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

Oklahoma woman killed by two pit bulls
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."

fatally attacking american bully

"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.

pit bull that killed cecille short oklahoma city

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.

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

warning letter circulated before fatal dog attack oklahoma city
two pit bulls kill woman dog oklahoma city

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."

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01/19/17: 2017 Dog Bite Fatality: Pit Bulls Kill Child, Critically Injure Another, on Way to School...
08/04/16: 2015 Dog Bite Fatality: Oklahoma Man Dies After Vicious Attack by Five Pit Bulls
04/11/14: 2014 Dog Bite Fatality: Family Pit Bull Kills 4-Year Old Girl in Houma, Louisiana

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.

Newly Adopted Pit Bull-Mix Attacks Little Boy's Face Within Hours of Adoption; Child Airlifted to Iowa Trauma Hospital

Dog Came to Iowa Via a "Rescue Transport" from Louisiana

newly adopted pit bull-mix attacked boy's face in Iowa
Images of Lucas before and after the dog attack from his fundraising page.

Family Files Lawsuit
UPDATE 03/31/17: The parents of a toddler attacked in the face by a newly adopted dog are suing. On Tuesday, Tyler and Holly Harrison, the parents of 15-month old Lucas Harrison, who suffered severe facial injuries in the March 15 attack, filed the petition through attorney John Frey. The petition alleges one count against the dog's owners for strict liability and two counts against the Clinton Humane Society for product liability, negligence and breach of express warranty.

Three weeks before the attack, a pit bull-mix named Emmet, was on death row at the New Iberia Parish Animal Shelter in Louisiana. On February 22, after social media rallied to "save Emmet," by raising over $300, the dog was "approved for transport." Emmet was trucked across state lines by NOLA Freedom Transport and delivered to the Clinton Humane Society five days later. On March 15, Ashley Greene adopted the dog and in under two hours, Emmet viciously attacked Lucas.

The petition alleges the Clinton Humane Society sold or distributed the dog to the Greenes and expressly warranted the dog as child friendly.

The Clinton Herald article spells out key aspects of the lawsuit, which primarily center upon the failure of the Clinton Humane Society to provide any reasonable instructions or warnings, including proper precautions to be taken when transitioning a shelter dog to a family home environment and when bringing their dog into the home of a friend, where another pet, an infant or young children are present. The Clinton Humane Society also told the new owners the dog was child friendly.

The petition states the Clinton Humane Society failed to provide warning to the new owners, Kris and Ashley Greene, the dog in question had recently been on death row in Louisiana. The humane group also failed to provide warning to the Greenes the dog could be a pit bull-mix, even though it was apparently advertised by the humane group as a boxer-mix. The petition states that the omission of these and other instructions and warnings renders the dog not reasonably safe.

03/18/17: Horrific Facial Attack
Clinton, IA - On Friday we learned about a devastating dog attack. 15-month old Lucas Harrison was attacked in the face by a newly adopted dog. He was airlifted to the University of Iowa Children's Hospital where he is being treated. "A large part of his gum/bone including permanent teeth were ripped out, most of his nose cartilage was destroyed, and he will have lifelong damage," his fundraising page states. In two days, donations have already exceeded $115,000.

"While playing with a friend's newly adopted dog," Lucas was "suddenly attacked, with the dog biting off a large portion" of his face. - GoFundMe page

Through the online victims' advocacy network, we were able to reach a reliable source and verify the attacking dog and the shelter that adopted it out. On March 15, the day of the attack, the Clinton Humane Society adopted out a pit bull-mix named Emmet. Less than two hours later, the dog violently attacked Lucas in the face. Through public Facebook pages, we learned late Friday that Emmet was formerly a death row dog, shipped in from Louisiana at the end of February.

Transporting Death Row Dogs Across State Lines

Across the country there are "rescue transports," which are primarily driven by volunteers. The purpose is to save dogs on death row by transporting them (known as "freedom rides")1 to other rescues and shelters across the country, in hopes the dogs can find an adopter in that location. Dogs wind up on death row for two central reasons: They are dangerous dogs or the shelter's limited space forces euthanasia. The latter often refers to shelters in the Southern United States.

In mid-October 2016, Emmet, a male unneutered black and white pit bull-mix came into the New Iberia Parish Animal Shelter (IPAC) in Louisiana. The dog lingered in the shelter unwanted for 4.5 months. Though the shelter's Facebook support page states it is not a "government page," shelter staff are also Admins. Friday, while reviewing Emmet's October adoption listing, one of the Page's Admins deleted Emmet's listing. However, we had already retained a full copy of the listing.

Animals of IPAC advertised Emmet as a "great dog with a great temperament." On Saturday, IPAC also deleted the video of Emmet, but we retained a copy of that Friday too. On January 30, 2017, Animals of IPAC announced on the adoption listing that Emmet "will be euthanized tomorrow morning, no exceptions. The shelter is FULL." Then the rallying starts to "save Emmet." By February 14, $300 in pledges had been raised to "save Emmet." On February 22, Animals of IPAC states on the post, "Emmet got approved for transport. Please call in your $50 pledge" now.

NOLA Freedom Transport (New Orleans)

On February 25, Karen Anderson, who operates NOLA Freedom Transport, posted to her personal Facebook page that she is ready to transport 45 dogs from Louisiana to Missouri and Iowa. Emmet is seen on the second row, fifth dog. One can also see a zoomed in photo left in a comment on the same post. The next day, a similar post appears on the NOLA Freedom Transport Facebook page that encourages donations to make the out-of-state transport possible.

After reaching the fundraising goal on February 26, Anderson announces on her personal page, "We leave TOMORROW." NOLA Freedom Transport has no website and is not a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Shortly thereafter, the Clinton Humane Society (CHS) receives the dogs. "Thank you to our great friends at New Orleans Freedom Transport for driving across the states, through the rain, hail, and tornado warning to get these dogs to us safe and sound," states their post.2

Clinton Humane Society (Clinton, Iowa)

The Clinton Humane Society takes in 22 dogs transported from Louisiana, one of them being Emmet. The CHS adoption listing shows a different age for Emmet than the IPAC Animal Shelter, mislabels the dog a "Boxer/Mix" and shows an intake date of 2/27/17. A local Clinton family adopts the dog on March 15 and in under two hours, Emmet tears off the face of a 15-month old boy. This is how the transport system works. Our only surprise is that CHS did not rename the dog.

The Clinton Humane Society website states multiple times that they administer a "nationally recognized temperament test" before dogs are considered for adoption. CHS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that has no legal jurisdiction over animal cruelty investigations or ordinance enforcement, according to their website. CHS states that it is an "open admittance" shelter, but has a strict waiting list for local owner surrenders and accepts animals from "out-of-state" at their choosing.

The "nationally recognized temperament test" is called the Behavior Assessment and Reactivity Checklist (BARC Checklist). You can see a copy of the guidelines here. There is no mention of testing for children or cats in the checklist. No temperament assessment test -- "state-of-the art" or "nationally recognized" or otherwise -- measures unpredictable aggression. So both descriptions of these assessment tests are misleading and inaccurate to the public and potential adopters.

"There is no pass or fail for BARC. It is designed to be used as an assessment tool to best determine suitable homes," states its creators.

Call-To-Action for the Public

Last September, after examining 34 behavior records of dogs at a county shelter in California, many rife with aggression issues, we issued a Call-To-Action. At that time, animal behaviorist and author Alexandra Semyonova also provided an analysis and a special report to help the public understand the current state of shelter assessment tests: Behavior Testing Shelter Dogs -- A Summary of Where We Are Now. We again encourage readers to closely review her summary.

In some cases, shelters have an internal policy, "If They Don't Ask, Don't Tell" regarding sharing information about the dog's history with potential adopters. As an adopter you have the right to ask for all uncensored behavioral and medical files prior to adopting a dog. If for some reason the shelter hesitates at your request, or worse, refuses it, exit the facility right away. In the case of Lucas, we have no information about what transpired between CHS and Emmet's adopter.

When Adopting From a Shelter

  • Do your research
  • Go in with questions
  • Bring a trainer with you to the shelter to evaluate for signs of aggression
  • Request all behavior records for the dog
  • Request all medical records for the dog
  • Request all "outcomes" for the dog (if the dog was returned to shelter)

Editorial note: On March 22, we revised several links to reflect screenshots and PDFs captured while creating this post because the authors that we linked to later removed these materials. Specifically, Animals of IPAC removed the video of Emmet about a day after we discovered it on March 17 and Karen Anderson removed the "zoomed in" photo of Emmet after we published late March 18. We also revised the time the dog was in the IPAC shelter to 4.5 months, instead of 5.5, and added a link to the public Facebook group following Lucas' recovery.

public facebook group for lucas recovery
transport emmet clinton humane society and IPAC
transported rescue attacks child in face, Iowa

1"Freedom rides" is a term from the civil rights movement in the United States that has been stolen and co-opted by dog rescuers to refer to dogs, primarily pit bulls, escaping death row and elevating "dogs" to a "human" status.
2At some point after March 22, the Clinton Humane Society deleted or hid this post. We updated the broken link to a screenshot of the post on March 25. At this stage, all three involved parties have removed posts about this dog.

Related articles:
10/10/16: Special Report: Level 1 Trauma Center Dog Bite Studies in All U.S. Geographical...
09/20/16: What's Behind the Clickbait Web Advertisements of Aggressive Shelter Dogs...
04/29/16: 2016 Dog Bite Fatality: Pit Bull Rehomed by Humane Society Kills Newborn Baby
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2017 Dog Bite Fatality: 8-Month Old Baby Boy Killed by Family Pit Bull in Calvert County, Maryland

The Family Pit Bull Attacked the Baby 'Out of The Blue'

dog kills baby lusby maryland, jase patrick fohs
Jase Fohs, 8-months old, was killed by a family pit bull in Lusby, Maryland.

Family Pit Bull Confirmed
UPDATE 03/24/17: At the news conference Friday, Calvert County Sheriff Mike Evans said the dog that killed an 8-month old baby was a family pit bull, 6 to 8-years old. The family had raised the dog since it was a puppy. The animal attacked the baby "out of the blue," he said. The dog had no history of aggression, Evans said. The family friend watching the baby, a female neighbor who unsuccessfully tried to stop the attack, was taken to the hospital with minor injuries, Evans said.

"The family friend attempted to remove the dog from the baby by choking it and striking it with a rawhide bone and her shoe." - SoMdNews

Evans said the dog was around the baby his whole life. "This is a very sad day for our community. Our prayers and thoughts are with this family and everyone involved," Evans said. Calvert County Commissioners' President Tom Hejl also spoke at the conference. He said it was one of the worst tragedies the county has suffered; it will affect the entire community. He also expressed support for breed-specific pit bull restrictions and hopes this attack will spur conversation in Congress.

"If you have a dog unprovoked attack an eight-month-old child than it is [nature and not nurture]." - Commissioners' President Tom Hejl

To place this quote into more context, after being asked why he would support pit bull restrictions, Hejl said, "just because the nature of the animal and what history has told us about the animal. If you have a dog unprovoked attack an eight-month-old child than it is [nature and not nurture]," reports SoMdNews. The nature of this attack involves a family pit bull about 6 to 8-years old that suddenly and violently attacked a baby. The dog continued attacking until it was shot and killed.

Brief History of Maryland and Pit Bulls

Since 2005, there have been four fatal dog attacks in Maryland -- all four involved pit bulls.1 In 2006, a group of family pit bulls killed a man in Lusby. In 2012, the highest court in Maryland declared "pit bulls inherently dangerous," modifying the state's common law, which caused a fierce debate for two years. In April 2014, legislators muted the high court's ruling by passing a meager statutory law that only applies strict liability for dog bite victims in cases of loose dog attacks.

The persistent denial of the pit bull breed's heritage by its promoters -- namely self-interested animal welfare groups, veterinary groups and pit bull owners -- caused this recent tragedy and countless others. Despite a mountain of legal and medical evidence to the contrary, starting as early as 1986, the denial of the breed's heritage in bull baiting and dogfighting persists. These groups also deliberately spread false myths, many in the variety of, "It's all how you raise 'em."

Tracey v. Solesky
No. 53, September Term 2012, Opinion by Cathell, J.

In Maryland the vicious mauling of young children by pit bulls occurred as early as 1916. Bachman vs. Clark, 128 Md. 245; 97 A. 440 (1916). In that case, a ten-year-old boy, John L. Clark, was playing on the north side of a street when a pit bull ("bull terrier") came across the street from its owner's property and attacked him, inflicting serious injuries. The pit bull refused to release the boy until a witness picked up a "scantling" and struck the dog, killing it. Similar to the testimony in the present case by the boy's mother, in that old case the mother described the aftermath of the attack on her child as follows:

...[H]e was unconscious, in such a condition that she did not know whether he was living or dead ... Blood all over him. Id. at 247, 97 A.2d at 440.

Over the last thirteen years, there have been no less than seven instances of serious maulings by pit bulls upon Maryland residents resulting in either serious injuries or death that have reached the appellate courts of this State, including the two boys attacked by the pit bull in the present case. Five of the pit bull attacks in Maryland have been brought to the attention of this Court, and two have reached the Court of Special Appeals ... [Read ruling in full]

Read in full: Tracey v. Solesky (April 2012) | Motion for Reconsideration (August 2012)

03/23/17: Family Dog Kills Baby
Lusby, MD - An 8-month old baby boy is dead after being attacked by a family dog, according to a Calvert County Sheriff's Office press release. The deadly attack occurred on Prancer Court in Lusby at about 1 pm Thursday. Deputies responded to the scene within a minute of the call and shot the dog, which was still attacking the baby when they arrived. The initial investigation revealed that a family friend was watching the baby boy when the family dog attacked the baby.

Captain Dave Payne of the Calvert County Sheriff's Office said the attacking dog appears to be a pit bull, reports SoMdNews.

Deputies were dispatched to the Prancer Court home at approximately 1:03 pm. After arriving to the location within one minute, deputies witnessed the dog actively attacking the baby. Deputies had to shoot the animal in order to stop the attack, states the release. Deputies immediately determined the baby died as a result of the attack. The investigation is ongoing. Calvert County Sheriff Mike Evans will be conducting a press conference at noon Friday at the sheriff’s office.

americas dog blog history of pit bull breed

map iconView the DogsBite.org Google Map: Maryland Fatal Pit Bull Maulings.
1The mauling deaths of Raymond Tomco, 77-years old (Lusby, 2006), Terry Douglass, 56-years old (Baltimore, 2013) and Eugene Smith, 87-years old (Frederick, 2015).

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10/10/16: Special Report: Level 1 Trauma Center Dog Bite Studies in All U.S. Geographical...
01/08/15: 2015 Dog Bite Fatality: Maryland Man Mauled to Death by Adopted Rescue Pit Bull
06/02/14: Maryland Legislature Mutes Landmark Ruling, Tracey v. Solesky, During 2014...
11/05/13: 2013 Dog Bite Fatality: Baltimore Woman, 56, Killed by Her Pet Pit Bull
04/30/12: Maryland Court of Appeals Holds Pit Bull Owners and Landlords Accountable...

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.

Persistent 'Wild Animal' Theory Finally Derailed, Elderly Man was Killed by a Pack of Loose Dogs in 2015

A Flawed Theory and Problematic Bias

werner vogt killed by pack of dogs
Werner Vogt, 85, was killed by a pack of dogs in southwestern Missouri in late 2015.

Felony Manslaughter
UPDATE 01/18/18: The owners of a pack of dogs that killed an elderly man have been charged with felony second-degree manslaughter. The dogs viciously attacked 85-year old Werner Vogt on November 12, 2015 as he rode his bicycle in a rural area southeast of Rogersville. Vogt died of his injuries a few weeks later. For months, local authorities mistakenly believed he was attacked by a wild animal, specifically, a wild cat, even though Vogt told them he was attacked by three dogs.

The persistent "wild animal" theory held by the Christian County sheriff delayed obtaining DNA from the suspected dogs -- three boxers who were running loose when the attack occurred -- for six months. By that time, the owner of the dogs, Joseph Brink, had given two of his boxers away. Deputies managed to hunt down both dogs and obtain DNA samples. The results showed a "perfect match" for one of the boxers; the other three could not be ruled out as being involved.

In October 2017, a Christian County grand jury indicted Joseph Brink and his wife, Lindsay Brink, on second-degree manslaughter. "Joseph and Lindsay Brink were aware of the aggressive disposition of the dogs and failed to maintain adequate control of the dogs by allowing them to run at large," the indictment states. In August 2017, the Brinks agreed to a $300,000 settlement after Vogt's son, Vernon Vogt, filed a wrongful-death civil lawsuit against the Rogersville couple.

03/14/17: Mauling Death Finally Solved
Christian County, MO - On November 12, 2015 an elderly man was riding his bicycle in the Anchor Hill Ranch subdivision, a rural area southeast of Rogersville in Christian County, when he was viciously attacked by a pack of dogs. Werner Vogt, 85-years old, died of his severe injuries while hospitalized on December 4. At that time, local authorities mistakenly believed he was attacked by a wild animal, specifically, a wild cat, even though Vogt told them he was attacked by three dogs.

On March 12, 2017 the Springfield News-Leader published two articles detailing parts of the investigation into Vogt's mauling death after filing a Sunshine Law request in February seeking the sheriff's investigative report. The News-Leader articles, in part, help explain the persistent "wild animal" theory held by local authorities, despite the fact that canines kill an American about every 11 days in the U.S., a rate about 14 times more frequently than bears and cougars combined.

"I could speculate that it could be a bear or a mountain lion … Like I said, I have a hard time believing it was dogs." - Sheriff Brad Cole, November 13, 2015

From the get-go, Sheriff Cole declined to believe the attackers were dogs. No DNA samples from dogs were taken until months after the attack. When they were finally collected -- primarily in May 2016 -- and the results became known, they matched a group of boxers owned by Joseph Brink who lives near the attack site. A Christian County sheriff's deputy interviewed Brink on the day of the attack. Brink told the deputy that three of his boxers were loose at the time of the attack.

No DNA samples were taken from Brink's dogs at that time. By the time they are, six months later, Brink had gotten rid of two of his boxers. The moral of this story is that local officials "lucked out royally" by locating the two boxers that Brink had given away. One of which had a "perfect match" to the saliva found on Vogt's clothing. The other moral is the unwillingness for local officials, at least initially, to believe that canines can and do inflict massive, gaping and horrific injuries.

Fatal dog attacks are generally rare, however in some U.S. counties they are not rare and occur year-after-year like clockwork. The situation of a rural county experiencing a fatal dog attack for the first time is a difficult one -- there is a lack of experience and protocol. However, after the death of Vogt, one sees a "persistent" belief by authorities that a wild animal was to blame, because a dog simply could not be. Therefore hours and hours of precious investigation time was wasted.

Our email correspondence with Sheriff Bob Cole shows that nearly three months after the attack, he still believed a wild cat was the culprit.

Though the News-Leader paints a more rose-colored version of the investigation, the fact is a deputy examined the dogs that killed Vogt on the day of the attack, but failed to gather DNA at that time. Only months later -- likely after a forensics lab rejected the "wild animal" theory -- did they fully consider that dogs could be the culprit.1 We are thrilled that their investigation eventually prevailed. We hope other jurisdictions do not make this same erroneous presumption.

21st Century America

Despite the rarity of fatal dog attacks, numerous medical studies and images of horrific dog attack injuries can be found online. On Sunday, after a single search for "characteristics of fatal pack attacks," we located a 2012 study that shows how law enforcement can make "erroneous conclusions about the source of the bites." The study examines how local authorities mistook a dog pack attack for a cougar attack: An unusual case of predation: dog pack or cougar attack?2

Unless characteristics of a wild animal attack are evident at the scene -- and apparently there were not in this case, which is why the Missouri Department of Conservation rejected analyzing the DNA until canines were ruled out -- the default assumption for investigators must be dogs. This is especially true when the victim is telling you dogs attacked him. A pack of dogs can rip out an entire human chest cavity and more. Pack attack predation is real, personal biases are flawed.

Below we examine the timeline after the November 12 attack by interspersing information published just after the attack and new information provided by the News-Leader.

Was it a Cougar or a Canine Pack Attack?

11/12/2015 Just after the attack, Vogt is conscious briefly and tells officials and family members that he was attacked by dogs while lying critically injured on the side of Northwoods Road.

After the News-Leader published an account of the sheriff's investigation on March 12, we learn that Vogt's family members and friends contacted the sheriff's office on the day of the attack "to report that a nearby neighbor owned several large dogs, which they said had been aggressive in the past and might have been involved in attacking the bicyclist." In a nutshell, on the day of the attack, Vogt's family led authorities to the owner of the dogs that killed Vogt.

11/13/2015 As early as November 13, Sheriff Brad Cole states that evidence is being examined in a lab. "We’ve taken, collected some of his clothing that he had on, which we are positive does have some kind of animal DNA on it and one with saliva that I’m sure when it gets to the lab, actually it’s already at the lab…" The Missouri Department of Conservation was the party initially assigned to analyze the DNA. This department only deals with wildlife, not domesticated dogs.

11/17/2015: Vogt regains consciousness after multiple surgeries and states that he was attacked by a pack of dogs. The sheriff's department states at this time they were taking Vogt's words seriously. "Medical personnel who were talking to our deputy at the time stated they didn't believe it was a dog … But at this point we are taking what this gentleman has told us as what happened, that it was a pack of dogs," - Lt. Jeff Lofton of the Christian County Sheriff's Department.

11/17/2015: The Missouri Department of Conservation sent the samples back to the sheriff's office asking that it first be cleared of being dog-related, Lt. Jeff Lofton explains. The sheriff's office then looked to the Fish and Wildlife Service, hoping they would test the samples. Meanwhile, Jake Patterson, Vogt's grandson, visits him in the hospital and tells KY3.com, "He's kinda rough on his eyesight, but he's not stupid. It wasn't a bear, it wasn't a mountain lion, it was three dogs."3

12/08/15: The News-Leader reports that Vogt died a few days earlier. His daughter-in-law Noel Vogt states, he "died three times that day" while being treated for his injuries. Sheriff Cole states that a "forensic review" of photographs of Vogt's numerous injuries is being conducted by a wildlife expert in Florida. "His injuries were pretty horrific. I've worked many dog bites in the last 23 years but I've not seen anything like this." Sheriff Cole was previously the county coroner as well.

Also at this time, Cole reports that deputies showed Vogt photos of different dog breeds, but Vogt could not identify any of them as the attackers. The March 12 News-Leader article states Vogt was also shown images of wild animals then -- a black bear, coyote, mountain lion and bobcat. Vogt picked out the coyote. "I showed him the photos several times, but he described it very clearly to us. He pointed out the coyote." - Corporal David Bernier.

12/08/15: The Missouri Department of Conservation softens its position, "If we've got some indication it was wildlife related, possibly we could do a DNA test." - Larry Yamnitz, MDC protection division chief. So, nearly one month after the vicious attack, there is no indication -- no evidence presented -- that a wild animal was involved. By the next day, December 9, the title of a local news article is, "Investigators: Mystery animal kills 85-year-old cyclist in Missouri."

12/13/15: In an interview with KY3.com, Vogt's family begs dog owners in the community to come forward. "If you suspect your dog is violent, then you need to come forward." -- Noel Vogt. At this time, one full one month after the attack, Sheriff Cole states, "We're actively seeking these dogs out." He also brushes off the dogs belonging to Brink, "There's been a couple of calls of concern for a couple dogs that belong to a resident in that area, but short of that, nothing else."4

After the March 12 News-Leader articles, we learn that on the day of the attack, Bernier went to Brink's home near to the attack site, met with Brink and examined his four boxers. "He told me the three dogs I had seen fenced in (at Brink's home) were running loose about the time of the incident and he could not account for their whereabouts," Bernier wrote in his report. On day one of the investigation, sheriff's officials knew three boxers were loose in that area.Notes from the examination of the dogs includes that Bernier opened and inspected each mouth -- none of the dogs tried to bite or became aggressive. "I found no signs of blood or human flesh in the mouth of any animal and no signs of fighting or blood on the coats, paws or pads of any of the animals," Bernier wrote. He also noted that none of the dogs appeared to have been recently washed. He found no indication Brink was trying to hide anything.

12/15/15: Shawn Miles tells KSPR that while he and his son were bicycling in Anchor Hill Ranch close to where Vogt was attacked, they were chased by three dogs. "When I seen it on TV, I knew it. You put two and two together and you figure it out pretty quick,” Miles said. Miles fired at the three dogs with his 9 mm and the dogs left them alone. No description of the three dogs that chased Miles and his son (coloring, height or otherwise) were given in the KSPR article.5

01/20/16: DogsBite.org writes to Sheriff Brad Cole to see if any determination had been made by the expert in Florida about the type of animal that attacked Vogt. At this point, it has been over 5 weeks since the photographic information -- images of Vogt's severe injuries -- had been sent to a wildlife expert to conduct a "forensic review." Sheriff Cole responds to our email, "We are still awaiting the lab results from the DNA samples that were submitted to the University of Florida."

02/05/16: DogsBite.org writes to the sheriff's office again while preparing our annual U.S. dog bite fatality statistics. At this stage, no release date had been set -- we were awaiting confirmation that dogs were the culprits. Up until this point, we had included Vogt, because fatal attacks by bears and cougars are so rare. Sheriff Cole replies to our email that the attacker was "some type of large cat." And that, "Further testing is being completed to determine the species of cat."

Nearly 3 months after the attack, the sheriff's office was not in anyway operating on the assumption that dogs were involved in Vogt's death.

UNDATED: Though no date is provided in the News-Leader March 2017 report, it states that at some point during the investigation, Sgt. Michael Elliott followed up on a tip about a Great Pyrenees that had attacked and bitten a woman's daughter while she and another girl were riding their bikes. "Elliott tracked down the Great Pyrenees dogs and took DNA saliva samples from each," states the News-Leader. Elliott also collected DNA samples from the Vogt family dog.

05/2016: In May 2016, Elliott followed up on Bernie's initial report of meeting with Joseph Brink on the day of the attack. He asked permission to take DNA samples of his four boxers. This is when Elliott learns that Brink gave two of his dogs away after the attack. Brink tells Elliott, as he had Bernie, that three of his dogs were running loose at the time of the attack. Brink tells him, "he got rid of Chubs and Otto" after the attack, likely believing they were responsible, Elliott wrote.

Brink had four boxers, seemingly all male: Chubs, Otto, Hugo & Bruno. At the time of the attack, Chubs, Otto and Hugo were at large. Brink got rid of Chubs and Otto several months after the attack. Elliott took DNA samples of Brink's remaining two boxers. Brink said his brother took Otto to a humane society and Chubbs was given to a family that responded to a Craigslist ad. Elliott contacted the owner's of both dogs and got DNA samples from each dog.

06/2016: In June 2016, samples of all of DNA collected were shipped to a forensic lab in Florida. At some point later (date not stated in News-Leader article), Forensic DNA analyst Ginger Clark found a "perfect match" for Otto. Based on her DNA findings, Brink's three other boxers could not be ruled out as being involved. When contacted by the News-Leader on March 3, Clark said none of the other DNA samples from other dogs tested matched the saliva found on Vogt's clothing.

03/12/17: Nine months later, the News-Leader releases two articles detailing aspects of the Christian County Sheriff's Office investigation after filing a Sunshine Law request in mid-February seeking the sheriff's investigative report. The News-Leader report, in part, helps explain the persistent "wild animal" theory, despite the fact that canines kill an American about every 11 days in the U.S., a rate about 14 times more frequently than bears and mountain lions combined.

Bubba (formerly named Otto) -- whose DNA was a "perfect match" -- now lives at a home in rural Halfway with an unfenced yard. The new owner, Olen Asby, allows Bubba to run unleashed outside his home with the family's large outdoor dog. This is a recipe for another major disaster.

fatal boxer pack attack missouri

Mountain lion, cougar

1Just like the Missouri Department of Conservation told the Christian County Sheriff's Office multiple times, dogs should have been excluded first (given the particulars of this case). Only after that angle had been exhausted should a wild animal be considered.
2We did review the whole study (which is behind a paywall). If you would like a copy, please just email us. We guarantee you that when you see the injury photographs in this study, you will presume a wild animal inflicted these horrific injuries. Herein lies the problematic bias and a lack of understanding dog pack attack predation.
3This article is no longer online. Drew Douglas, "Investigation into animal attack continues," KY3.com, November 18, 2015 (www.ky3.com)
4This article is no longer online. Drew Douglas, "Family seeks closure after animal attack kills 85-year-old," KY3.com, December 13, 2015 (www.ky3.com)
5This article is no longer online. Jonathan Wahl, "Christian County man chased by dogs thinks it might be connected to November animal attack," KSPR.com, December 15, 2015 (www.kspr.com)

Related articles:
08/23/16: 2016 Dog Bite Fatality: Elderly Man Killed by Dogs in Jacksonville, Florida
03/25/16: 2016 Dog Bite Fatality: Elderly Woman Dies After Pack Attack In Thurston County
07/24/15: 2015 Dog Bite Fatality: Pack of Dogs Kill Woman in Wagoner County, Oklahoma

See also:
Dog Pack Attack: Hunting Humans, by Avis, Simon P. M.D. F.R.C.P.C, The American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology, Volume 20(3), September 1999, pp 243-246.
Attacks by Packs of Dogs Involving Predation on Human Beings, by Borchelt PL, Lockwood R, Beck AM, and Voith VL, Public Health Reports, 98:57-66, 1983.