West Valley shelter, where a pit bull that killed its owner was quarantined.

Records Obtained
Los Angeles, CA - Last week, City Watch LA was the sole publication to report that a pit bull killed its owner by a "bite to the throat." The attack occurred on May 30, 2024 in the West Valley. Records obtained from Los Angeles Animal Services (LAAS) state the dog, "Ice" was "under quarantine for a Level 5 bite to the throat of the owner." The 53-year old victim was unconscious when transported to a hospital by ambulance. LAAS updated the bite to Level 6 after being informed the victim had died.

"Level 5 and 6: The dog is extremely dangerous and mutilates. The dog is simply not safe around people. I recommend euthanasia because the quality of life is so poor for dogs that have to live out their lives in solitary confinement." - Dr. Ian Dunbar's Dog Bite Scale

Circumstances of the attack state the victim was walking "Ice" on a leash in the apartment complex with a neighbor and her dog on a leash. "The dogs got into a fight and [the] victim tried to break the fight up when her own dog redirected towards her," state the records. This "redirect" targeted the owner's throat and was lethal. "Ice" was a male, 2-year old chocolate-colored pit bull terrier that was not neutered or microchipped. The dog weighed 99 pounds, according to its medical records.

Next of kin provided proof of ownership for the victim and surrendered the dog for euthanasia. On June 4, 2024, the dog was euthanized for "dangerous" behavior. Rabies testing results from the department of health came back negative on June 11. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner listed the victim's cause of death as, "right neck lacerations." The manner of death was an accident. No other information was released. There were no mainstream media reports about this attack.

The male pit bull "Ice" seen on the victim's Facebook page and while in quarantine at LAAS.

More Records Obtained

Our nonprofit obtained the animal control investigation records through a public records request. The records shed more light on the dog fight and the witnesses involved. The victim was walking "Ice" and her small dog on leashes when they rounded a corner inside the apartment complex courtyard and suddenly encountered "Griffin," a golden retriever. There were multiple witnesses when the fight broke out between Ice and Griffin. It was about 8:30 pm on May 30, and darkness had already fallen.

Owner of Griffin Account

...stated that she and xxxxxx were coming back from dinner, and she had her dog "Griffin" on a harness and retractable leash. She stated that they were already inside the complex walking towards her apartment, and "Griffin" was about (4) ft in front of her. She stated that when they were about to turn a corner, "Griffin" turned first and she heard barking and growling. When she was able to see "Griffin", she saw that it was in a scuffle with another dog and she ran to try to grab her dog. She stated that she grabbed "Griffin" from the handle on his harness and she pulled him away, and as she pulled him away, the other dog immediately redirected at its owner who was also trying to stop the dogs from fighting. She stated that she saw the dog jumped at her and appeared that he started biting her...

Witness 1 Account

...stated that as xxxxxx made her way to grab pull "Griffin" from the scuffle, the other lady had already been trying to break up the fight between the 2 dogs. He stated that the owner had another small dog on a leash who was also barking and going crazy towards the other 2 dogs fighting, so she was struggling trying to control her small dog while also trying to break up the fight between the other 2 dogs. He stated that as xxxxxx pulled "Griffin" away, the other dog redirected on its owner. He stated that the lady was already hunched down from trying to break up the fight, so her dog immediately jumped towards her back latching on to a section of her back. He stated that he was not sure if the dog latched on to the neck area or her back because it was dark and he could not really see...

Witness 2 Account

...at approximately 8:40 p.m. he heard someone screaming right behind his patio area. When he went to look over his fence, he observed a dog on top of someone on the floor and latched on to their upper back, and another man holding the dog by its collar as if he was trying to help. He stated that he went inside his apartment to get his pepper spray, and by the time he went back out and looked over again, the man had left and the dog was still latched on to the person on the floor. He stated that he sprayed the pepper spray towards where the dog was, and the dog immediately stopped attacking the person. He stated that the dog did not appear to have a negative reaction to the spray, and just stopped attacking. He stated that right after the dog stopped, it sat down and laid down next to person...

Then a man showed up and yelled at Ice by name. It was the victim's boyfriend. He had been in her apartment watching TV. He knew about the dog fight but wasn't concerned. When he heard someone call his dog's name, however, he went to look for them. When he got to the scene, he grabbed Ice and tied him up. He told his girlfriend to "get up." It was not until he "used his flashlight that he observed all the blood everywhere and saw that she was bleeding from behind her head," states the report.

Prior to interviewing the boyfriend, the officer spoke with the victim's sister and cousin. "They both stated that the dog was aggressive and had bit several people before," states the report. One stated that she had lived with the victim and her boyfriend for about a year, and during that time, the dog bit two people that she knew, including her own boyfriend. Also, "she knew of at least two other bite incidents involving the dog." Both stated the dog had bitten the victim on the hand last week, as well.

Boyfriend's Account

...He asked me if we could talk in private, so we went out to the hallway. He asked me why I was interviewing the ladies in the apartment if they had nothing to do with the incident and they knew nothing about the dog. I advised him that I was talking to them because they were the ones who opened the door, and claimed to be the victim's family. He stated that they were never there, and now they want to come and get involved with Jennxxxxxx's stuff and his dog. He stated that the dog belonged to him and his girlfriend Jennxxxxxx, and the ladies that were there had nothing to do with them. I asked him if he lived there, and he stated that he did not live with her. I asked him for an ID and stated that he did not have it with him ... he wanted to know where his dog was and what was going to happen...

The Victim’s Sister

The victim's sister said that she was pronounced dead at Northridge Hospital on May 30. The dog Ice was owned by her sister. "The dog bit her sister a few weeks prior on the hand and now has murdered her sister," states the report. She wanted the dog euthanized immediately. "She stated she does not understand why this dog isn't euthanized yet when it killed a person." She provided "proof of ownership for her deceased sister with a Los Angeles Spay Neuter Voucher dated May 14, 2024."

Summary

By the age of 2-years old, Ice was not licensed, neutered or microchipped. The victim had received a free spay & neuter certificate from the city of Los Angeles just two weeks before the attack. The dog already had poor bite inhibition and a history of multiple bites (learned behavior) by this point. Neutering would not have changed those behaviors. The severity of the previous bites is unknown. However, a redirected bite targeting the owner's neck, killing her, was certainly an escalation.

Managing a large dog who had become a "serial biter" by the age of 2 is not easy for an "average" dog owner (80% of dog owners). Whether the owner failed to teach bite inhibition when the dog was a puppy, or the pit bull began biting after reaching sexual maturity (1.5 years old), doesn't matter. The victim didn't know how to manage the dog's behavior. Dog trainers and behaviorists are cost prohibitive for many. There is a reason why this victim qualified for a "free" spay & neuter voucher.

The officer's notes when interviewing the victim's boyfriend are chilling. We did not include all of them. It was clear the boyfriend -- who did not live with the victim and asked the officer to "talk in private" with him -- was insisting the dog was actually his. He no doubt would have tried to keep the dog "Ice," which killed his girlfriend, had he been able to provide proof of ownership. Thank goodness the victim's sister had proof of ownership, a Los Angeles Spay Neuter Voucher dated May 14, 2024.

In August 2019, the victim "Jenn" promoted an "End Breed Specific Legislation" petition from Change.org on her Facebook page. Her Facebook profile picture also depicted pit bulls.

Griffin, a male intact golden retriever, sustained multiple abrasions and punctures. His wounds were shaved and disinfected. He was sent home with pain meds, antibiotics, and an E-collar.

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

Related articles:
03/24/23: 2023 Dog Bite Fatality: Man Killed by Rescue Pit Bull After Trying to Break up a Dog Fight
09/30/19: 2019 Dog Bite Fatality: Woman Dies After Vicious Attack by Her Own Pit Bull in Virginia