Posted on August 7, 2017 by Colleen Lynn

2017 Dog Bite Fatality: Bangor Infant Injured by Family Dog Pronounced Dead

A Bangor infant was pronounced dead after being injured by a dog eight days ago.

Breed Clarification
UPDATE 08/07/17: No charges will be filed after a family dog fatally attacked a newborn. The attack occurred on July 29. The baby died eight days later. The dog will be euthanized, Bangor police said. "It was a tragic accident," Detective Sgt. Brent Beaulieu said Monday. The 21-day old baby boy was sleeping in a bassinet in the same room with his parents and their family dog. The couple awoke to find the animal, a husky-shepherd mix, attacking the baby, Beaulieu said.

The infant's parents, who live in Aroostook County, were visiting relatives at a home in western Bangor when the attack occurred at about 5:30 am, Beaulieu said. The dog has been quarantined at the Bangor Humane Society since the July 29 attack. The dog will be euthanized once the case is closed, reports the Bangor Daily News. The couple told police the family pet had never shown aggression before. Police did not release the degree of injuries the baby suffered in the attack.

Husky-type dogs have a long track record of killing sleeping newborns in bassinets, which is why we have called them "crib snatchers" in the past.

This baby's death follows the same scenario we have seen with huskies before, literally attacking a newborn in its bassinet or crib. The only difference in this case is that the parents were sleeping in the same room at the time. Usually, the mother has stepped away momentarily when the family husky drags a newborn from its bassinet or bedding, killing it. Since 2005, huskies have been involved in 13 fatal dog maulings. Seven of these deaths involve circumstances like this one.

Similar Husky-Type Dog Bite Fatalities

In 2005, Alexis McDermott,
7-days old, was pulled from a portable crib by the family's male husky causing enough internal injury to kill the baby. Her mother had "briefly
stepped away" from the baby to pour a glass of juice. (Coventry, Rhode Island)
In 2008, Alexis Hennessy, 6-days old, was fatally bitten on the head by the family's male husky while she laid in her crib. The mother had "left the room momentarily." When she returned, she discovered the injured child. (Hopatcong, New Jersey)
Also in 2008, Kylie Mae Daum, 3-days old, was killed by the family's husky while she laid in a bassinet in her parent's bedroom. The baby's father had "left the room briefly." Kylie had only been home from the hospital for one day. (Warren, Ohio)
In 2009, Olivia Rozek, 3-weeks old, was pulled from a bed by the family's male husky and dragged and mauled. Olivia had been lying on a bed with her twin sister when her mother "briefly stepped away." Her twin was unharmed. (Bourbonnais, Illinois)
In 2010, Robert Hocker, 11-days old, was fatally bitten by the family's male husky while he laid in a car seat on a bed in his parent's bedroom. Robert "died of head injuries" from a dog attack, according to the coroner. (Independence, Minnesota)
In 2012, Howard Nicholson Jr., 2-days old, was fatally bitten on the head by the family's male husky while he laid in a baby carrier on the living room floor. His mother had "stepped away" to go to the bathroom. (McKeesport, Pennsylvania)
In 2017, a 3-week old baby boy was fatally bitten while sleeping in a bassinet in the same room with his parents and their family dog. The couple awoke to find the husky-mix attacking the baby. The baby died eight days later. (Bangor, Maine)

Of the 13 fatalities inflicted by huskies since 2005, 54% (7) involved children 3-weeks old and younger and 92% (12) involved children 5-years old and younger. Two of the child deaths involved sled dogs in Alaska. The 2007 mauling death of 11-month old Trey Paeth in Cookeville, Tennessee must also be mentioned. Trey was in a playpen in a bedroom when two huskies tore through the siding and killed him. Trey's family was visiting the residence of the dogs' owner at the time.

Husky-type dog mauling deaths are fractional compared to pit bulls and their mixes, but husky-types are clearly very unsafe around infants.

Though fatal attacks by huskies are rare, the breed still falls within the top six killing dog breeds (3.1% of all deaths) and for the primary reason of killing newborns lying in a bassinet. In the Bangor case, the baby's parents were sleeping in the same room, indicating yet another quiet and "opportunistic" attack on a newborn. Police also state the dog is a husky-shepherd mix. German shepherds account for 3.8% of all deaths. Thus far, no photograph of the dog has been released.

08/06/17: Infant Dies of Injuries
Bangor, ME - Bangor police released a statement Sunday saying a baby died after being injured by a family dog last Saturday. On July 29, police and fire departments responded to a call about an injured infant, Bangor police Detective Sgt. Brent Beaulieu said. The child had been injured by “a family pet,” and was transported to Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor. “Unfortunately, the child succumbed to the injuries and was pronounced dead at the hospital,” Beaulieu said today.

Detectives describe the dog as a shepherd-mix. No other information was released by police, including the extent of the baby's injuries.

This baby's death marks the third dog bite fatality in the state of Maine since 2005, according to our records. Just last year, Penobscot County was haunted by the mauling death of 7-year old Hunter Bragg. He was brutally killed by a chained pit bull white visiting his father at the dog owner's home. In 2011, Annabelle Mitchell, 7-months old, was killed by her mother's rottweiler, named Hannibal. Katrina Mitchelle was later charged with child endangerment, a misdemeanor.

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 August 1, 2017 by Colleen Lynn

Authorities Charge Grandmother with Multiple Felonies

Paris Adams, 20-months old, was mauled to death by two family pit bulls in Georgia.

10 Years Probation
UPDATE 04/09/18: There will be no trial after two family pit bulls killed 20-month old Paris Adams on August 1, 2017. The day after his death, his grandmother Sandra Adams, 70, was charged with second-degree murder, involuntary manslaughter, and second-degree cruelty to children. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that Adams pleaded guilty in Hart County Superior Court to involuntary manslaughter in a plea deal last month. Adams was sentenced to 10 years probation.

Prior to her grandson's death, Adams had been cited multiple times about these same two pit bulls. There were at least six ordinance violations from 2013 to 2015, including the dogs being tangled in their tether, running at large and being aggressive. Earlier news reports misstated her sentence as "10 years in prison." There will be no prison time for Adams, unless she violates her probation conditions, which we hope includes a prohibition of owning or harboring any dogs.

08/03/17: Important Clarifications
After viewing raw footage -- nearly an hour long -- published by WYFF on August 2, we learned that the fenced area is the holding facility near the sewage plant, not the grandmother's property. Currently, there is no photograph of the "fenced area" on her property. We know from earlier citations the grandmother has a fenced area where the dogs escaped. The night shot published by WYFF late August 1 was not labeled; the edit suggested it was on the grandmother's property.

Basically, we got an advance shot of the holding facility, which was unlabled, the night before this raw footage was posted to Facebook.1

Additional information gleaned from the raw footage is an interview with Hartwell Police Chief Anthony Davis. He explained that the mother of the child, Amy Adams, goes back and forth in her living situation. She sometimes lives with her sister and her mother. Said another way, baby Paris went back and forth living with his aunt and grandmother. Both households have multiple pit bulls and multiple white pit bulls too (See: aunt's dogs). Authorities are still piecing this part together.

Notably, there is a curious post by Amy on October 13, 2014, seven days after "Whiteboy," one of the fatal attackers, was issued its first citation for being at large (See: page 7). "I just found out that i CAME CLOSE to not being able to breed him anymore! But moms slick when she needs to be- shhhh- its a secret!! (sic)," Amy wrote. The "Goin for a ride," post suggests she may have whisked the dog away from her grandmother's home at that time to prevent a municipal neutering threat.

This "public" Facebook post Amy hopes is a "secret" also suggests her criminally charged mother lied in some way about Whiteboy back then.

Another post that coincides with a citation was by Laura, Amy's sister. On the morning of October 16, 2014, the grandmother was issued a citation after a brown pit bull menaced two joggers. On the same day, Laura tries to give away this pit bull (Babygirl) for free, stating, "My mom just cannot keep her anymore." Laura also clears up any questions on whether this dog is a mix. "She is full blooded," Laura writes. "She is jeep rascal and gator gotti. No mixing in that bloodline at all (sic)."

Finally, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) leads this investigation and filed the charges. The question remains whether the child's mother will also be charged. If she is charged, it will be GBI that makes this determination, along with the district attorney's office. The other unknown factor is how much skipping a 9-1-1 call -- and stopping to pick up Paris' mother before taking him to Urgent Care -- plays into the charges against his grandmother. He arrived dead at the facility.

08/02/17: DA Press Conference
District Attorney Parks White gave a press conference today providing new details. On Tuesday afternoon, 20-month old Paris Adams was mauled to death by two family pit bulls while under his grandmother's care. Sandra Adams, 70-years old, was subsequently charged with multiple felonies. After the death investigation is complete, a grand jury will determine if Adams is indicted. White could not provide any details about the autopsy results or the "family relationships."

Adams was arrested and charged with second-degree murder, involuntary manslaughter, and second-degree cruelty to children.

Adams has been cited multiple times in the past about these same two pit bulls. There were at least six ordinance violations from 2013 to 2015. The previous citations involve the dogs being tangled in their tether (typical shoddy pit bull ownership), running at large (typical shoddy pit bull ownership) and running at large being aggressive -- typical pit bull behavior. The citations indicate the child's mother was the actual owner of the pit bulls; the two may have been living together.2

"In March 2015, officers were called to Adams home after a woman said she was walking her dogs and they were attacked by a white pit bull at large. Officers said Adams told them she was walking her daughter's two dogs when their leashes became crossed and she dropped one of them." - Fox Carolina, August 2, 2017

As we have seen in the past, this may be another case of an adult "dumping" her pit bulls on a parent who is 70-years old. No citations have been issued to Adams since 2015. This may be due to an apparent kennel system that was built (seen in the recent WYFF footage). At the time of the attack, the pit bulls were inside the home. Adams and baby Paris were outside. When Adams attempted to re-enter her home, the dogs bolted out, knocking her down, and savaged the baby.

The family owns multiple white pit bulls. Pictured below is Blueboy with baby Paris in August 2016. Blueboy is the offspring of Whiteboy (also a white pit bull). Amy Adams, baby Paris' mother, writes in the post, "Blueboy kissing Paris. If only Blueboy's parents (Whiteboy and Babygirl) were like him!!!" This indicates both of the dog's parents have aggression issues and are likely the two dogs involved in the baby's mauling death. The pair are also siblings; the family bred them together.

Fox Carolina just posted footage of both pit bulls while under quarantine: Whiteboy and Babygirl. Fox Carolina also posted the previous incident reports -- we are just now going through them.

08/02/17: Criminal Charges Filed
Overnight, a number of new developments occurred. Authorities charged the child's grandmother with a range of offenses in connection to his mauling death. Sandra Bowers Adams, 70-years-old, was charged with second-degree murder, second-degree cruelty to children and involuntary manslaughter. A news release from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation states Adams had been cited on multiple occasions by the Hartwell Police Department for maintaining disorderly animals.

"Staff at the Urgent Care had requested assistance from EMS and Law Enforcement after Sandra Adams and Amy Adams entered the office with Amy Adams’ twenty-month-old son. The child had suffered extensive injuries following an apparent dog attack. Medical personnel and EMS determined the child was unresponsive and the child was pronounced dead at 3:36 pm ...

Preliminary investigation suggests that Sandra Adams, the grandmother of the child, was at her residence located at 64 Highland Avenue Hartwell, Georgia babysitting the child. Adams and the child were outside. Adams attempted to re-enter her residence at which time two pit bulldogs that resided at the residence ran out the back door knocking Adams to the ground and attacking the child. Adams attempted to both shield the child from further attack and to pull the dogs away from the child. Eventually Adams was able to get the dogs back into the residence and pick up the child. Adams then transported the child to a nearby location where she picked up Amy Adams, the child’s mother, and the two transported the child to the Reddy Urgent Care in Hartwell.3

Historical information indicates that Sandra Adams had been cited on multiple occasions by the Hartwell Police Department under a city ordinance maintaining disorderly animals." - Georgia Bureau of Investigation

Last last night, we did uncover the "cast of characters" in the brutal pit bull mauling death of this little boy. The child's mother and her sister have about seven or so pit bulls between them. Both sisters are pit bull owners, backyard breeders and know their "bloodlines" too. It seems the grandmother also owned her own set of pit bulls and likely more than two. "Boilerplate" pit bull advocacy runs heavily in the family. The below two memes are from the mother's Facebook page.

08/01/17: Pit Bulls Kill Child
Hart County, GA - Hart County Sheriff Mike Cleveland confirmed a young boy is dead after being fatally attacked by two family pit bulls Tuesday afternoon. The 20-month old boy was attacked in the backyard of a home on Highland Avenue, near Athens Street. Hartwell Police Chief Anthony Davis said they were called about 3:15 pm. Deputy Coroner Scott Boleman said the parents transported the child to Reddy Urgent Care, where he was called and pronounced the boy dead.

The young child lived inside the home with the dogs, Sheriff Cleveland said. Earlier reports stated one of the family pit bulls was a "white pit bull." The Hartwell Police Department, the Hart County Coroner's Office and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) are investigating the boy's death. The child's body has been sent to the GBI crime lab for an autopsy. The dogs will be observed for the next 24 to 48 hours before they are put down, according to the GBI, Sheriff Cleveland said.

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

1It's also the oldest trick in the book to claim someone else owns the dogs when being given a citation. The grandmother does this several times. First she blames an unknown man, then claims her daughter owns the dogs. This is not only to deny responsibility it is to deliberately confuse law enforcement. As noted in the reports, the officer had not checked to see if there were more citations about these same dogs under the daughter's name.
2If there was any delay in getting this severely injured child to the emergency center -- apparently the family did not call 9-1-1 -- that could result in these types of criminal charges. The grandmother's home is only 1.5 miles away from the Reddy Urgent Care center in Hartwell, but she also stopped to pick up the boy's mother beforehand.

Posted on July 28, 2017 by Colleen Lynn

Police Charge Boy's Parents with Felony Injury to a Child

Jacob Brooks, 4-years old, was killed by a pack of family dogs in his backyard.

Parents Charged
UPDATE 09/30/17: The parents of a little boy mauled to death by dogs have been arrested. On July 27, 4-year old Jacob Brooks was killed by a pack of family dogs running loose in a backyard after his mother left him unattended in an enclosed trampoline. By the time first responders arrived, Jacob was already dead. A neighbor who witnessed part of the attack said the dogs "practically ate him." The dogs were known in the neighborhood for being loose and aggressive.

There were four dogs involved in the attack. One was a pit bull-mix adopted to Jacob's family in February by El Paso Animal Services.1

After an investigation by Crimes Against Persons, Brittany Brooks, 27, and Ashley Brooks, 29 were arrested at a relative's home Friday night. Both were charged with felony injury to a child and booked into the El Paso County Jail under a $75,000 bond.2 At the time of the attack, Jacob lived with his two siblings in the household. His siblings were later placed with relatives. Child Protection Services had investigated the couple in the past, but the outcome of that inquiry is not known.

Detectives also spoke with relatives who allegedly said the boy was "terrified" of the family pets. The criminal complaint states relatives allegedly witnessed Brooks "use the fear as discipline" by threatening to leave the boy along with the dogs if he misbehaved.

"The (investigator) believes the historical abuse of the animals, the (victim's) fear of these animals, the (mother's) lack or delay in checking up on him and the decision to allow the (victim) to remain by himself in the backyard with the animals were contributing factors in the death of the (victim)," the criminal complaint states. - KVIA, October 5, 2017

07/31/17: Multiple Dogs Euthanized
Animal control officials said three German shepherd-mixes and one pit bull were euthanized the same day they killed a 4-year old boy. On Thursday, Jacob Brooks' mother left him alone in an enclosed trampoline in the backyard, where four family dogs roamed. A teenager heard the boy's mother panic, saying her son had gotten away. The teenager jumped into her backyard to check there first and was confronted by the dogs and the boy's brutal mauling. Jacob was already dead.

Neighbors said the family had up to 10 dogs -- German shepherds and pit bulls -- of varying sizes. Officials seized six dogs from the home; two smaller dogs were inside during the attack. Neighbors said the outdoor dogs were aggressive and had escaped the family's property before. Back in April, his mother (or her partner) posted to a public Facebook group that she had just found a male pit bull. Hours later, she admits the pit bull escaped her property -- she lost an already lost dog.

(Initial post) "Found this male pit bull... he's very friendly and loves my kids, he trained so I know his owner is missing him."

(Later in the comment thread) "I'm sad to say that he got away from us today while we were out... he got out of our fence, I went out looking for him and did not find him ... I'm sorry everyone I really wanted to find his home."

07/28/17: Neighbor Recounts Scene
Neighbors told the El Paso Times the scene of the fatal mauling was chaotic. "The ambulance came, and when we saw the people who live there come out of the house crying, I imagined right away (what might have happened)," Ramon Payan said, who lives across the street from the boy's home. "They have a lot of dogs, and aggressive dogs -- pit bulls and German shepherds, big and small, about 10 dogs --- and young children," Payan said. The dogs "practically ate him," he said.

Payan said he believes two women and three children live at the home, including a baby. Payan described the women as screaming and throwing themselves on ground, but the boy was already dead. "Even when they were taken in the police car, they were still screaming and screaming," Payan said. It sounds like these women were "collecting" dogs and some were younger offspring. A pack of unsterilized aggressive dogs alone with a 4-year old, what could possibly go wrong?

While these women are extremely traumatized, it certainly is a case worth prosecuting against the child's mother. At least one neighbor had warned her about the pack's aggression and how they often escaped her backyard. The dogs were a known problem in both areas -- being loose and aggressive. Then she abandoned her 4-year old son, Jacob Brooks, in an "enclosed trampoline" in the backyard where the aggressive pack roamed. That is neglect in Texas, just to get started.

Sec. 261.001. DEFINITIONS. "Neglect" includes:

(a) placing a child in or failing to remove a child from a situation that a reasonable person would realize requires judgment or actions beyond the child's level of maturity, physical condition, or mental abilities and that results in bodily injury or a substantial risk of immediate harm to the child;

07/28/17: Pack of Family Dogs Kill Boy
El Paso, TX - A little boy was mauled to death by a pack of dogs Thursday evening. El Paso police identified the child as Jacob Brooks. "The child had been left by his mother in an enclosed trampoline in the backyard where there were four dogs," police stated in a news release. The deadly attack happened in the 9100 block of Morelia. The boy was discovered dead at the scene. Investigators said the four dogs belong to the homeowner and the child lived at the residence.

"Everything went by so fast. I'm still shaking and I haven't been able to sleep at all because it's shocking." - Sebastian Hernandez

15-year old Sebastian Hernandez, a neighbor, witnessed the attack through his kitchen window. Sebastian said his 13-year old brother, Albert, managed to pry one of the dogs off the boy, but then had to defend himself against the dogs. "Those dogs were really crazy, they were always biting on each other," he said. Sebastian's grandmother said she knew the family. She had warned the family in the past about the dogs' aggression and how they often escaped their backyard.

Animal control seized all four dogs -- the breeds were not identified. The El Paso Times captured a photograph of the "enclosed trampoline" in the backyard of the home where the dogs were kept. According to a report by KFox14, it seems the boy was able to get out of the enclosure. Albert was playing basketball nearby when he heard a woman crying and saying her son had gotten away. He decided to check the backyard first, which is when he encountered the dogs and found her son.

"The child's mother was placed into protective custody and turned over to medical professionals at a medical facility," - El Paso Police Department

NBC4i confirmed they were all family dogs. A neighbor who did not want to be identified said this is traumatic for the whole neighborhood. We see the children playing outside everyday, he said. "How are you going to come back and [now you] won't be seeing the little boy ever again?" The soft-spoken man is especially concerned for the teenager who tried the save the child from the dogs. "I think it’s going to be real hard for him," the man said, "I think he saw his [the boy’s] face."

(Multiple fatal and nonfatal dog attacks have involved a child playing on a trampoline beforehand. The last similar fatality is also from Texas, the brutal mauling death of 5-year old Tanner Smith.)

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

1It's unknown where the three German shepherd-mixes came from. However, these two women were dog "collectors," so the sources are unlimited. At the time of the attack, they had six dogs in their household.
2There are conflicting reports of bail with media outlets reporting $75,000 and also $7,500.

Posted on July 23, 2017 by Colleen Lynn

2017 Dog Bite Fatality: Fostoria Man Dies After Breaking Up Pit Bull Fight

Michael Parks, 60-years old, died after breaking up a pit bull fight in Fostoria.

Vicious Pit Bull Fight
UPDATE 07/23/17: New information has been released about a man who died after trying to break up a vicious pit bull fight Thursday night. According to a Fostoria police report, 42-year old Amy Loving was walking her pit bull near 845 Davoli Street at about 11 pm when a pit bull belonging to 60-year old Michael Parks bolted from its home and brutally attacked her dog. Parks intervened and was bitten multiple times by one or both dogs. Police said Parks suffered serious injuries.

"We’re not exactly sure which dog bit him, if it was the one or both. He did have serious injuries as a result." - Astoria Police Chief Keith Loreno

Two 9-1-1 calls came in, one from Parks' frantic wife and the second from a person claiming a "vicious dog" killed another dog and attacked a man. According to the police report, Loving's dog was "badly mangled" in the attack. She was unsure if it would survive. The Seneca County Dog Warden took Parks' pit bull, named Mia, into custody. Earlier, Parks' sister-in-law claimed Mia was a "gentle giant" and was "not a vicious dog at all." Then Mia suddenly exploded like a bomb.

Victim's Wife Interviewed

13 ABC spoke to the victim's wife. Cheryl Parks said he was fighting kidney disease and was on dialysis. On Thursday night they had been celebrating his 60th birthday. "I could accept it better," she said, if he had died from dialysis, "not him being bit by a dog." Cheryl said her daughter's pit bull, Mia, flew out of the yard and attacked Loving's pit bull. Cheryl said she tried to separate the two pit bulls and that she did not see a leash on Loving's dog, whose condition is still unknown.

07/22/17: Pit Bull Owner Dies
Fostoria, OH - Late Thursday night, a man died after breaking up a fight between two pit bulls. 60-year old Michael Parks let his pit bull, named Mia, outside at about 11 pm. The dog bolted across Davoli street and attacked a leashed pit bull being walked by its owner. While trying to break up the fight, Parks was bitten on his recently installed dialysis shunt, which is a connection between a vein and artery, usually located on the forearm or upper arm. He suffered massive bleeding.

Michael Parks was pronounced dead at a local hospital later that night.

Fostoria Police Chief Kieth Loreno reminds dog owners how dangerous dog-on-dog attacks are. "If you stick your hands down there and the dog is fighting with the other one with their teeth, obviously you're going to get injured," he said. Such attacks are exponentially more dangerous when involving one or more pit bulls. Parks' sister-in-law, "who did not want to be identified," claimed Mia was a "gentle giant." It is unknown what became of Parks' pit bull or the leashed one.

Similar Dog Bite Fatalities

A similar death occurred in Cincinnati in 2012. Ronnel Brown, 40, was attacked by his own pit bull-mix. Hamilton County Coroner Lakshmi Sammarco explained, "He was on dialysis and had a device in his forearm that during the scuffle with the dog, the dog bit him in the forearm and ripped a hole in that device, that led to a lot of blood loss." Because Brown's dog was going "berserk," paramedics had to wait 10 minutes before entering his home. When they did he was already dead.

A "well-placed bite" by a pit bull without an apparatus involved has occurred on occasion in the past too. In 2015, Roy Higgenbotham, 62, died after a pit bull bite severed his radial artery near his left wrist directly causing his death. In 2014, Nancy Newberry quickly bled to death after her daughter's pit bull bit her in the abdomen where she had previously had an operation. In 2008, Robert Howard bled to death in Detroit after a stray pit bull tore out a major artery in his calf.

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

DogsBite blog ::

2017 Dog Bite Fatality: Bangor Infant Injured by Family Dog Pronounced Dead

2017 Dog Bite Fatality: Child Killed by Two Family Pit Bulls in Hart County, Georgia

Authorities Charge Grandmother with Multiple Felonies

2017 Dog Bite Fatality: Pack of Family Dogs Attack and Kill 4-Year Old Boy in El Paso

Police Charge Boy's Parents with Felony Injury to a Child

2017 Dog Bite Fatality: Fostoria Man Dies After Breaking Up Pit Bull Fight