Posted on April 28, 2017 by Colleen Lynn

2017 Dog Bite Fatality: Pit Bull-Mix Kills Female Owner in Upper Macungie Township

Lisa Green, 32-years old, was killed by her pit bull-mix in Upper Macungie Township.

Neighbor Recounts Attack
UPDATE 04/28/17: On Thursday, police responded to a call of a woman being attacked by a dog at a home in the 900 block of Spring White Drive in Upper Macungie Township. Before police arrived, several neighbors had intervened to help 32-year old Lisa Green, including an off-duty police officer that ended the attack by shooting the dog in its leg. Neighbor Loretta Ottinger recounts the horrific attack in an interview with WFMZ. She said, the dog "just wouldn't stop."

The video shows Ottinger and the multi-level wooden deck in the back of Green's home. Ottinger describes the hambone effort in more detail. "I had a ham in my refrigerator, I thought, bribe him with the ham so that I can get her," Ottinger explained. "So I'm dialing 911, I throw him the hambone. He doesn't take the hambone. The bone just hits him -- he's so engrossed in attacking her," she said. Ottinger yelled to Green to role over, to protect her head and neck from the dog.

By that point, however, Green was unresponsive. "Her head just leaned to the side. She didn't respond," Ottinger said. Next she tried to force the dog off Green. A neighbor brought Ottinger a 1-by-2 piece of wood. White standing on the middle level of the deck, she tried to jab the dog in the face. "I tried to pierce his eyes … I hit his eye once, but then he grabbed the 1-by-2 in his mouth and it broke," she said. Then my neighbor came with a gun and shot the dog, she said.

Today, The Morning Call provided more details from the off-duty police officer that shot the dog, Slatington police chief David Rachman. Neighbors stopped him while he was in his truck, he said, yelling that a dog had killed a woman. He went behind the home and saw Green lying motionless on the second-floor deck with her head, neck and face covered in blood. He then retrieved his .380-caliber handgun from his truck. The chief said the dog kept attacking her neck, so he shot it.

"He grabbed her by the neck again and shook her like a rag doll. She was flopping around." - Slatington police chief David Rachman

Previously, Ottinger said that Green was close with her dog, named Leon, and had owned it for two-and-a-half years. "She was really close with her dog," she said. Rachman, however, said he rarely saw the dog, which is unusual he noted. Two years earlier, Green's dog attacked another neighbor's husky, Rachman said. As to why the dog turned on its owner, Rachman has no idea. "The way he attacked her, that's the way animals kill," he said. "His intention was to kill her."

Multiple Previous Attacks

On Friday, WFMZ also spoke with Rachman. Just before firing on the dog, he said the dog actually "started to lick the blood off her face" and head. "Then he nuzzled his nose, flipped her head up, grabbed her by the throat and then thrashed around," Rachman said. That's when Rachman, standing below the victim, shot the dog in the leg. In addition to attacking the husky two years ago, WFMZ learned that a man's grandson was bitten in the face by the same dog several years ago.

04/27/17: Dog Attacks, Kills Female Owner
Upper Macungie Township, PA - A woman was fatally mauled by her dog Thursday afternoon in Upper Macungie, according to police chief Edgardo Colon. Police were dispatched at 1:30 pm after a report of a woman being attacked by a dog in her home on Spring White Drive. Responding officers found the dog attacking the woman on the rear deck of her home, Colon said. Police officers secured the dog then assisted the woman, who suffered extensive injuries in the attack.

Police contacted state dog warden Orlando Aguirre. The warden arrived with members of the Lehigh County Humane Society to tranquilize the dog, reports The Morning Call. Aguirre told police the dog is a 3-year old male pit bull-boxer mix. The dog will be transported to the humane society, where it will be euthanized and "tested to determine what caused the attack." reports The Call. It is unknown what form of "test" will be conducted on the animal, behavior or otherwise.

The Call later interviewed neighbor, Vidya Chellapilla, who witnessed part of the deadly attack. Neighbors first tried to stop the attack by using a piece of wood, which the dog broke with its jaws. Then they called on neighbor David Rachman, who is the Slatington police chief. Rachman rushed over with his gun. He shot the animal several times, striking it in the leg. The victim is described as only being in her 30s. Police have not released her name pending notification of family members.

Neighbor Vidya Chellapilla
A neighbor, she started shouting, 'Help, help!' Immediately another neighbor also started shouting. So then I came -- I am doing my office work -- so, I came here and, we all started seeing from there ...
At that time she had already fallen. We don't know exactly how. Did the dog bite her? We don't know exactly, but she has fallen.
Then we see the dog started biting on her neck, started removing pieces from her neck. We didn't go there, because the dog looks really wild at that time. We all are seeing from here.
They immediately ran, they called the cop opposite to the house. We have a cop, so I called him. He came immediately. He started shooting. He hit it twice. He shot the dog. Maybe the bullet went to the dog's leg. Immediately the dog is shouting and it sits next to the staircase.
So after that we called 911 immediately. - Video interview, The Morning Call

Evening Updates

The dog mauling victim has been identified at 32-year old Lisa Green. The person who tried to stop the attack by jabbing the dog with a 2-by-1 has been identified as Loretta Ottinger, Green's next-door neighbor. Another neighbor, off-duty Slatington police chief David Rachman, fired his gun twice, striking the dog at least once ending the attack. Ottinger said Green had owned the dog, named Leon, for about two-and-a-half years. Officials tranquilized the dog at the scene.

In a later update, The Call published more details by Ottinger. She hit the dog with a hambone before trying to jab the dog, hoping to drive the dog's attention away from Green. "I thought if Lisa could get free and roll over, the dog would be off her jugular. But he ignored the ham. He was just picking her up and throwing her down," Ottinger said. Then she got a piece of wood and shoved it through the deck slats at the dog. The dog made quick work of that by snapping the board in two.

Ottinger also stated that Green's dog was a pit bull, as opposed to a "mix" variety. "It was a pit bull. They're pretty strong dogs," she said. Even after witnessing the horrible attack and seeing Green lying motionless in the bloody aftermath, Ottinger hoped she might survive. But that was not the case after Green's pit bull of two-and-a-half years suddenly attacked and executed the killing bite. "I love dogs," Ottinger told The Call, "but wow, I just don't know why anyone would get a pit bull."

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

Posted on April 27, 2017 by Colleen Lynn

Misdemeanor Charge Filed Against Owner of Pit Bull

Maurice Brown, 60-years old, was mauled to death by a pit bull in Dayton, Ohio.

Low-Level Charge
UPDATE 08/31/18: Over 16-months after a man was mauled to death by a pit bull, authorities have charged a 28-year old man with a misdemeanor. This week, the Dayton prosecutor’s office filed a first-degree misdemeanor charge against Anthony Austin, whose address in court records is 345 Middle Street. On April 25, 2017, Maurice Brown died of injuries an blood loss after a pit bull residing at 345 Middle Street broke free of its chain and viciously attacked the man, killing him.

"Kind of feels like a slap in the face" that it's only a misdemeanor count. "A misdemeanor for a death -- that's disturbing." - Victim's brother, David Brown.

Dayton city prosecutor Stephanie Cook agreed the charge was inadequate. "It seems woefully inadequate when you’re dealing with a fatality to be charging somebody with a misdemeanor … that’s where we’re at right now," Cook said. After Klonda Richie was brutally killed by her neighbor’s two pit bull-type dogs in 2014, local lawmakers introduced the Klonda Richie Act to increase penalties statewide after a dog seriously injuries or kills a person. The Act failed to pass.

In addition to the "late" misdemeanor charge after Brown’s mauling death, the Dayton Daily News uncovered a serious protocol failure in the police response to his death. An internal investigation of this failure was also mishandled, making it impossible for the department to discipline the officers. A commander's review of Brown's death said the officers "failed to render immediate assistance and/or first aid." That paperwork was submitted late, muting the entire internal investigation.

The Dayton Daily News continues to pursue the dash cam video recordings of the police response in Brown's mauling death. As of August 31, 2018, Dayton police have not released the recordings, claiming there is still an active investigation into the incident. Yet, Dayton police "routinely" release cruiser cam footage to news outlets during active investigations, in some cases, less than 24 hours after an incident. So one can only presume these dash cam video recordings are damning.

04/26/17: No Progress on Investigation
Dayton police continue to investigate who owned or cared for the pit bull that fatally attacked a 60-year old man Tuesday morning, along with three other pit bulls seized from the backyard of the home at 345 Middle Street. During a press conference yesterday, Lt. Andrew Booher indicated that police were seeking out tenants of the home to interview. It remains unknown if the tenant(s) or other people associated to the 345 Middle Street home are relatives of the property owners.

Previous Complaints

Police reports show that a dog attack has occurred at the property before. In 2011, a 9-year old girl was bitten by a pit bull-mix and received 50 stitches. She also endured rabies shots. The attack occurred at 345 Middle Street, but the dog's owner lived on West Riverview Avenue. Between 2008 and 2012, a dog owner living at 345 Middle Street was cited multiple times for not licensing his two male pit bulls, according to the Montgomery County Animal Resource Center (ARC).

While police scramble to interview neighbors and track down tenants after the deadly pit bull mauling, we must share with our readers a horrific irony. The estate of Klonda Richey, who was brutally killed by her neighbor's two dogs in 2014, is currently suing the director of ARC, Mark Kumpf. Richey had complained to ARC about her neighbor's dogs 13 times before they killed her. ARC personnel can be seen in this video, investigating the city's most recent fatal dog attack.

Speculation of Charges

Despite the speculation of possible criminal charges after Brown's death, one need only to recall that after Klonda's death -- who was killed on her own property -- authorities could only charge the dogs' owners, Andrew Nason and Julie Custer, with misdemeanors.1 This egregious flaw in Ohio state law is why Sen. Bill Beagle continues to introduce the Klonda Richey Act. "If stiffer penalties will scare owners into being more responsible then I think that's great," Beagle told Fox 45 News.

Greta Parks, who lives on Klonda's street and saw the aftermath of the horrific attack, also spoke to Fox 45. "Poor lady's body laid out there on the street for hours," she said. During these very hours, while investigating the fatal mauling, Director Kumpf tells the media, "We've never located them or seen [the dogs]." Simultaneously, Kumpf was busy "correcting" the media, saying the dogs involved were "mastiff-mixes" to deflect early police reports of the dogs being pit bulls.2

Victim's Family Speaks Out

WDTN spoke with the victim's two siblings. Maurice Brown was a graduate of Jefferson Township High School who played in the band. Brown is also a United States Air Force Veteran, where he served as a mechanic. David Brown, the victim's brother, said it does not surprise him that Brown was up so early that morning. "That’s how we remember him -- artistic. Most of the world is rigid and on a schedule. He was a non-schedule type. He enjoyed the world at its quietest," David said.

Both David and his sister, Angela Brown, hope that some form of justice is served. "This could have been a child walking to school, mauled to death. It could have been anyone, it just happens to be my brother. These dogs are bred, bred for that trait of being vicious and you should be held accountable if you cannot control them,” David said. We too hope for justice. However, currently police and ARC do not even know who the dog's owner is and the state law is weak in this area.

Read extensive coverage from the Dayton Daily News, "The body count is getting too high."

04/25/17: Mauling Victim Identified
The man mauled to death by a pit bull Tuesday in Dayton has been identified. Dayton police say Maurice Brown, 60-years old, was killed by a pit bull early Tuesday morning. Police said the man did not live in the area. Four pit bulls were kept on the property at 345 Middle Street. Police shot and killed the pit bull that was actively attacking Brown. The other three were taken into custody. So far, it is unknown who owns the dogs. The property's owner resides at a nursing home.

"Yet, here we are again, continuing to talk about another fatality from another out-of-control dog and an irresponsible owner." - Sen. Bill Beagle

WHIO-TV reached out to state Sen. Bill Beagle who introduced the Klonda Richey Act in 2014 and 2015 after she was killed by her neighbor's two dogs. The bill increases penalties after serious and fatal dog attacks. Last year, the bill passed the Senate in the final days of the session. Beagle vowed to reintroduce the legislation, but not before revisions are made. "We had some folks that wanted to see some changes," Beagle said. We hope these "folks" are not out-of-state lobbyists.

04/25/17: Pit Bull Kills Man in Dayton
Dayton, OH - Early Tuesday, Dayton police responded to a home in the 300 block of Middle Street after neighbors heard a man yelling for help and dogs barking in the background. When officers arrived, they found a man seriously injured after being mauled by a dog. Police described the victim as an “innocent” middle-age male who was walking in the area. Police said the dog is a male pit bull. They shot and killed the dog and removed three other pit bulls from the home.

"Near Riverview Avenue there's a man outside yelling 'Jesus help me. Help me,'" the caller said. "Sounds like he's in pain." - 911 caller, WHIO-TV

The deadly attack happened at about 5:15 am. Police said the pit bull was able to break its chain and attack a man who was walking in a nearby alley. The victim was transported to Miami Valley Hospital where he was pronounced dead. Initially, police had to search for the dog, described as a tan pit bull. After they hunted it down, they shot and killed it. Currently, police are awaiting a search warrant to enter a house at 345 Middle Street. Police have not released the name of the victim.

Fatal Attacks in Montgomery County

This man's death marks the third fatal dog attack in Dayton since 2014 and the fourth in Montgomery County since 2012. In February 2014, Klonda Richey, 57-years old, was brutally attacked and killed by her neighbors two dogs. Richey had reported the dogs to authorities over two dozen times before the attack. Five months later, Johnathan Quarles, Jr., 7-months old, was killed by his babysitter's pit bull. The babysitter, Kimiko Hardy, was later convicted of six felonies.

"It's a very unfortunate precedent for this city. And hopefully we can get a handle on that rather quickly." - Lt. Mark Ponichtera, referring to the Dayton fatalities

Two weeks after the death of Quarles, Jr., a 59-year old woman was fatally attacked by her daughter's pit bull in Butler County, which is adjacent to Montgomery County. At the time of the attack, Cindy Whisman was babysitting her 2-year old grandson when her daughter's pit bull latched onto her neck, killing her. Neighbor Wayne Walker, who rushed over help said, "It looked like [the dog] took a chunk of her throat out around the jugular." The child was not injured.

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

1In April 2017, Andrew Nason, 32, was sentenced to 5 years in jail for abusing a 2-year old child. He was found guilty of causing severe head injuries to his girlfriend's daughter in 2012. The same child depicted in the "Fear Thy Neighbor" episode about Klonda Richey. Watch the episode on Google Play here.
2Instead of being fired after Klonda's death and a subesquent fatal dog attack, Kumpf was given a pay raise.
"Mark Kumpf, director of the Animal Resource Center, was given a wage increase of 2.5 percent, from $80,562 a year to $82,576. This decision has angered family members, friends and neighbors of Klonda Richey, who was mauled by two mixed-mastiff dogs in February, 2014, outside her Dayton home...
"A difficult year? That’s an understatement, I’d say," said Richey’s cousin, Carol Myers. "In my opinion, the man should be fired, not be given a raise." -
Steven Matthews, "Montgomery County dog warden praised after 'difficult year'," Dayton Daily News, May 13, 2015 (www.mydaytondailynews.com)

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 April 18, 2017 by Colleen Lynn

Province of Quebec is Set to Follow Montreal's Lead

The proposed bylaw, Bill 128, declares several dog breeds potentially dangerous.

A Gradual Pit Bull Ban
Quebec, CA - Last week, Quebec Public Security Minister Martin Coiteux announced that pit bulls will eventually be banned throughout the province. The news comes after months of delays for the province's new dangerous dog legislation that began being discussed after the mauling death of Christiane Vadnais in Montreal in early June 2016. Since this time, the city of Montreal has enacted a pit bull ban. After winning an appeal, the ban went into effect on December 1, 2016.

"We have experienced a number of tragedies in Quebec due to attacks by specific breeds of dogs, particularly pit bulls." - Minister Martin Coiteux

The new legislation, Bill 128, designates pit bulls (American pit bull terriers, American Staffordshire terriers and Staffordshire bull terriers), rottweilers and their cross-breeds as potentially dangerous. Wolf hybrids and dogs trained to protect, guard or attack are included in the designation as well. Coiteux said the list could change over time. "That list may evolve in the future because the government will be able to use new statistics, new scientific literature, to update this list," he said.

Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre, an outspoken advocate for public safety and a powerful force behind Montreal's adoption of a pit bull ban, was delighted to see the province of Quebec follow Montreal's lead, reports CTV News. "I'm very satisfied. There was a pit bull ban to start, but it's about dangerous dogs too, it's not just based on the kind of breed," he said. Due to the highly publicized "breed-specific" parts, Coderre reminded that the bylaw covers all dangerous dogs.

CTV News also interviewed "dog trainer" John Truss of Montreal, who feigned having any idea as to why rottweilers -- the second leading killer in the U.S. -- would be on the list. "Why did they choose rottweilers?" he asked. Several countries, including Spain, include rottweilers on their list of potentially dangerous breeds, along with pit bulls and fighting breed derivatives. In the U.S., all major military divisions ban rottweilers and 7% of all breed-specific laws include rottweilers.

Vadnais family members have been pressing for a province-wide pit bull ban since Christiane's mauling death. Her sister, Lise Vadnais, told CTV News, "I'm very happy to see strong laws being introduced to promote citizen safety. It's a good victory for all citizens. It's satisfying to see the government recognize dangerous dogs." Like in Montreal, and nearly all jurisdictions that regulate pit bulls, existing owners will be grandfathered in, provided they adhere to specific requirements.

Mandatory Injury Reporting

The proposed legislation also requires the reporting of injuries inflicted by dogs by veterinary surgeons. "Veterinary surgeons are required to report the fact to the local municipality concerned without delay and communicate," states the bill, the dog owner's contact information, breed or type of dog, the victim's name, contact information and a description of the injury inflicted. In cases of an injured animal, to report the contact information of its owner and a description of the injuries.

To further increase statistical tracking, the bill also requires physicians to "report the fact to the local municipality concerned without delay, and communicate the seriousness of the injury and, if known, the breed or type of dog that inflicted it," states the bill. Like in the U.S., not all jurisdictions within a state (or a province in the case of Canada) track breed of dog or severity of injuries after dog attacks. This requirement will enable better data collection across the entire province.

Brief Background of Legislation

In July, the Association of Veterinary Doctors of Quebec (OMVQ) sent a report to the ministerial committee tasked with advising government officials about the dangerous dog bylaw. In early August, based on the OMVQ report, the ministerial committee advised officials in Montreal and Quebec to use a "case-by-case approach" instead of targeting certain breeds. "Pit bull" and "dog breed" were not even mentioned in the recommendations, reports the Montreal Gazette.

One week later, La Presse published a 5-part investigation showing how the OMVQ report omitted key parts of peer-reviewed medical studies -- specifically where doctors resolutely state that pit bulls were responsible for the most severe injuries. The OMVQ report also cited studies in their report, giving the impression of “scientific and objective,” but were funded by the well-financed American pro-pit bull lobby. The OMVQ report failed to mention this conflict of interest.

"The committee considering the legislation needs to take the veterinarians' report with a huge grain of salt, if not discard it outright." - Editorial Board, Montreal Gazette, August 15, 2016

After the La Presse exposé, which caused a significant backlash against the College of Veterinary Surgeons of Quebec who authored the OMVQ report, Montreal became even more embolden and committed to following through with a pit bull ban. It seems clear now that Quebec government officials studying a province-wide dangerous dog bylaw, namely Coiteux, were also resistant to the misleading OMVQ report and took the committee's recommendations "with a huge grain of salt."

Posted on April 6, 2017 by Colleen Lynn

Pit Bull Owner Acquitted of Second-Degree Manslaughter

Cecille Short, 82-years old, and her small dog were savagely killed by two pit bulls.

Dog Owner Acquitted
UPDATE 11/06/21: Last week, the criminal trial began for a man whose two loose pit bulls savagely killed Cecille Short and her dog back in 2017. Antwon Burks faced a second-degree manslaughter charge. Leading up to her death, neighbors had complained about the dogs escaping from Burk's backyard. Prosecutors showed the jury pictures of a damaged fence with a large hole that was partially barricaded by a "recycling bin" and "cooler" weighted down by rocks.

In closing arguments, the prosecutor told jurors that Burks paid $8,000 to an Alabama breeder for the two dogs, but couldn't muster up a dime to fix the fence properly. Despite the jerry-rigged fence, the jury acquitted Burks after more than seven hours of deliberation. "We are heartbroken for the family of Cecille Short," District Attorney David Prater said. This has been a horrific and preventable tragedy to that family. We don't understand the verdict of the jury but we respect it."

During the trial, the defense called the dogs' breeder to the stand. Krystina Shumate of Iron Throne Kennels cried during her testimony as a defense witness. "I was absolutely devastated. I couldn't believe it. This isn't something that my dogs do. This isn't something that my dogs do." However, in 2016, she boasted on the Iron Throne website about "Leatherface" being bred to "Terrorist Threat's biggest daughter" and Leatherface's father being named "Chainsaw."

Krystina and her partner, Adam, consistently call their dogs "monsters" and "super freaks." They bill the Huntsville-based kennel as producing the "world's most extreme XL pit bulls." The male attacking dog, "Ice Cube," is seen at 4-months old on their Instagram page. Posthumously, one commenter wrote, "This should be illegal if Vick went to prison for dog fights. This should be illegal for breeding of dogs imagine if that bitch got loose," referring to a ferocious photo of "Cowboy."

"Ice Cube" seen in photographs shown in the trial was shot and killed by police at the scene.

05/10/17: Owner Charged with Manslaughter
On Wednesday, the owner of two dogs that brutally killed an 82-year old woman and her dog in April was charged with second-degree manslaughter. Antwon Demetris Burks, 31, is accused of keeping "mischievous dogs" that he allowed to roam, which resulted in the mauling death of Cecille Short. A news chopper captured the grisly aftermath of the scene. Emergency medical crews said the attack was so gruesome that the victim was nearly decapitated by the dogs.

If convicted of second-degree manslaughter in connection to the dog mauling death of Cecille Short, Burks faces up to four years in prison.

The attack occurred on April 6 in the 11600 block of Windmill Road, a neighborhood in northwest Oklahoma City. Witnesses told investigators the two pit bulls were dragging Short "by the head and neck area, causing her death," reports The Oklahoman. First responders were initially unable to help the victim. Police officers later fired on both dogs, killing one, and rammed the other with a police cruiser. The surviving pit bull was taken into custody to be held as evidence in the case.

After the attack, police taped off an area around Burks' residence at 11624 Kings Circle, about a block away from the attack scene. Investigators found an extensive hole in the fencing where the two large dogs escaped. They described it as "old damage," reports The Oklahoman, and that it appeared someone had tried to cover it up with boards, a recycling container and an ice chest. Prosecutors said Burks' actions led to Short being attacked and killed by his two loose dogs.

04/07/17: Mauling Victim Identified
Late yesterday, a photograph of the two dogs was released showing a pit bull and an XXL pit bull, a designer breed, also known as an American bully. In 2014, a similar dog killed a little girl in Louisiana. Of the two major kennel clubs, only the United Kennel Club (UKC) recognizes the American bully and it only began doing so in 2013. Also, any "UKC registered American Pit Bull Terriers are eligible to transfer to the American Bully," states the UKC breed transfer form.

We call it a designer breed because that is what it is. The dogs usually come with a "designer" price tag too -- the point of a designer breed.1

Headlines, as of late last night and today, are reflecting this confusion. No one is quite sure what to call the large white and brown dog with heavily exaggerated features. Yet if one does a Google Search for "XXL Pit Bulls," one will recognize this dog breed immediately. The American bullies work in two different directions, extreme exaggerations in the weight, size and features of a traditional pit bull, as well as the pocket pit bull, which is an extremely squat version of the breed.

Earlier today, The Oklahoman interviewed Jon Gary, the Superintendent of Animal Welfare for Oklahoma City, about the two dogs and their previous history.

"[The female gray dog] suffered two gunshot wounds, as well as abrasions. We were told that she was also hit by a police car … She's a large pit bull, probably 80 or 90 pounds, so she's very large. Um, pit bull-type dog," he said.

When asked by a reporter the size of the other dog, Gary responded, "It was also a pit bull-type dog and it was also a very large dog, over a hundred pounds."

When asked by a reporter, "Did you say that there have been calls for service regarding these two dogs?" Gary responded, "We have. At this point in time, I can't tell you the exact number. I have my staff currently doing research on any history there may be," he said.

Mauling Victim Identified

This morning, police identified the mauling victim as 82-year old Cecille Short. The owner of the two dogs was out of town at the time of the fatal attack. Reporter Bill Miston of News Channel 4 tweeted earlier that police are seeking surveillance cameras, Officer "Knight stressing that there isn't much to go on." Miston also tweeted that the surviving dog -- that was both rammed by a cruiser and shot by police -- was the smaller pit bull. The dog is currently being held as evidence.

Last August, nine months after a pack of pit bulls killed a man in Oklahoma City, authorities filed second-degree manslaughter charges against the dog's owner. Those dogs escaped though a hole in their owner's fence and viciously attacked 60-year old Edgar Brown. The severe bite injuries led to multiple complications, amputations and eventually to his death less than two weeks later. The dogs that killed Short and her dog also escaped through a hole in their owner's fence.

04/06/17: Woman and Dog Killed
Oklahoma City, OK - A woman and her dog were both killed by two pit bulls while walking in a northwest Oklahoma City neighborhood Thursday afternoon. First responders were called to the attack scene in the 11600 block of Windmill Road. One of the attacking dogs was shot and killed by police. The other pit bull was rammed by a police vehicle, but survived. Police have confirmed that both attacking dogs were pit bulls. Below, Master Sgt. Gary Knight describes the narrative.

"Sadly a woman was out walking her dog earlier today when she was attacked -- her an her dog were attacked by two large dogs, one of which was a pit bull. I don't know the breed of the other dog. During this attack, the woman's dog and the woman, sadly, were both killed. They were both mauled to death by the two dogs. When officers arrived, they tried to get to the woman to render aid to her. They were not able to get to her at first because of the dogs. They had to shoot one of the dogs and the second dog was actually hit by a police car and taken into custody. It was still alive and was transported to animal welfare to be treated." - Master Sgt. Gary Knight, Oklahoma City Police Department

Clear Public Safety Threat

Jurisdictions across the U.S. ban or regulate pit bulls specifically to stop this type of attack: an off-property attack by a pit bull that ends in severe injury or death. A woman and her dog were walking down a suburban neighborhood street when two pit bulls launched a violent attack, killing them both. Neither the woman nor her dog could defend themselves against the animals. Officers had to shoot one pit bull to death and ram the other with a police cruiser to end the attack.

"Emergency crews say the attack was so gruesome that the victim was nearly decapitated." - Matthew Nuttle, News 9, April 6, 2017

Neighbor Tim Pool spoke to the heart of the issue. “My gosh, this is right down the street from where we live, and every one of these attacks is always where somebody lives," he told News Channel 4. “I walk these streets almost every morning with my dog and, many times, my dog’s been attacked by other people’s dogs, and I’ve cautioned them: Don’t do that, they have to be controlled. Many receive it well. Others don’t seem to understand what I’m talking about," he said.2

Other neighbors told Fox 25 that at least one of the pit bulls has attacked other local dogs before. Last October, one neighbor even circulated a letter warning others of an attack and calling the two dogs "2 vicious animals." Jerry Bowerman has lived in the area for 36 years. He told The Oklahoman -- referring to the home surrounded by crime scene tape on Kings Circle -- that two pit bulls reside in that household, a gray female pit bull and a "huge" white male pit bull, he said.

Surreal Late Evening Update

Late in the evening, News 9 published their final report, which included images of the attack scene and the two pit bulls. One the dogs is an XXL pit bull, a designer pit bull breed. In 2014, a similar dog devoured a little girl in Houma, Louisiana. The dog was initially shot three times by police officers. Unfazed by the trio of bullets, officers fired 10 more rounds into the hulking dog before killing it. It is clear now why early reports of the Oklahoma attack simply called it a "large dog."

The News 9 report shows images of the hole in the fence that police believe the dogs escaped through, as well as the letter circulated by a neighbor about the dogs in October. Neighbors heard about the attack through Urgent Alerts on the NextDoor App. The victim, who has still not been named, was a senior citizen walking a small dog. The owner of the two pit bulls -- referred to as a he -- was out of town at the time of the attack. Police say more information will be released Friday.

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

⚠️ OKCPD & @OKCFD are working a vicious animal attack involving two pit bulls near 8500 Willow Creek Blvd. (1 of 3)

— Oklahoma City Police (@OKCPD) April 6, 2017

1Some readers will disagree with Pool's statement, "Many receive it well." Pool appears to be a very nice man and may be perceived as a "gentle grandfather" to many dog owners. When the rest of the public tells an owner to leash his dog, it is most often met with foul language or sarcasm and the continuation of leaving their dog unleashed.
2Some of these dogs are so exaggerated it is revolting. As one comnenter puts it, these are "mutant freak dogs."

DogsBite blog ::

2017 Dog Bite Fatality: Pit Bull-Mix Kills Female Owner in Upper Macungie Township

2017 Dog Bite Fatality: Pit Bull Breaks Chain, Attacks and Kills Man in Dayton, Ohio

Misdemeanor Charge Filed Against Owner of Pit Bull

Quebec Government Introduces Legislation to Ban Pit Bulls, Several Other Breeds, Province-Wide

Province of Quebec is Set to Follow Montreal's Lead

2017 Dog Bite Fatality: Woman and Dog Killed by Two Pit Bulls While Walking in Neighborhood in Oklahoma City

Pit Bull Owner Acquitted of Second-Degree Manslaughter