogs, who were in the fenced yard. "The dogs pulled him over the fence," Elliott said. Earlier, witnesses gave different accounts of how Javien entered the yard. One claimed "he jumped the fence" and another echoed the words Elliot did, "The dog grabbed him and pulled him over the fence."

Elliott sponsored the city's pit bull ordinance that was enacted in 2011. It was nullified one year later after Massachusetts' legislators enacted a state preemption law barring cities and towns from adopting breed-specific laws. “I think if people knew the gruesome details, they might not be as quick to judge the idea of placing more restrictions on owning pit bulls," Elliott said Friday. There will be a funeral mass on Saturday at St. Michaels for Javien. He will be buried in a donated plot.

10/23/17: 15 People Witnessed Attack
New details about the boy's death were revealed over the weekend. Resident David Swiniarski, 22-years old, was one of about 15 people who witnessed the horrific dog mauling. On Saturday night, two pit bulls fatally attacked a 7-year old boy after he entered into a fenced-in area between 56 and 58 Clare Street. When Swiniarski and his roommate heard screaming, the pair ran down the street to a crowd of people standing in front of a driveway blocked by a chain-link gate.

"Two 100, 120-pound pit bulls just getting his neck, his legs ... Everyone was screaming, but no one knew what to do." - David Swiniarski

Neighbors described the pit bulls as large and territorial, one brown and one gray. No photos have been released of the dogs. Some neighbors wondered how the boy could have gotten over the dilapidated 4.5-foot fence. Answer: instantly. Other reports indicate the victim's older brother also witnessed the horrible attack. "The older boy, on the sidewalk, he said, 'I couldn't save my brother,'" recalled a 52-year old female neighbor, who moved in as recently as two weeks ago.

WHDH released parts of the 911 calls. "A child’s being attacked by some sort of animal," the operator told police. "Apparently the dog will not let go of the child." Also confirmed in the calls is that police fired on one of the pit bulls. "Lowell, shots fired, the dog is hit, it’s still coming at me," the officer told the operator. "Lowell, the dog just jumped over the fence," he added. Presumably that means after being shot, the pit bull was still able to scale the fence and continue fleeing.

Monday night, the Lowell Sun cleared up details about this injured, at large pit bull. Despite being shot, the pit bull ventured over a mile away before being killed in a hail of police gunfire. Earlier, we pointed out that an employee at UMass Lowell received a text alert at 6:43 pm about the pit bull attack. At 8:17 pm he received another text stating the dog was found. That is about 1.5 hours. We also noted that another commenter stated in response, "That explains the helicopters."

Finally, there are different accounts about whether the boy jumped the fence or if the dogs pulled him inside. Neighbor Nilda Garcia alleges a group of kids were playing with a ball, when the ball went through the fence. "He jumped the fence and the dog grabbed him and killed him," she said. Neighbor Bill Brettancourt disagreed. "The boy had leaned over the fence like this [gesture]. The dog grabbed him and pulled him over the fence. The boy did not go in there on his own," he said.

10/22/17: Boy Mauled to Death
Lowell, MA - A 7-year old boy is dead after being mauled to death by two pit bulls in the Acre section of Lowell Saturday evening. A preliminary investigation reveals the unidentified boy entered into a fenced-in area on Clare Street that housed the pit bulls, according to a press release from the Middlesex District Attorney's Office. Crime scene tape and police vehicles were seen outside homes at 56 and 58 Clare Street after the dog attack, reports the Lowell Sun.

Police received a call about the attack about 6 pm. They arrived on scene and discovered the unidentified child deceased. After the attack, one of the pit bulls escaped the fenced-in area. The dog was subsequently located and euthanized. Lowell Animal Control took the other pit bull into custody, according to the release. The investigation remains ongoing by the Middlesex District Attorney's Office, the Lowell Police Department and the Massachusetts State Police.

NBC Boston interviewed Angel Argueta, who lives nearby. "I heard sirens, he said. "Then I heard something that appeared to be gunshots. That's when I came out here. The neighbors told me that two dogs had devoured a kid. I heard the owner came out and was trying to take the dogs off. They wouldn't listen. I asked if the kid was okay. They said, no, he didn't make it." Earlier, Argueta had seen the boy's mother, who he described as "trying to wake up from this nightmare."

CBS Boston was also live on scene after the attack. One neighbor, who witnessed part of the mauling, said he came outside after he heard the boy's mother screaming, "Dogs have my kid! Dogs have my kid!" The lady was hitting the dogs with a stick, he said. "The dogs would not let go of the kid; dragging him around like a ragdoll." A female neighbor, who said she always sees kids playing outside in the neighborhood, described the two pit bulls as "kinda scary and rough."

Local commenters on the WHDH Facebook thread added more details, including one who works at the university. James Donahue wrote, "I go to and work at UMass Lowell. At 6:43 PM we all got text alerts that there was a pit bull attack, then at 8:17 PM that the dog was found and euthanized. This is beyond tragic." Matty Bee wrote, "That explains the helicopters." Obviously, police were very concerned about the at large pit bull and apparently used helicopters to help locate it.

Massachusetts Background

Fatal dog maulings in Massachusetts are very rare. Our 12-year data set from 2005 though 2016 only has one other fatality, the death of 7-year old Conner Lourens in 2006. Back in 2012, humane organizations pushed through a comprehensive animal welfare bill. Deliberately buried in it was a preemption clause prohibiting jurisdictions from adopting or enforcing breed-specific laws. At that time, Lowell, Boston and several other Massachusetts cities lost their pit bull ordinances.

The Lowell pit bull ordinance was based on the City of Boston's 2004 ordinance, the Responsible Pit Bull Ownership ordinance. Lowell's ordinance required all pit bull owners to register their dogs, spay and neuter their dogs, provide proof their landlord, lessor or property owner had knowledge of the dog(s), provide "secure temporary enclosure" when transporting their animals, limited ownership to two per single household, required signage and several other regulatory conditions.

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

1Initial news reports spelled the boy's name as, Javian Candolario.

Posted on October 21, 2017 by Colleen Lynn

City Uses Unique Approach to Show Dog Can't be Rehabbed

One of two videos shown to courtroom demonstrating this pit bull's dog aggression.

City Officials Show Videos
Victoria, Canada - In an uncommon, but effective demonstration, the City of Victoria used videos of a decoy dog to show a courtroom the level of dog aggression in a pit bull, named Bentley. On April 21, as 72-year old Peter McPherson was walking his Maltese-cross named Cassie, Bentley viciously attacked his dog. “I’ve never seen a dog with a bigger mouth,” McPherson testified. “This dog went for the throat.” The pit bull inflicted deep laceration wounds and crushed Cassie's spine.

McPherson also testified how he and other adults tried to save Cassie. "I was holding the dog and they were pulling back on the other dog. Several people were actually punching it on the nose and it showed no sign of release," McPherson said, emphasizing the tenacity of the breed. Pit bulls were selectively bred to continue attacking until death -- a quality known as "gameness" by dog fighters -- which is why lethal intervention is often necessary to stop a relentless pit bull attack.

Featured in the Times Colonist story is one of the videos shown to the courtroom. Bentley sails into a room where Lisbeth Plant, an animal aggression expert, is standing with her decoy Jack Russell terrier. Bentley immediately rushes the decoy dog and bites him on the neck. What follows is equally as disturbing as the pit bull heavily pins the decoy dog down, all the while wagging his tail. "If that had been a live dog, that dog would be dead," Plant testified. "Those were kill bites."

In another video not shown, and filmed just four minutes later, the pit bull attacks a decoy black lab, he "bites it and shakes it until its spine is broken," reports the Colonist. Plant testified that Bentley's level of aggression is 10 out of 10. The entire court proceeding was required because Bentley's owner, Ryan Mulligan, refused to surrender his dangerous pit bull after if killed Cassie. His dog had also attacked two other dogs before fatally injuring Cassie, according to Mulligan.

"[Bentley] almost instantly rises to the attack to the point of injury, if not death. How can such an animal be reintroduced to the community to live among adults, children and other domestic animals?” asked Judge Lisa Mrozinski. This dog would have to be under "constant" control, she continued, harnessed, muzzled with no way of escaping from a home in cases where a child or pet dog passes by. Mrozinski is correct. No neighborhood can withstand a dog-aggressive pit bull.

Where The Roads Diverge

The City of Victoria animal control officers and Judge Mrozinski absolutely made the appropriate call about this dangerous pit bull. This case stands out to us, because it happens so infrequently today. At the request of the dangerous dog's owner, a judge will often order the dog shipped out-of-state to be "rehabilitated." Frankly, our own city and county shelters openly adopt out animal-aggressive dogs by simply stating on the adoption card, "No dogs or cats for this bundle of joy!"

In July, we watched another disturbing decoy dog video showing instant pit bull dog aggression executing kill bites. That pit bull, named Buster, was destined for euthanasia by Miami-Dade Animal Services (MDAS), but was selected for the county corrections and rehabilitation program, where inmates develop skills in dog training. Buster flunked out after biting a worker and was returned to MDAS as a death row dog. Only a "rescue" was eligible to pull the dog, and one did.

Larues Legacy Bulldog Rescue pulled the dog and on July 1 announced that Buster "will be receiving his @applauseyourpaws evaluation on Monday!" Buster had already bitten a man and was known to be highly dog aggressive. Larues openly states, "must be heavily guarded of other dogs, he shows much signs of aggression." Buster was so aggressive his "Foster Mom" could only walk him at 3:00 am. During his evaluation that Monday, Applause used a decoy husky dog.1

On July 9, Casey Lomonaco commented on a Facebook post after seeing this alarming video (which was later removed), "This dog is a time bomb," she wrote. "Just because you CAN adopt a dog out doesn't mean you SHOULD. What kind of adopter is prepared to safely manage this dog? Would you want it living on the other side of the fence from your dog? Sending dogs like this into communities where other pets (and potentially people) will be put at risk is not ethical," she wrote.

Recall Miami-Dade Animal Services allowed this dog to be pulled instead of humanely euthanized.2 What would Judge Mrozinski say to that?

Even pit bull expert Diane Jessup got in on the action, commenting, "Lol!!!! I'm not sure why I find this so humorous, but I do. Bulldog being a bulldog." Jessup refers to all pit bulls as bulldogs, just like old-timer dogmen do. Her point is the pit bull was only doing what it was selectively bred to do, attack and kill other dogs. Possibly Jessup found it humorous that "rescue angels," including Larues, falsely presumed that "training" of "any kind" could remove this inherent dog aggression.

The Wise Provincial Court Judge

Judge Mrozinski not only laid out the reasons why Bentley was unsafe in any neighborhood, she considered the life of the dog too. His prognosis for rehabilitation is poor, said Mrozinski after watching the pit bull attack the decoy dogs. "Even if he were placed in a home, his life would be so restricted it would be borderline cruel," reports the Colonist. Mrozinski granted the order to put the animal down within 14 days. The dog's owner, Mulligan, of course plans to appeal the order.

What became of Buster, the dog-aggressive pit bull with a bite record? After a month, his Foster Mom shipped him off to the Rainbow Bridge.

To say that we are now operating in an upside down world, where tax funded shelters like MDAS transfer dangerous, aggressive animals like Buster out to "rescuers" -- most with zero care, thought or application of public safety -- so that these dogs can end up on the other side of your fence, would be an understatement. It's just one more nail in the coffin regarding the public's eroding trust in city and county shelters. Sadly, there just aren't enough Judge Mrozinskis left.

It is difficult to follow the timing on Instagram, but it appears Buster's Foster Mom put him down on July 28 after he attacked her a week earlier and tried to attack two big dogs on July 27. The publish date on the decoy dog video was July 3. So Buster lasted about 25 days in her care.

1We believe the video of Buster attacking the decoy husky dog was first published by Applause Your Paws on their Instagram page. On July 4, it was re-posted by Sophie Gamand (also known as "flowerpot head"), who later removed her post, which is why Lomonaco's post no longer contains the video. We captured the video on July 11. While writing this post, we could no longer find the decoy dog video on Applause Your Paws social media pages.
2As if Miami-Dade County Animal Services could not sink further into a Florida swamp, Buster was a legal dog in a county that has a longstanding pit bull ban. This dangerous dog-aggressive dog was not even declared a pit bull by MDAS. We can't count the number of times we have written about the Interchangeable Breed Labels by MDAS. This is true even after a multiple fatal attacks on humans. Pit bulls are routinely labeled "American bulldog-mixes."

Posted on October 15, 2017 by Colleen Lynn

Dog Bite Victims' Advocacy Group Turns 10-Years Old

DogsBite.org - Today marks the 10th Anniversary of DogsBite.org. We recall quite vividly when we reached the five year mark as well. At that time the founder was in Tucson delivering a speech to the first ever grassroots event for dog attack survivors, Walk for Victims of Pit Bulls and Other Dangerous Dogs. "They say it takes 5 years for a movement to take flight," Colleen Lynn told the audience back then. "That moment of flight is right here and now, right here at this event."

Her speech outlined the first five years of this nonprofit. The history began on June 17, 2007, when the founder was attacked by a pit bull being walked by a handler in Seattle. This led to the founder writing a 20-page white paper about the pit bull problem and delivering it to the Public Safety Chair on Seattle City Council. The paper was met with a defiant shrug. Portions of that paper later became the basis of DogsBite.org version 1.0. She asked the Tucson audience:

"Imagine, if out of rejection, if I had thrown my paper into a trash can instead?" - Colleen Lynn, October 27, 2012

10 years later, DogsBite.org is living proof that some ideas take flight on their own. They are bigger than any one person or a thousand persons combined. The pit bull problem leaves victims in its path across America and has been for over 30-years. A growing body of research now shows that pit bull injuries have a higher prevalence in level 1 trauma centers than all other dog breeds. The majority of these studies also show that pit bulls are inflicting a higher severity of injury.

From 2012 and Beyond

Let there be no doubt that our high authority website has attracted the interest of medical researchers. In April 2011, the Annals of Surgery published a study about severe and fatal injuries inflicted by pit bulls. "Mortality, Mauling, and Maiming by Vicious Dogs," examined the medical records of patients admitted to the level I trauma center of San Antonio University Hospital with dog bite injuries over a 15-year period. The results bore the grim reality of severe pit bull injuries.

Since that time, a group of peer-reviewed medical studies from level 1 trauma centers have confirmed these results. As we stated in our end-of-year letter last year to donors, "The role of DogsBite is always to 'keep shining the light' on this issue. The reach and growth of our advocacy website since 2011 has been remarkable. Our website reinforces to doctors and researchers that this is a serious societal problem, so much so that entire nonprofits are being built around it."

"Without a strong victims’ advocacy group behind this issue, which too often falls below the public’s radar, researchers likely would not be as interested." - DogsBite.org

We also shared with donors: "You are now part of something so big that no one can see how this landscape will appear five years from now after many pediatricians and nurses in family practices tell parents to keep their kids away from pit bulls -- from any interactions with pit bulls," states the letter. "Prevention starts in the pediatrician’s office! Right then and there parents will be told the truth about pit bull injuries from a medical professional." These dogs are not worth the risk!

On the legislative front, we have climbed hurdles so steep, only Olympic athletes could compete. We did not get involved in the state preemption law battle, which bars cities and counties from enacting breed-specific laws and is primarily funded by a multimillion dollar fighting dog advocacy group, until 2014. Since January 2012, state legislators have rejected 77% of these preemption bills. Over the last 2.5 years, Jan. 2015 to June 2017, the rejection rate increased to 90%.

Lacking market share does not equate to lacking credibility. The highest court in Maryland validated our credibility in 2012; before that, so had the Mortality, Mauling, and Maiming by Vicious Dogs study, which cited parts of our statistical data. What is true is that DogsBite.org is a principal source of information on the matter of serious and fatal dog bite injuries that is not owned, controlled, or funded by dog breeders, dog advocacy, veterinarian or animal welfare groups.

Troublesome Trends Since 2012

Today, its not just walkers, joggers, children, grandparents and pets that experience vicious attacks by dogs, it's people on airplanes too. Excessive service dog fraud, particularly by pit bull owners, is rampant today. We knew in 2010, when the new ADA guidelines with gaping loopholes went into effect, there would be serious repercussions. Of course the most deviant types of dog owners would take advantage of these loopholes, especially to evade local pit bull ordinances.

In 2012, a 23-year old "dog rescuer" named Rebecca Carey was mauled to death by her own rescue dogs in Georgia, marking one of the first high profile rescue dog fatalities in our data set. We later had to revamp the parameters we collect for dog bite fatalities to include, "Was the involved dog a 'rescue' or 'rehomed' dog?" Since 2012, rescue and rehomed dogs have killed at least 21 people, 71% (15) were vetted by a rescue or shelter before being adopted out.

Other negative trends since 2012 include the many shelters across the country that are "dropping breed labels," deliberately lying to the public, in order to adopt out more pit bulls. Dog bite attorney Kenneth Phillips recently responded about Los Angeles considering the idea. "Not identifying the breed or giving the history of the dog constitutes fraud and concealment. A public official who suggests withholding information from citizens should be removed from office," Phillips said.

Frankly, the public's trust in city and county shelters is already eroding due to these blatant deceptions. This is in addition to the growing number of aggressive dogs being adopted out under the guise of a third or fourth "rebranding." For instance, "Rainbow," who is allegedly a "ray of sunshine" but was returned by four separate owners. The "baby talk" by many of today's shelters is revolting, and when it is used to hide known aggression, criminal prosecutions are in order.

Social Media & Television

As we write this post, Pit Bulls and Parolees, is airing its 10th season. Yet, Tia Torres' organization, Villalobos Rescue Center, which pulls in over a million annually, has failed to file federal taxes for three consecutive years.1 Generally, the IRS automatically revokes a nonprofit organization's tax-exempt status when it fails to file three years in a row. We hope this season is her last one. When the show does fail to renew, it signals a waning interest by the public in pit bull adoptions.

Yet, social media is a much more powerful vehicle to spread pit bull myths and misinformation than a TV show. That is where we are today on our 10th anniversary. There are thousands of photos floating around in social media of pit bulls lying with babies -- a direct violation of all "baby safety" and family dog rules. It's not only pit bull owners, who take and share these deadly propaganda photos, but members of the media are equally to blame when they air them.

Our Mission Remains the Same

A reporter recently asked us if we had an "elevator pitch." We said no. Our mission is pretty simple: "We are a national dog bite victims' group dedicated to reducing serious dog attacks." Peer-reviewed medical studies of level 1 trauma centers -- both pediatric and adult -- show that pit bulls are producing the most serious injuries. These are the kinds of injuries we are trying to prevent. The most powerful way to prevent them is to provide honest information to the public.

We educate the public to not bring one of these dogs into your household to start with, and do not allow your child to visit the home of a pit bull owner. This education does not require a legislative solution. - DogsBite.org

At some point in the future, the dangerousness of the pit bull breed will become more broadly realized. Social media works in two ways -- the purveyors spreading misinformation and the readers who understand it for what it actually is: deceptive propaganda and personal attacks. At some point down the road, it will also be true in many communities that a majority of its members will have been directly or indirectly (by knowing someone who has) impacted by pit bull violence.

When Sunlight Shines

On April 26, 2012, sunlight soared across America. It began with a phone call by Tony Solesky. He told the founder on that morning, "Colleen, I think something happened today." It was the day the highest court in Maryland issued the landmark ruling, Tracey v. Solesky. The Court's ruling, of which we supplied the winning amicus brief, remains the seminal ruling declaring pit bulls "inherently dangerous," despite a heavily lobbied legislative body scaling it back two years later.

The brilliant articulation from the Court is summed up in the first paragraph, which points out a century old case of a 10-year old Maryland boy nearly killed by a pit bull. "The pit bull refused to release the boy until a witness picked up a 'scantling' and struck the dog, killing it," wrote the Court. They also provided his mother's testimony, who described her child: "[H]e was unconscious, in such a condition that she did not know whether he was living or dead … Blood all over him."

That attack was in 1916, one hundred years ago. The only difference today is that firearms are used to stop these dogs, not a “scantling.”

Public health battles are often fought over many decades. As a society, we eventually come to accept the dangerousness of certain products and habits when we can no longer deny the research and data that proves this point or when policies ban it. The pit bull problem is indeed an adult “habit,” but children are paying the highest price. That is unacceptable and why our advocacy will eventuallly prevail. Currently, over 30 countries ban the importation of this dog breed.

A Call to Action!

On this day of October 15, 2017, ten years after we started this journey, the founder of DogsBite.org, Colleen Lynn, will be in Seattle, Washington, where this journey suddenly began. When the universal prayer of all victims of violent dog attacks moved her -- like it has many victims before her. "Please God, this cannot ever happen to someone else," is the steadfast belief that drives our mission at DogsBite.org. We know that our devoted readers share this same belief.

To honor the 10th year anniversary of DogsBite, a small nonprofit that delivers the benchmark in U.S. dog bite fatality statistics annually, because the U.S. government stopped in 2000, we ask that you download images from our Injury Statistics meme campaign showing quotes from recent medical studies confirming, "Our data were consistent with others, in that an operative intervention was more than 3 times as likely to be associated with a pit bull injury than with any other breed."

Use them on social media to dispel the pit bull myth purveyors! Spread them far and wide!

On October 15, 2017 the founder will be with Ona Deane-Gordly, one of the most powerful pit bull attack victims we have ever had the grace of knowing. Thank you for your support!

Study graphic from Characteristics of 1616 Consecutive Dog Bite Injuries at a Single Institution

1The statement by Charity Navigator, claiming Villalobos Rescue Center is not eligible to be rated, is invalid. The last 990 on record for the organization from December 2013 states $1.6 million in revenue.

Posted on September 30, 2017 by Colleen Lynn

Father Woke Up to Baby Dead in its Bassinet

Barrett Hagans, 1-month old, was mauled to death by a family pit bull in Pike Township.

No Criminal Charges
UPDATE 09/29/17: After a father awoke last week to his 1-month old baby mauled to death by a family dog, Knox County Prosecutor Chip McConville announced that no charges would be filed. "Based upon the autopsy results, there is no reason to believe that this child’s death was caused by anything other than a dog attack," he said. Barrett Hagans was attacked and killed by a family pit bull of 7-years as he slept in his bassinet. The dog had no documented history of aggression.

"While these events are horrifying, and perhaps preventable, they do not rise to the level of criminal conduct." - Knox County Prosecutor Chip McConville

Painfully, the baby's father, Teddy Hagans, was alone overnight for the first time with his infant son and his two pit bulls when the attack occurred, reports The Columbus Dispatch. The article also shows us why criminal charges were initially anticipated. According to McConville, police found dozens of empty beer cans, drug paraphernalia and a back room littered with "so much urine and feces in it that I could not breathe due to the odor," an investigator noted, reports The Dispatch.

As typical after many fatal dog attacks, the prosecutor echoed the same lack of evidence that is often required to file criminal charges. The father would have had to have knowledge of the dog's vicious propensities, posing a substantial risk to the child, and failed to keep the baby safe. Prior to 2012, Ohio state law designated all pit bulls "vicious." Had this law still been in place, McConville would have had a sturdier case, along with the appalling conditions inside the father's home.

09/27/17: Death by Dog Attack
The Knox County Coroner ruled that a 1-month old baby boy found dead in its bassinet last week died due to injuries suffered in a dog mauling. Barrett Hagans died from "extensive blunt and crush force injuries with puncture injuries" inflicted by a male pitbull/pitbull mix, a press release from Knox County Coroner Dr. Jennifer Ogle said Wednesday. The autopsy, conducted one day after the fatal pit bull mauling, found no other trauma besides what was inflicted by the family dog.

The baby's death was reported by his father, Teddy Hagans, 25, at 6:10 am on September 20. According to Ogle, the baby's bassinet was located in the father's bedroom. The pit bull fatally attacked the baby while his father slept. The baby's head was so mutilated by the time of the 911 call, the father did not even attempt CPR, according to 911 recordings examined by The Columbus Dispatch. At the time of the attack, the baby's mother, Courtney Cole, 23, was not at the home.

Authorities removed two family pit bulls from Hagans' residence after the mauling. Both animals were "euthanized for examination" via a court-ordered search warrant and the contents of their stomachs were examined. A previous report from Mount Vernon News states there were no prior incidents reported to the Knox County Sheriff's Officer or the Knox County Dog Warden involving the two pit bulls at the home. The status of the criminal investigation, presumably, is ongoing.

09/20/17: Fatal Dog Mauling Suspected
Mount Vernon, OH - A 1-month old infant is dead after what is believed to be dog mauling. Early Wednesday, the Knox County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call of an infant killed by a dog in the 16000 block of Wooster Road in Pike Township. Sheriff's deputies, the Knox County Coroner's Office and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation are investigating the baby's death, according to a press release. The Knox County Dog Warden has removed two dogs from the residence.

In a 911 call, the baby’s father stated his son is dead and that the dog killed the baby, reports Mount Vernon News. The death of an infant nearly always initiates a full homicide investigation no matter what the baby's caretaker said in a 911 call or told arriving law enforcement officers. The coroner's office is expected make a ruling on the cause and manner of death. No other information has been released at this time, including the breeds of dogs that were removed from the home.

Late Afternoon Updates

The Columbus Dispatch reports that both dogs seized were pit bulls. A statement by Knox County Prosecutor Chip McConville simply says, “There is probably more that we don’t know than what we do know right now." A report from WCMH plays part of the 911 call, which identified the caller as Teddy Hagans. He said he "woke up to find his baby dead in his bassinet this morning." This could indicate culpability for the father. Police continue to investigate and collect evidence.

Video: The male caller in the 911 call identified himself as Teddy Hagans. And said that he woke up to find his baby dead in his bassinet this morning. He described a gruesome scene and told the police dispatcher that his dog was responsible.

Dispatcher: Your dog killed your baby?

Hagans: Yeah.

Dispatcher: How old is your baby?

Hagans: He's a month old.

A 2014 photo on Teddy Hagans' Facebook page shows a male, unneutered pit bull named "Roby."

A distinctly pit bull propaganda image from 2014 shows a different infant lying with a family pit bull.

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

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.

DogsBite blog ::

2017 Dog Bite Fatality: Pit Bulls Kill 7-Year Old Boy in Lowell, Massachusetts

Videos of Pit Bull Attacking Decoy Dogs Shown to Courtroom; Judge Orders the Dog-Aggressive Pit Bull Put Down

City Uses Unique Approach to Show Dog Can't be Rehabbed

Announcement: Happy 10th Anniversary DogsBite.org!

Dog Bite Victims' Advocacy Group Turns 10-Years Old

2017 Dog Bite Fatality: Family Pit Bull Fatally Mauls Infant in Knox County, Ohio

Father Woke Up to Baby Dead in its Bassinet