Posted on December 7, 2016 by Colleen Lynn

2016 Dog Bite Fatality: 6-Year Old Boy Killed by Family Pit Bull in Huntington, West Virginia

Isaiah Jacob Franklin, 6-years old, was killed by a family pit bull in Huntington.

Family Mourns
UPDATE 12/06/16: The name of a 6-year old boy killed by a family pit bull was finally released last night. Isaiah Jacob Franklin was brutally attacked by a pit bull Friday evening at his home in the 2600 block of 9th Avenue. He later died of his injuries. The family said the dog attacked without provocation or warning. The boy's aunt, Jenni Messer, spoke to WSAZ news, but only through tears. "We want answers," she said. "We don't have them. We have no idea what happened."

In the 11-year period of 2005 to 2015, half of all fatal pit bull attacks (51%) involved a family pit bull killing a family member. - DogsBite.org

Messer said there were three adults in the home at the time of the deadly attack. Isaiah was playing one last video game before he went to bed. Two adults were in the room with him and his mother was in the next. A blue nose 3-year old male pit bull, named Tiny, was also in the room with Isaiah. The dog belongs to his mother's boyfriend and had been living in the household for about a year, according to a comment written by the boy's mother on his fundraiser page.

Isaiah attended Spring Hill Elementary School in Huntington where he was in kindergarten. His classmates knew him as Isaiah, but family members called him Jacob, WSAZ reports. On Monday, the elementary school released some balloons in honor of his memory. His family is grateful for all of the support from the community. Many people, even strangers, have sent prayers and given donations for his funeral costs. Isaiah's service will be held Wednesday at Collins Funeral Home.

There were two pit bulls in Isaiah's household. The second dog, a female, was not involved in the attack, apparently. Both dogs are currently being held at the Huntington Cabell Wayne Animal Shelter. Huntington city officials have filed a motion in court to have the attacking pit bull euthanized. Prior to 2005, the city adopted an ordinance that declares pit bulls and wolf hybrids "dangerous." The provision requires both to be registered and muzzled when taken off property.

Planting Propaganda

Early this morning, the Herald-Dispatch published an article to place doubt in the public's mind that Tiny is truly a pit bull. Isaiah was "mauled by a dog believed to be of the pit bull breed," Courtney Hessler states. She then proceeds to write a pro-pit bull "public relations article" featuring rescuer Capri Billings, who fears Isaiah's death will set back advocacy for the breed for years. Hessler also quotes Billings' fraudulent claim that pit bulls are impossible to identify without DNA testing.

For 25 years appellate courts across the U.S. have ruled that a dog owner of ordinary intelligence can identify a pit bull. - DogsBite.org

Hessler does not stop there. In the wake of a family pit bull killing a child, it was important to include Billings' false and dangerous claim that pit bulls have a "natural affinity toward children" -- the debunked Nanny Dog myth. Before Isaiah is even buried, it was also important for Hessler to repeat Billings' plea of encouraging citizens to "step outside their comfort zone" and "get to know" pit bulls better -- a dog breed that kills more people each year than all other breeds combined.

For evidence that pit bulls do not pose a higher risk of attack than other breeds, Hessler cites the AVMA's 2014 lobbying pamphlet. The pamphlet is designed to obfuscate "bites" versus mauling injuries and obfuscate "breed identity." (See: Selling a lobbying pamphlet as science: Analysis of the May 15, 2014 AVMA pamphlet "Literature Review on the Welfare Implications of The Role of Breed in Dog Bite Risk and Prevention" by animal behaviorist Alexandra Semyonova).

Hessler neglects to include any peer-reviewed studies conducted by doctors of level 1 trauma centers, which treat the most severe injuries. Of the 11 studies published in medical journals since 2009, 10 show a higher prevalence of pit bull injuries and the majority show that pit bulls inflict a higher severity of injury than other dog breeds. The most recent study, a review of 1616 dog bite injuries at a pediatric level 1 trauma hospital in Georgia, even issued a warning to parents:

"Strong consideration to avoidance of any interaction between pit bull breeds and young children, particularly infants." - Characteristics of 1616 Consecutive Dog Bite Injuries at a Single Institution, Clinical Pediatrics, July 2016

What happened to Isaiah and his family is horrific. The pit bull had never shown aggression before. When it did, it cost the boy his life. The two media examples above -- one from WSAZ and the other from the Dispatch -- show a stark contrast in the wake of this boy's death. The first interviews a family member and focuses on the tragic loss of Isaiah. The second is a pit bull PR "scramble" that plants propaganda after a family pit bull brutally killed a child in its household.

12/03/16: Killed by Family Pit Bull
City of Huntington Communications Director, Bryan Chambers, has confirmed that a 6-year old boy was killed by a male pit bull that resided in the child's home late Friday evening. The deadly attack took place at a home in the 2600 block of 9th Avenue in Huntington. The boy was rushed to Cabell Huntington Hospital in Huntington, where he later died of his injuries. The pit bull was taken into custody by animal control officers. The boy's death remains under active investigation.

Huntington Police Chief Joe Ciccarelli also confirmed the dog involved in the fatal attack is a pit bull, reports the Herald-Dispatch. The attack occurred just after 9 pm Friday. Scanner traffic at the time indicated the boy suffered serious injuries to his head and neck, as family members had stated earlier in their Facebook posts. Scanner traffic also indicated the dog was aggressive when first responders arrived on scene, reports the Dispatch. The boy died of his injuries Saturday.

A family friend has started an online fundraiser to help pay for the boy's funeral costs.

12/03/16: Family Dog Kills Boy
Huntington, WV - A dog killed a 6-year old boy Friday evening, according to Huntington Police Chief Joe Ciccarelli. The deadly attack occurred on the 2600 block of 9th Avenue. WSAZ reports the child and dog were living in the same household. Detectives from the Family Crimes Unit and Child Protective Services also responded to the scene, Ciccarelli said. Investigators have been in contact with the prosecutor's office who will review the case to determine if charges will be filed.

Family Member Posts Photos

Police have not released the identity of the boy. A family member, however, shared photos of a boy on her Facebook page. Page wrote in part: "Everyone who prays please say a prayer for me and my family!!!! This morning I got the news that no big sister would ever want to hear!! My sweet 6 year old baby brother Isaiah Jacob (Franklin) got killed by a Pit Bull. I never dreamed this would happen and it is by far the worst thing that I could ever wake up to. This is truly a nightmare."

Another family member also posted publicly on Facebook about the boy's tragic death. "Last night my great nephew 6 year old Isaiah Jacob Franklin went home to be with Jesus," Sandra Workman wrote six hours ago. She also confirmed the attacking dog was a pit bull. "Jacob was bitten in the back of his head or neck by a Pittbull. Please don't ask details. Just continue to pray for all the family," [sic] she wrote. Police have not released the breed of dog or the boy's name at this stage.

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

Huntington Herald-Dispatch articles archived:
Courtney Hessler, "Motion filed to euthanize dog involved in fatal attack," Huntington Herald-Dispatch, December 6, 2016 (www.heral-dispatch.com)
URL:http://www.herald-dispatch.com/news/motion-filed-to-euthanize-dog-involved-in-fatal-attack/article_3a0a0146-d2e2-5797-810e-0c6afc47d6ce.html. Accessed: 2017-03-27. (Archived by WebCite® at https://www.webcitation.org/6pGhLqmNp)
Bishop Nash, "Six-year-old dies after pit bull attack in Huntington," Huntington Herald-Dispatch, December 3, 2016 (www.heral-dispatch.com)
URL:http://www.herald-dispatch.com/_zapp/six-year-old-dies-after-pit-bull-attack-in-huntington/article_6aca0a2e-b991-11e6-8e26-6f28c7645998.html. Accessed: 2017-03-27. (Archived by WebCite® at https://www.webcitation.org/6pGhUj8PC)

Posted on November 29, 2016 by Colleen Lynn

Attacked by Her 'Grandparents' Pit Bull Last Year

Left, the most recent photo of Payton after many surgeries for her injuries.

Visiting Child Attacked archived
Boston, MA - In a stunning victory for medical science, doctors have nearly completely restored a little girl's face after a devastating pit bull attack left her disfigured. Just after Thanksgiving last year, Payton Bronish, then 2-years old, and her family were visiting her grandparents home near Mexico, Maine when a pit bull belonging to her grandparents suddenly attacked Payton's face. Her mother Emily Bronish was so frightened, fearing Payton was dead, she could barely look at her.

“I looked over and I saw that he had latched onto her face, and was throwing her back and forth like a toy. I couldn’t breathe. I got tunnel vision and all I could think was 9-1-1." - Emily Bronish, Payton's mother

The truly remarkable reconstruction surgeries first began at Central Maine Medical Center then continued at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). "I’d never seen an injury of this nature in a patient that young,” said Dr. Branko Bojovic, a plastic surgeon at MGH for Children and chief of plastic surgery at Shriners Hospital for Children. Bojovic amazingly reconstructed the tiny and unstable bones beneath Payton's eye then inserted a metal plate into her eye socket.

"Payton’s cheek was fractured so dramatically that the bone was pushing on her muscle, paralyzing the right side of her face. Her eye socket was destroyed, which ultimately would have caused her eye to sink down into her sinus cavity. Her condition was so unique, Bojovic said, he is in the process of writing up a case study on it.

Bojovic entered Payton’s face through a cut under her eye and reassembled the delicate material -- the bones of a child that young are spongy, and not fully stable -- and he inserted a metal plate into her eye socket. Within a week, Payton regained the movement in her face." - Boston Herald, November 25, 2016

In the 9-year history of DogsBite.org seeing disfiguring facial pit bull injuries in children, and the many amazing reconstruction and scar reduction surgeries by doctors, Payton's recovery may be the most miraculous. All too often facial features can never be fully repaired by surgeons, or even close to that, after a violent pit bull mauling. The damage is often irreversible because the pit bull ripped out and destroyed too many facial muscles, bones and tissue. We salute you Dr. Bojovic.

Her mother Emily responded in comments at the article, in part: "She has many more obstacles to come. Speech therapy. Possibility of skin graphing. More surgeries. The future is unclear."

Posted on November 25, 2016 by Colleen Lynn

The Montreal Pit Bull Ban is Now in Effect

Photo: Édifice Ernest-Cormier by Mickael Pollard, Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Ban Now in Effect
UPDATE 12/01/16: On Thursday, the Quebec Court of Appeal overturned a lower court judge's ruling suspending provisions of Montreal's dangerous dog bylaw pertaining to pit bulls. The lower court judge erred in his ruling. The Montreal pit bull ban will be in effect until the court resolves the ongoing lawsuit brought by the Montreal SPCA against the city. Montreal officials adopted a pit bull ban bylaw in late September, 3-months after the brutal mauling death of Christiane Vadnais.

“As for the respondents’ colour of right, the judge failed in his analysis to take into account the judgment in Cochrane v. Ontario (Attorney General), (2008), and the Quebec Superior Court judgment in Madronero v. Lachine (1990). Those judgments dismiss on the merits the argument that definitions of “pit bull” with wording similar to that in the appellant’s by-law were subject to being struck down. The respondents therefore cannot claim to have a clear right. As to the issue of irreparable harm, the judge considered the contentious provisions as a whole, without distinguishing those that might cause irreparable harm from those that give rise to an inconvenience or a hypothetical harm. Finally, in his analysis of the balance of convenience, he failed to take it for granted that the by-law at issue was enacted for the public good and that it serves a valid public interest objective. These are determinative errors. In the circumstances, the suspension order should be quashed...” - Court of Appeal of Quebec, December 01, 2016

No Charges After Fatal Attack

The Crown prosecutor's office announced yesterday that no criminal charges would be brought against the owner of the pit bull that killed Vadnais in her own backyard. The dog, named Lucifer, was owned by Franklin Junior Frontal and had attacked two people before killing Vadnais. However, prosecutors could not obtain solid evidence of this nor did they believe they could prove negligence. Criminal prosecutions after serious and fatal dog maulings are often very difficult.

This is a primary reason why cities adopt breed-specific laws. The legal routes to civil and criminal recourse after severe attacks are insufficient.

Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre agreed. He stated yesterday that the lack of laying criminal charges after Vadnais' mauling death only reinforces the importance of Montreal's pit bull ban bylaw. "Frankly, it just makes me (feel) stronger about the need to have the regulations that I'm putting forward," Coderre said after learning about the decision. Mayor Coderre is correct. The most proactive path to prevention is to prohibit new pit bulls and to regulate existing ones.

11/25/16: High Court Hears Appeal
Montreal, Canada - Today the Quebec Court of Appeal heard oral arguments about the Montreal pit bull bylaw that went into effect October 3. A lower court judge quickly suspended the pit bull provisions in response to a lawsuit filed by the Montreal SCPA, despite a longstanding appellate court decision upholding the province of Ontario's pit bull ban. On October 20, the city of Montreal was granted permission to appeal the suspension. Arguments were set for November 25.

The Quebec Court of Appeal will issue a ruling sometime in the future. A time frame was not specified by the high court today.

During the hearing today, the city argued that the suspension should have only lasted 10 days and that the SPCA's arguments were mainly based on opinion. "There are several decisions showing that when both sides are heard, those arguments are rejected," said Claude Marseille, the attorney representing the city. Marseille also leaned on a decision issued as recently as yesterday that ruled that the city of Lavaltrie's new animal control bylaw, which also bans pit bulls, is valid.

This same logic follows the city's call for an appeal and the reversal of the suspension in October. The city stated then that 48% of Quebec cities already have pit bull bylaws, as does the province of Ontario. Attorneys for the city argued that the lower court judge had no legal right to grant a suspension pending a future court hearing of the bylaw's legality. Montreal's city council voted in favor of the pit bull ban in September after the mauling death of Christiane Vadnais on June 8.

"In a case where the validity of legal provisions or rules is contested, the public interest demands that their validity be presumed and that they remain in effect: the suspension of such provisions during the interlocutory stage can't be granted except under the most exceptional or serious situations," the city writes in its call for an appeal. The city added, "These safety measures are reasonable and constitute, in the worst hypotheses, a minor inconvenience in the social life of an owner who chooses to have as a pet, in an urban setting, a type of dog that was created to fight bulls (thus their name)." - Montreal Gazette, October 12, 2016

What Happens Next

If the appellate court rules in favor of the city, the suspension of the pit bull bylaw will be lifted and enforcement of the Montreal pit bull ban will begin. We expect that a favorable ruling for the city will cause the SPCA to quickly appeal the decision to the Supreme Court of Canada. If the appeal court denies lifting the suspension -- of which there is little to no precedent of doing -- then the city could appeal or endure the suspension until the trial of the lawsuit brought by the SPCA.

The Montreal SPCA's lawsuit, which chiefly acts as a "delay tactic" for the Montreal pit bull ban bylaw, comes at a great cost to the public health and safety of Montreal residents. The legal challenge also comes at a cost to Montreal taxpayers and city officials, who now must allocate legal and administrative resources to defend it. This is all due to a breed of dog that was first selectively bred for the bloodsport of bull-baiting then for the bloodsport of illegal dogfighting.

Appellate courts in the United States have upheld the constitutionality of well-written pit bull ordinances since 1986 -- 30-years and counting.

The Bylaw's Background

The day after a lower court judge suspended the Montreal pit bull ban, Denis Coderre, the Mayor of Montreal, published a bold letter on the mayor's website, reconfirming the city's intention to ban pit bull-type dogs in Montreal. The letter is aptly titled, "People first!" Mayor Coderre makes clear that his "top priority will always be people and their safety" and further states: "We will not yield to threats nor interest groups. We reconfirm our intention to ban pit bull-type dogs from Montreal."

"We will not yield to threats nor interest groups. We reconfirm our intention to ban pit bull type dogs from Montreal, as has already been done by some of our boroughs and as in Ontario, in France and in hundreds of cities around the world. We will not compromise when it comes to the safety of our fellow Montrealers."

"The reasons for this by-law ban are well known: news articles have recently highlighted serious attacks against people by dogs, especially pit bulls and the sense of impunity that seems to prevail among many owners of dangerous dogs. The death of Christiane Vadnais, killed by a dog, generated fear among the public. Public officials clearly had to step in and many cities decided to amend their by-laws.

Yesterday, a Superior Court judge decided to suspend Montreal's new by-law banning pit bull type dogs in its territory pending a hearing on the substance of the by-law.

We are disappointed by this turn of events. The by-law was designed to ensure the safety of all Montrealers by requiring all owners of pets -- particularly dangerous ones -- to comply with certain regulations.

We knew we would have to face pro-pit bull lobbyists. The debate quickly became emotional, which we find regrettable. Our sole and unique concern is the security of our fellow Montrealers." - Denis Coderre, Mayor of Montreal, October 6, 2016

Read: Mayor Coderre's Letter in full

Mayor Coderre's statements about the pro-pit bull lobby pertain to a 5-part investigation by La Presse published in August that showed how the Association of Veterinary Doctors of Quebec (OMVQ) omitted key parts of medical studies in their report to the ministerial committee. The OMVQ report also cited several studies, which they deemed to be "scientific," but were funded by the heavily financed pro-pit bull lobby. The OMVQ report failed to note this conflict of interest.

On October 20, DogsBite.org released the in-depth La Presse investigation translated to English. The multi-part series exposed five unqualified studies or papers cited in the OMVQ report, causing Dr. Joel Bergeron, president of the College of Veterinary Surgeons of Quebec, to issue a mea culpa, admitting that by including these studies, he had placed his organization in a conflict of interest. The La Presse investigation also exposed the five levels of the American pit bull lobby.

Posted on October 24, 2016 by Colleen Lynn

2016 Dog Bite Fatality: New Dog Kills 4-Year Old Child, Injures Mother in Southwestern Michigan

Newly acquired dog kills Kiyana McNeal, 4, injures mother in southwestern Michigan.

No Criminal Charges
UPDATE 11/02/16: On October 23, 4-year old Kiyana McNeal was fatally attacked in the neck by a doberman-type dog either purchased or adopted by her mother just 45 minutes earlier from an Illinois man. He drove the dog to their home off West Fish Lake Road in Sherman Township then left under an hour later. Very few other details have been released. Today, the St. Joseph County prosecutor's office announced there was insufficient evidence to bring any criminal charges.

No information was provided about where the mother located the dog -- on Craigslist, Facebook or a rescue dog forum board? No information was provided about how the dog was advertised. Was the animal advertised as "Good with Kids?" No information was provided about the "mix" of the "doberman-mix," however, social media speculation presumes a canis panther, a doberman-type protection dog variant. The public will never know the answers to these important questions.

A Few Clarifications

About 8-months ago, Kiyana's mother, Jacey McNeal Wolkins, adopted a doberman named Willow (seen in below photo). Willow died of cancer about 2-months before Kiyana's death, according to Lorie May, the little girl's stepmother. Her mother replaced it with the new doberman-mix, which May said was 3-years old. The Illinois man spent about 30 to 45 minutes with Kiyana and Jacey, while they got acquainted with the new dog, May said. Then he got in his car and left for Illinois.

It was alluded to in earlier reports that Jacey called the previous owner after the dog attacked Kiyana and he came rushing back to help. However, May later states that Jacey called the Illinois man about 5 minutes before the attack for unknown reasons and asked him to return. He arrived back at her home just after the attack and immediately began giving CPR to the little girl. Jacey sustained injuries trying to pry the dog off her daughter. She was hospitalized and released.

Doberman Dog Bite Fatalities

Fatal dog attacks involving doberman pinschers and their mixes account for 1% (5) of all dog bite fatalities in the U.S. since 2005 (388). One case involved a protection-trained doberman imported from Hungary that killed its 71-year old owner. Another case involved a family doberman that killed an infant, and a third case involved a pack attack with multiple large breeds, including dobermans. Over half of the 5 cases involved high-risk scenarios, elevated further by powerful dog breeds.

10/24/16: Additional Information
Neighbors of a 4-year old girl who was killed by a new dog said the child was giving the animal a biscuit when it fatally attacked her neck. Her family had acquired the doberman-type dog less than an hour earlier from its Illinois owner. "I was in my bedroom and I heard the screaming. And I heard somebody holler, ‘Becky!’" Neighbor Becky Davis recounted. "The dog come and sniffed it. Then stepped back and sniffed it again, and evidently the third time, he got her," Davis said.

"The mother and the guy that brought the dog, they had the baby on the ground doing CPR. It did not do any good." - Neighbor Becky Davis

The man from Illinois who sold or gave the dog to Kiyana's family said the dog was 4-years old and had never displayed aggression before. Becky Davis and her husband Kenneth were close to Kiyana and often babysat her. Kenneth even installed a gate between the two homes so Kiyana could visit while he worked in the yard. Kiyana's mother, Jacey McNeal Wolkins, was injured trying to save her daughter. Family members say the mother has since been released from the hospital.

The Davises also spoken to FOX 17. The couple clarified that the attack happened inside Kiyana's home -- earlier it was reported the attack occurred outside. "When they brought Kiyana out of the house, I saw her mother had lots and lots of blood,” Kenneth said. "Any blood, it was from Kiyana." One neighbor who rushed to help called 911. Jacey called the man who just sold her the dog who sped back to the home to help. First responders tried to revive the little girl. She died on scene.

10/24/16: Newly Acquired Dog Kills Child
Sherman Township, MI - On Sunday, a 4-year old girl was killed and her mother seriously injured by a dog they had recently acquired, St. Joseph County authorities said. The attack occurred about 4pm on the 63000 block of West Fish Lake Road, St. Joseph County Undersheriff Mark Lillywhite confirmed. The child could not be resuscitated and died on scene. The mother required hospitalization for her injuries. Authorities described the dog as a doberman or doberman-mix.

Circumstances of the attack remain unknown, but friends of the family told police the mother and daughter were outside with the dog when the attack occurred. The mother had acquired the dog to replace another family dog that had recently died, friends of the family said. No information was provided about the source of the dog -- whether it was acquired from a shelter, rescue, classified ad listing, family friend or breeder. St. Joseph County Animal Control took the dog into custody.

Donation Page Names Child

A YouCaring fundraiser for the child identifies the little girl as Kiyana McNeal. "They had gotten a dog that day and, as the old owner went to leave, the dog attacked Kiyana. Her mom tried to stop it and save her but couldn't," states the page. "She was taken by ambulance and hospitalized with wounds to her head and hands. It has been a whirlwind since then, and the pain is inexplicable. We have had numerous friends and family ask what they could do," states the donation page.

ClickOnDetroit shows a photo of the little girl with the family's previous doberman dog that died of cancer. The news video also states that Kiyana's mother purchased the new doberman-type dog from a man in Illinois. The original owner spent about 45 minutes at Kiyana's home and was about to leave, when the new doberman-type dog attacked the little girl. The mother intervened to save her daughter and was badly injured. Police have not released the name of the previous owner.

DogsBite blog ::

2016 Dog Bite Fatality: 6-Year Old Boy Killed by Family Pit Bull in Huntington, West Virginia

Doctors Restore Little Girl's Face After Disfiguring Pit Bull Mauling; a Miraculous and Inspiring Endeavor

Attacked by Her 'Grandparents' Pit Bull Last Year

City of Montreal Wins Appeal; Quebec Court of Appeal Overturns Lower Court's Suspension of Pit Bull Ban Bylaw

The Montreal Pit Bull Ban is Now in Effect

2016 Dog Bite Fatality: New Dog Kills 4-Year Old Child, Injures Mother in Southwestern Michigan