Posted on July 5, 2024 by Colleen Lynn

2024 Dog Bite Fatality: Husky Blamed for Deadly Dog Bite to Homeless Man in Fresno County, California

Area where a husky is blamed for a deadly dog bite to a homeless man.

Victim Identified
UPDATE 08/14/24: The Fresno County Sheriff's Office has identified the dog mauling victim as 49-year old Ivon Rocher Garces of Fresno. "Staff at the Coroner’s Office have searched numerous personal records, but their attempts to find relatives have been unsuccessful," states a release from the Fresno County Sheriff's Office. "Locating immediate family members is a necessary process in order for the Coroner’s Unit to release the body and allow the person to have a proper burial."

"On July 4th, around 5:00 am, a person reported hearing screams coming from an orchard near the intersection of North and Peach Avenues in Fresno. There they made contact with an injured homeless person, later identified as Ivon Garces, who said they were just attacked by a Husky type of dog. Deputies and EMS personnel responded and got Garces transported to the hospital. Due to a significant loss of blood, Garces eventually died." - Fresno County Sheriff's Office

07/05/24: Man Dies After Dog Bite
Fresno County, CA - A man experiencing homelessness died after he told Fresno County sheriff's deputies he was attacked by a husky early Thursday morning. Deputies were dispatched to the area of South Peach Avenue and East North Avenue just before 5:00 am for reports of screaming coming from a nearby orchard, an agricultural zoned property. Deputies found the injured man, who remains unidentified, who said he had been attacked by a husky and was bleeding badly from his arm.

Audio dispatch log files from the Fresno County Sheriff's Office published on Broadcastify also reflect this account. "Peach and North. It would be an unsheltered subject. Says he was attacked by a husky. Bleeding from his arm," dispatch states. "The location is showing center of the orchard northeast of the 10-20. He is estimated [58] years old," dispatch states. [unintelligible directional instructions] "He is currently conscious and breathing, and bleeding seriously from his arm" [unintelligible].

The man was transported to a hospital, but due to a significant loss of blood, reports KSEE/KGPE, he died shortly afterward. The dog that attacked the man has not been located. After reviewing the area with mapping tools, our map shows a red balloon at a home where multiple pit bulls are seen inside and outside of its fencing in Google Street View. The "orchard" is the nearby agricultural property (seen in the KFSN video), where the man was apparently located, and designated in orange.

The orchard property is bordered by the Washington Canal on the West and North Avenue on the South. In the 17 years of tracking dog bite fatalities, a husky, acting alone, has never killed an adult. Fatal husky attacks nearly exclusively (17 of 19, 89%) involve killing infants and children ≤5 years old. The two adult deaths include a pit bull and a husky jointly killing 22-year old Rebecca Hardy in 2015, and a pack of dogs, which included two huskies, jointly killing 84-year old Loretta Moore in 2021.

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 July 4, 2024 by Colleen Lynn

2024 Dog Bite Fatality: Man, 41, Killed by His XL Bully, the Largest Sized Pit Bull Breed Variant

A 41-year old man was killed by his XL bully, the largest sized pit bull breed variant.

Dog Kills Male Owner
Arkadelphia, AR - A 41-year old man found dead outside his home was killed by his dog. After receiving a 911 call at approximately 7:20 am Wednesday, Arkadelphia police officers responded to a home in the 1000 block of Evergreen Drive and discovered the deceased male laying in the driveway. "The deceased victim was determined to have been attacked during the night," police said in a news release. The culprit was his XL bully, the largest sized pit bull breed variant that the UK banned.

Police did not release the name of the victim, but public property records indicate the home belongs to Johnny and Amber Fontenot. The dog lived inside the residence, where it was found when police arrived. The male dog had been neutered, reports the Arkadelphian. Its vaccination records were also up to date. The dog, however, was not registered with the city, as required by ordinance. The dog was euthanized at the family's request and pursuant to a court order, reports the Arkadelphian.

Arkadelphia has a pit bull ordinance that restricts the ownership of pit bulls, including: "any dog conforming or substantially conforming to the breed of American pit bull terrier, American Staffordshire terrier, Staffordshire bull terrier, and American bulldog as defined by the United Kennel Club or American Kennel Club." Since all "UKC registered American pit bull terriers are eligible to transfer to the American bully breed," states the UKC breed transfer form, this man's dog fell within the law.

The ordinance requires the owner of a pit bull to register and microchip their dog, provide proof of vaccinations, and to spay or neuter their dog. There are requirements for securing the dog in a pen, a leash and muzzle requirement when unconfined, a prominent sign placed on the property indicating there is a dangerous animal on the premises, and proof of liability coverage of at least $100,000, "insuring the owner for any personal injuries inflicted by his or her pit bull," states the ordinance.

Even though this 41-year old man had taken precautions with his dog, and was in part compliant with the ordinance, it did not make his dog safer. This is true for owners of XL bullies who are in full compliance with the UK ban as well (registered, neutered, and microchipped). There were no previous documented complaints about this dog, or recent reports of dog bites or attacks on Evergreen Drive. The man's body was transported to the state Crime Laboratory in Little Rock for an autopsy.

Johnny Fontenot was killed by his XL bully in the north part of Arkadelphia, Arkansas.

The victim's wife seen purchasing the XL bully on October 9, 2022 from Nelson Bullies, LLC of Arkadelphia. Where "envisioning quality XL's is our priority!" The primary stud during that period was "Gucci," who contains the "old school blood" of "Cruz, Zullou, Wicked & NewAge."

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

Posted on July 3, 2024 by Colleen Lynn

2024 Dog Bite Fatality: 6-Year Old Boy Killed by Dog in Lorain, Ohio

Jaxson Dvorak, 6-years old, was killed by a family dog in Lorain, Ohio.

Boy Killed by Dog
Lorain, OH - A 6-year old boy is dead after being attacked by a family dog. On Wednesday, around 4:00 pm, Lorain police responded to a residence in the 1700 block of East 31st Street for a report of a dog attack. "Officers were notified that the male was pronounced dead from injuries sustained during the attack, at which time the Lorain Police Detective Bureau and Lorain County Coroner’s Office responded to continue the investigation,” states a release from the Lorain Police Department.

Friendship Animal Protective League confiscated an adult pit bull, an adult shepherd-mix, and six puppies from the home. The Chronicle-Telegram captured a photograph of the adult dogs being seized. "At this time, no further details are available as the investigation is still ongoing. The Lorain Police Department wishes to thank the Friendship Animal Protective League for their response and assistance during this investigation. Further details will be released at a later date," states the release.

Audio dispatch files from Lorain County Police, Fire and EMS published on BroadCastify include more details. "Caller just received a call from her uncle who was watching her kids at this residence. He thinks her 6-year old son is dead. That the dog ate his face." It appears this child was visiting the dog owner's home. It is unclear if the boy was familiar with the dog. The child's name was not released. It is unknown if other adults or children were also inside the home. Both adult dogs will be euthanized.

Child Victim Identified

An update from The Chronicle identified the victim. Lorain County Coroner Dr. Frank Miller identified the child as Jaxson Dvorak. He was pronounced dead at the scene due to the injuries he sustained, Lorain Police Lt. Jacob Morris said. The six puppies, a product of the two adult dogs, were about 3 to 4 months old. At the time of the attack, the puppies were housed separately from the adult dogs, therefore, their lives will be spared, despite being the offspring of two fatally attacking adults.

For reasons unknown, the Lorain County Dog Warden did not respond after Lorain police requested their aid, according to Morris. This caused the Lorain County Sheriff's Office to contact the private nonprofit, Friendship Animal Protective League, to help remove the animals from the home. The fatal dog mauling of a child certainly would have been a "Priority Level 1" call for assistance, the highest priority. If the Lorain County Dog Warden could not respond to this, it certainly indicates a problem.

GoFundMe Started

After learning that Jaxson "passed away due to a household accident," Myk Werdebaugh, a relative, started a GoFundMe. "I can never imagine what Brittany and Lenny are going through right now, losing one of their cherished babies. Jaxson was such a beam of sunshine, just like all of his siblings. They are a very close and loving family, and this is hitting them hard." The couple has five other children. Werdebaugh also shared thoughts from Jaxson's mother, Brittany (Werdebaugh) Dvorak.

"My heart is shattered. My world has collapsed. I feel like I’m in a really bad nightmare, and I’m just trying to wake myself up but it’s not working. I’ll never get to hold his little hands again, or pick him up and give him a hug, or snuggle him, or hear him always tell me “love you momma” or him calling Kaden “Kadey”, or him yelling “John Cena” super loud before he does some random jump, or his random dances he does when he’s super happy about something, I don’t get to take him to school anymore, he doesn’t get to start first grade in the fall, we no longer get to wake up with him in our bed cuz he decided to come down in the middle of the night. Or watching him play football, which he loved so much. He made friends anywhere he went, his smile was contagious, he was the best little boy ever." - Brittany Dvorak

A 6-year old boy was killed by one or more family dogs in Lorain, Ohio. The two dogs, a female shepherd-mix, "Roxy," and a male pit bull, are seen being taken into custody.

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

Posted on July 1, 2024 by Colleen Lynn

2024 Dog Bite Fatality: Two Pit Bulls Kill Woman in Bolivar; Police Issue Advisory for Dangerous Dogs at Large

Dog Owner Arrested and Charged Under State Felony Law

Victim's family speaks out after Theresa Rhodes was killed by two loose pit bulls in Bolivar.

Dog Owner Charged
UPDATE 07/12/24: Local media, Hatchie Press, reports the owner of the dogs in connection to the death of Theresa Rhodes was arrested on July 2, 2024 for Dogs Not Allowed at Large, Resulting in Death, which is a Class D felony in Tennessee. Antoinette Pirtle was booked into the Hardeman County Criminal Justice Complex and later released on a $5,000 bond. The arrest came just one day after Bolivar police issued the public advisory about the fatally attacking dogs still roaming at large.

The Hatchie Press article was published on July 11. It's unclear why there were no immediate media reports about Pirtle's arrest. A "booking report" on the Hardeman County Sheriff's website (Report 7-1 through 7-12-24), shows that Antoinette Lachele Pirtle was arrested on these charges by Bolivar police on July 2. The booking report was published on July 11, according to Google Search results. Pirtle resides at a home in the 400 block of East Sycamore, three houses from the fatal attack site.

07/01/24: Woman Killed by Dogs
Bolivar, TN - A 61-year old woman is dead after being attacked by two dogs, according to the Bolivar Police Department. The attack occurred in the middle of the night -- just after 1:30 am --- near the intersection of Sycamore View and Mitchell streets. When police officers arrived, Theresa Rhodes, 61, was bleeding in the middle of the street. Rhodes had "extensive injuries sustained from a dog attack," police said. Two dogs were in the area. An officer fired a shot at the dogs, and both dogs fled.

As of July 2, both dogs involved in this fatal mauling have been captured, according to an updated advisory by the Bolivar Police Department.

Rhodes was transported to Bolivar General Hospital for treatment but did not survive. "We extend our heartfelt condolences to the family and loved ones of Ms. Theresa Rhodes during this difficult time," Bolivar Police Chief Mike Jones said in a press release. "Our officers responded swiftly and professionally to the situation, and we are actively working to ensure the safety of our community." Both dangerous pit bulls continue to be at large; the brown pit bull was captured on camera.

UPDATE 7/2/24 6 AM
Both dogs in this incident have been captured.

The Bolivar Police Department is advising residents in the Sycamore Street/Mitchell Street area of two dangerous dogs that are roaming the area. One of the dogs was captured on camera and is pictured below; the other is described as being blue-gray in color with features similar to a pit bull. Please be hyper-vigilant while outdoors or walking around this neighborhood.

If you see these dogs, please do not approach. - Bolivar Police Department

One of the victim's relatives posted to Facebook, "It’s one thang dying because you’re sick but to be ate to death by some dogs just don’t sit well with me Lord have mercy." Another posted, "RIP you will be missed by many #WeWe." The victim was known by family and friends as "Wee-Wee," spelled in different ways. Four hours after Bolivar police issued the dangerous dog advisory, the post remains unchanged. Local media state that police are collaborating with animal control to locate the dogs.