Review: Five Dog Bite Fatalities Between 2017-2022 in the United States Unreported by Media

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Dog Bite Fatalities Between 2017-2022 non-media reported
Review: Five dog bite fatalities between 2017-2022 unreported by media.

DogsBite.org - We summarize five cases of adults killed by dogs between 2017 and 2022, where no media reports or police press releases were published. Our discovery of each death came from different sources, including a FOIA to the Miami-Dade County Medical Examiner's Office, where three of these deaths were located. All five deaths involved bull breeds: pit bull (3 deaths), American bulldog (1), and presa canario (1). All five victims were 40-years and older, and most were men (3/5).

Since 2011, we have obtained verification for 31 non-media reported dog bite fatalities. 55% of these deaths occurred after the onset of the pandemic in March 2020, when media reports and police press releases of fatal dog attacks decreased, but the attacks were rising. Of the 31 deaths, 77% involved a family dog killing a household member; 71% involved one or more pit bulls; and 97% (30/31) involved pit bulls, "baiting" bull breeds, and mastiff-type guarding breeds used to create fighting breeds.1

Of the 31 recorded deaths, pit bulls were involved in 22 deaths, American bulldog (5); bull terrier (1)2; French mastiff (1), and presa canario (1).3

In our last published combined year dog bite fatality report (2005-2019), the combination of pit bulls, rottweilers and this small group of mastiff-type guarding breeds comprised 84% of all deaths. Since 2011, we have not discovered a single non-media reported rottweiler death, even though they are the second top killing dog breed. Instead, we see that non-media reported cases have an even higher percentage of pit bulls, "baiting" bull breeds and fighting breeds, even when rottweilers are absent.

When we compare the 31 non-media reported deaths to the 524 deaths in the 15-year baseline period (2005 to 2019),4 other differences stand out too. Attacks inflicted by family dogs are 42% higher in non-media reported deaths; adult victims ≥40 years old are 65% higher; and a single or pair of "family" pit bulls killing a household member ≥40 years old is 102% higher. Also, of the 31 non-media reported deaths, 23% occurred during June, which is 211% higher than the baseline period for this month.

Breeds of Dogs Involved in Non-Media Reported U.S. Dog Bite Fatalities 2008-2023

Breeds of dogs in non-media reported dog bite fatalities since we began capturing in 2011.

Nancy Mira

67-years old
Miami, Florida
March 17, 2017

Summary: Nancy Mira, 67-years old, died one month after being bitten on the neck by a family dog. According to the Miami-Dade County Medical Examiner's Office, the attack occurred on February 21 at approximately 11:48 am in the 19200 block of SW 128 Court. Mira was at her home "when she became belligerent and attempted to strike her son. The son's American bulldog bit the deceased on her neck," states the report. She was transported to Jackson South Community Hospital where she underwent multiple procedures. "Her condition deteriorated, and she was placed in Vitas Hospice at University of Miami Hospital" where she died on March 17, states the report. The cause of death was ruled "complications of dog bite on neck." The Miami-Dade Police Department was the investigating agency. In December 2010, her son's partner shared a "Got a Pet" announcement on Facebook. "Got our crazy American bulldog Duley," she wrote. There were no media reports about this fatal attack.

Moise Maddox

87-years old
Miami Gardens, Florida
January 20, 2019

Summary: Moise Maddox, 87-years old, died while hospitalized after being mauled by a dog. On December 31, 2018, Miami Gardens police officers were dispatched to a home in the 2100 block of NW 153rd Street at about 10:19 am. "The victim was in the rear yard when the family pet, a presa canario, attacked the victim," states a report from the Miami Gardens Police Department. Maddox sustained severe injuries to both lower legs. He was airlifted to Ryder Trauma Center in Miami for advanced medical treatment. Miami-Dade Animal Control took possession of the dog; it was later euthanized. "Maddox had both of his legs amputated below his knees" due to the severe damage, states the report. His left arm was going to be amputated, due to a developing infection, when he succumbed to cardiac arrest on January 20, 2019. The Miami-Dade Medical Examiner's Office determined the cause of death was "complications of canine mauling." There were no media reports about this attack.

"Information obtained on scene from officers revealed the victim was in the rear yard when the family pet, a Presa Canario attacked the victim. It could not be determined why the dog attacked the victim ... G. Maddox was the owner of the dog and indicated that he was in the front yard when he heard the victim screaming and ran to the rear yard and observed his dog attacking his brother and was able to separate the dog from his brother ... The report further indicated that the dog was surrendered to Animal Services and was euthanized." - Miami Gardens Police Department

Josefa Suarez

73-years old
Homestead, Florida
September 28, 2021

Summary: Josefa Suarez, 73-years old, was killed by a relative's adopted dog. According to Miami-Dade Animal Services (MDAS) records, at about 12:00 pm, "the victim was in the backyard cleaning and the dog just went up to her, jumped on her, and began attacking, biting her on her left arm." Her nephew came out to help get the dog off her, "but the dog wiggled off and grabbed a hold of her right arm." By the time he could remove the dog, she was unresponsive. Upon arrival, fire and rescue observed "multiple opened wounds" on her body. She was transported to Jackson South Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. The dog's owner, L. Ramirez, was out of town at the time. Ramirez adopted the male neutered pit bull-mix "Clyde" on January 14, 2019 from MDAS. The dog had been taken in as a stray five days earlier, MDAS records show. According to the Miami-Dade County Medical Examiner's report, Suarez had recently moved into the family home. The medical examiner determined her cause of death was "dog bites." There were no media reports about this attack.

Additional Details

MDAS estimated Clyde was 3-years old at the time of adoption. Making the dog nearly 6-years old when it violently attacked the woman. It is noted in the adoption records that "Josefa A Suarez, may also pick up pet," on the day of the adoption, January 14, 2019. So, despite Suarez only recently moving into the family home, she was familiar with the dog. She also took the dog to the MDAS Wellness Clinic for a license and vaccination service on March 26, 2021, 6-months before the attack.

Clyde killed a person within a 3-year period of being adopted from a tax-funded shelter, therefore this attack qualifies for our list. Miami-Dade Animal Services now joins 16 tax-funded shelters in the United States since 2014 that have adopted out or transferred a dog to a rescue that subsequently killed a person. This is the second occurrence for MDAS in a 13-month period. On August 28, 2020 Carolyn Varanese was killed by a dog that had recently been pulled from MDAS by Mastiff Recue of Florida Inc.

Shelter Dog-Inflicted Deaths (Tax-Funded)

Shelter Dog-Inflicted Deaths (Private-Funded)

Underreported Shelter Dog-Inflicted Deaths

In the 15-year baseline period (2005-2019), rescue and rehomed dogs account for 8.6% of dog bite fatalities. In the 31 non-media reported deaths, they account for 16.1%, which is over 85% higher. This begs the question of how many more non-media reported fatal attacks involving shelter dogs have occurred? It's hardly a matter a county, such as Miami-Dade, would want to publicize -- the second dog they adopted out in a 13-month period that killed a person, both during the Covid pandemic.

Clyde was not a "pandemic puppy" that went on a rampage 2.5 years after being adopted in 2019. Clyde was a 3-year old pit bull-mix with no known history prior to adoption. In our last series of non-media reported fatal dog attacks, we wrote about Ronald Adams, 79, who was killed by two adult pit bulls shortly after he adopted them from the Humane Society of Highlands County in August 2022. Media attributing the sharp rise of US "fatal" dog attacks to "pandemic puppies" alone is unproven.

We believe shelter dog-inflicted deaths are underreported and that "adoption source" information is omitted in certain media-reported cases.5

"Pandemic puppy" is a poor term that implies "breeder purchased," obfuscating the 6.2 million shelter dogs that were adopted during the pandemic (2020-2022), of which upwards of 70% were adult dogs, according to data at Shelter Animals Count. Many of these adult dogs have unknown histories. Further, there are clear motivations to withhold "adoption source" information after a fatal attack. As Adams' partner stated, "Highlands kept the death quiet cuz they did NOT want people to stop adopting dogs."

Adult John Doe

41 years old
Austin, Texas
May 14, 2022

Summary: John Doe, 41-years old, who was experiencing homelessness, was killed by multiple unrestrained dogs. First responders were dispatched to the 4600 block of East Ben White Boulevard around 1:50 am. Few details of his death were released by police. Through a FOIA, our nonprofit obtained records of the Severe Bite Investigation (SBI) conducted by Austin Animal Services. The dogs' owner lived in an "encampment in the woods with his six pit bulls," states the report. The owner had left the camp with his dogs "tied up." When he returned, he found his dogs had "broke loose from their makeshift leash." He discovered the man's body near a creek bed. The owner believed his dogs had killed the man; he found blood on two of his dogs. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene. The location of the bite injuries is listed as "head." Authorities seized all six pit bulls. A court ordered all six dogs "destroyed due to the severity of injuries" that "ultimately led to his death." The victim had been familiar with dogs. There were no follow-up media reports about this attack.

Additional Details

This case did have a "media alert" (a brief mention) on May 14, 2022. It said "a dog attacked and killed" a homeless man. No dog breed information was released. In February 2024, while reviewing data showing a 198% rise of severe dog bites in Austin from 2018 to 2023, we also obtained animal control records for this man's death. To know that six bulls were involved in a fatal mauling at a homeless encampment in 2022 and that local media did not investigate or prioritize this case is alarming.6

In contrast, media and law enforcement in Bend, Oregon elevated the death of Joseph Keeton, who had been living at an encampment known as "Dirt World," into the public eye after he was killed by three pit bull-mixes with a bite history belonging to one of his campmates. There was discussion at a county commissioner meeting too. Vicious dogs and dog bite injuries are a reality at homeless encampments. The dogs' owner later pleaded guilty to multiple charges in connection to his death.

Dwayne Kessler

58-years old
Maricopa County, Arizona
May 5, 2022

Summary: Dwayne Kessler, 58-years old, was killed by his son's pit bull, according to a pair of fundraisers created by his partner and his best friend after his death. An autopsy report from the Maricopa County Medical Examiner's Office provided a narrative. "According to the investigative report, the decedent was reportedly at a storage facility with his significant other, a family member, and their pet dog (reportedly a pit bull)," states the report. "The decedent and his significant other reportedly became engaged in a verbal argument," triggering the dog to attack. "The decedent reportedly fell to the ground while the dog continued to maul him. The decedent's family member reportedly stabbed the dog multiple times in an attempt to stop the attack." The cause of death was "mixed modality blunt force and penetrating trauma." The injury occurred by a "canine attack followed by human inflicted sharp force injuries sustained during attempted canine neutralization," states the report. The manner of death was ruled an accident. There were no media reports about this attack.

"Multiple knives were reportedly recovered at the scene by law enforcement officials ... He was transported to the hospital where death was pronounced in the emergency department. Traumatic injuries including abrasions, lacerations, puncture wounds, and sharp force injuries were noted by medical personnel. Verbal conversation with law enforcement personnel at the time of postmortem examination revealed that the decedent's family member may have injured the decedent inadvertently with a knife while the family member was attempting to subdue the dog. Law enforcement officials stated that foul play was not suspected." - Maricopa County Medical Examiner's Office

Additional Details

According to the autopsy, the dog latched onto his right wrist, fracturing bones and damaging the ulnar artery. "It is likely that the canine bit the decedent's right wrist causing crush type fracture of the distal ulna and transection of the right ulnar artery." The right radial artery injury was human-inflicted during the "canine neutralization attempt." The result of these injuries was "severe hemorrhage and blood loss," states the report. Methamphetamine and heart disease also contributed to his death.

Kessler and his partner received an eviction judgment against them a month-and-a-half before the fatal attack, according to court records. This may be why they were at the storage facility. Prior to receiving the autopsy report on March 25, 2024, confirming his cause of death, we sent FOIAs to agencies in Glendale and Phoenix, based on the eviction location and other indicators. Both came back empty. This fatal dog attack occurred off the owner's property at a storage facility in nearby Peoria.

Summary

In this report, we summarized five cases of adults killed by dogs between 2017 and 2022, where media reports or police press releases were absent or insufficient. All five victims were 40-years and older, and most were men (3/5). Three of these deaths occurred in Miami-Dade County, of which two died while hospitalized 20-24 days after the attack. All five deaths involved bull breeds: pit bull terrier (3 deaths), American bulldog (1), and presa canario (1). Family dogs inflicted 80% of these deaths.

The majority of dog bite fatalities that are unreported by media involve family dogs (77%); adult victims ≥40 years old (74%); and pit bulls (71%).

We also reviewed 31 non-media reported deaths collected since 2011, which have a higher percentage of pit bulls, "baiting" bull breeds, and fighting breeds than the 15-year baseline period (97% v. 74%) and are absent of rottweiler deaths. Adult victims ≥40 years old comprised 74% of deaths (23/31). Among these adults, a single or pair of pit bulls inflicted 70% (16/23) of deaths and a single or pair of "family" pit bulls inflicted 57% (13/23) of deaths. Most non-media reported deaths occurred in June.

Months with Most Non-Media Reported U.S. Dog Bite Fatalities 2008-2023

Months with the most non-media reported dog bite fatalities since we began capturing in 2011.

Dog Bite Fatalities Between 2017-2022 non-media reported

Some of the human victims and violent dogs discussed in our special report. Review: Five Dog Bite Fatalities Between 2017-2022 in the United States Unreported by Media.

1Mastiff-type guarding and war dog breeds primarily consist of: mastiff (Brazilian, English, French, Italian, Neapolitan, and South African), bullmastiff, presa canario, cane corso, and dogo Argentino.
2The 2020 death of Roxie Parker, 60-years old, involved a large bull terrier, not a miniature bull terrier.
3Two other breeds in non-reported media cases -- German shepherd (1 death) and mixed-breed (1 death) -- were involved in multi-breed attacks involving pit bulls. The breeds did not act alone in the fatal attack.
4Since publication of the 15-year baseline (2005-2019) in July 2020, three new deaths have been added (521 v. 524).
5On October 31, 2023, a family pit bull-mix killed 4-year old Colton Kline in Spokane, Washington. Through a FOIA, we learned the dog "Spud" had been adopted to the family on September 2, 2023 (two months earlier) by the county agency, Spokane Regional Animal Protection Service. We sent the information (proof of adoption) to local media, but they never reported it. Omitting the "adoption source" information, in this case, came from the media itself.
6Local Austin media did make it a priority to write about a recent homeless camp demolition (Homeless people scramble after Austin crews demolish camp - Austin American Statesman, March 6, 2024). The first 17 words were: "Jack Smith saved what he could. His pit bull mix, Lady. Her nine puppies, just eight days old." Homeless man brutally killed by six pit bulls of campmate -- not a story. Homeless man with "nine pit bull puppies" flees camp demolition -- feature story!

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04/18/23: Macro-Level Forces Report: Covid Impacts of 2021 U.S. Dog Bite Fatality Capture Rate...
09/23/22: Macro-Level Forces Report: Covid Impacts of 2020 U.S. Dog Bite Fatality Capture Rate...

2024 Dog Bite Fatality: Baby Attacked, Killed by Family Dog While on Trampoline with Mother in East Hartford, Connecticut

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baby killed east hartford dog attack - dalmatian pit bull mixes
Baby "Lennox" was killed by a family dog in East Hartford, Connecticut.

Baby Killed by Dog
East Hartford, CT - A baby is dead after being bitten multiple times by a dog. The attack occurred at about 3:10 pm at a home in the 100 block of Fuller Avenue. The attack occurred in the backyard, reports WFSB. The 1-year old child was transported to a hospital in critical condition, where the baby died. Authorities seized two dogs from the residence, but apparently only one dog was involved. According to Catiria Delgado, a neighbor familiar with the dogs, both are dalmatian-pit bull crosses.

According to the East Hartford Police Department (EHPD), the 1-year old boy was bitten "several times by a dog." EHPD issued a statement to Patch, "Despite the valiant efforts of medical professionals, the child succumbed to his injuries." EHPD said they will not be releasing the baby's identity. "Out of respect for the family's privacy and in consideration of the sensitivity of this matter, we are not releasing the child’s name," they wrote. EHPD offered their "thoughts and prayers" to the family.

EHPD clarified Thursday that one of the two dogs removed from the residence, the larger of the two, was the primary aggressor. Both dogs are being held in quarantine. Police described the attacker as a "mixed-breed." WFSB confirmed the dog(s) are a dalmatian-pit bull cross, just how the baby's father described them on his Facebook page several times, "dalmatian mix with pit." The larger of the two adult dogs is presumably the male. A GoFundMe created for the family has raised over $21,000.

EHPD also confirmed to the Journal Inquirer the attack that killed the 1-year old boy and injured his mother occurred on a trampoline. "Mom and the child were on a trampoline when a larger, mixed-breed dog attacked the child," EHPD spokesperson Marc Caruso said. "The mother also sustained minor dog bite injuries and was transported to the hospital." The fundraiser notes that on the day of the attack, the family had planned to go to Chuck E. Cheese to celebrate the baby's first birthday.

Family Speaks Out

The child's father, Ricky Rohena, told NBC Connecticut the dog that killed baby Lennox had not behaved aggressively before. “If the dog would have been aggressive or anything like that, trust and believe he wouldn’t have been around the baby,” Rohena said. Neighbor Rohan Green, who heard screams when the dog attacked, ran across the street to help. "I tried to fight off two pit bulls and help the baby as much as I could," Green said. "One minute seemed like forever. [It was] a long battle."

Rohena was not home at the time. "I just didn’t get the chance to hold my baby at all. I didn’t get the chance to see him," Rohena said. "I was working. I wasn’t here. I came home, took the dogs out. I wasn’t expecting this to happen. I left the dogs outside. I should have never left them outside." Lennox's mother, Keyshla Torres, who is pregnant, was also injured in the attack. "I witnessed it," she told NBC Connecticut. "[The dog] got onto the trampoline, then he grabbed the baby," she said.

Male Child Deaths

This baby's death comes after five young male children were killed by dogs. Last month, an infant boy was killed by a family husky in Milford, Connecticut. Just days ago, and infant boy was killed by a family pit bull in Woodbridge, New Jersey. Mark Partain, 2-years old, and Beau Clark, 4-years old, were killed by dogs belonging to a neighbor in Alabama four days apart. In Illinois, a 4-year old boy was killed by a family great dane -- his family bred and sold great danes in a rural part of Ogle County.

This string of child deaths began on February 16, and it's only March 13. Six child deaths in less than 30 days, all male victims. In fact, of the 12 dog bite fatalities we have recorded so far this year, 92% of the victims are male (11/12). That is unusual too. There are also 3 male victims in the 19-35 year old age group. Fatal dog attacks are uncommon in this age group for either sex. The lone female victim was 72-years old. She was a catahoula leopard dog breeder, who was killed by one of her dogs.

baby killed east hartford dog attack - dalmation pit bull mixes

Father's Facebook page, primary male dalmatian-pit bull cross, as recently at 11/2023.

baby killed east hartford dog attack - dalmation pit bull mixes

NBC Connecticut, the left image shows a male dalmatian-pit bull cross, the primary attacker.

map iconView the DogsBite.org Google Map: Connecticut Fatal Pit Bull Maulings.

Related articles:
03/11/24: 2024 Dog Bite Fatality: Infant Killed, Mother Injured in Multi-Victim 'Family' Dog Attack...
02/29/24: 2024 Dog Bite Fatality: Newborn Dies After Being 'Bit by a Dog' and 'Head Injury'...

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.

2024 Dog Bite Fatality: Infant Killed, Mother Seriously Injured in Multi-Victim 'Family' Dog Attack in Woodbridge, New Jersey

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multi-victim dog attack woodbridge new jersey
Infant killed, mother injured in multi-victim family dog attack in Woodbridge.

Pit Bull Confirmed
UPDATE 03/11/24: On Monday, the prosecutor's office confirmed with News 12 New Jersey and WKXW that the dog involved in the deadly attack was a family pit bull. On Saturday, the dog attacked a 3-month old baby boy, killing him, and attacked his mother at their home on Mereline Avenue. The pit bull has been euthanized. The baby's mother has been released from the hospital. Middlesex County prosecutors said the family's name is not being released. No criminal charges will be filed.

Also, CBS News anchor Carissa Lawson, who formerly worked for News 12 New Jersey for over a decade, posted to Facebook that "a couple at my church knows the family and told us the entire story." The baby was not left alone with the dog, she wrote. "The dog went into baby’s room while everyone was asleep. The mother heard the baby screaming and went in to try to save her baby and that’s when the dog tried to kill her, too." Her LinkedIn page states she left News 12 in June 2023.

"The coincidence now is that I found out this morning that a couple at my church knows the family and told us the entire story. We were all crying. The baby was not left alone with the dog. The dog went into baby’s room while everyone was asleep. The mother heard the baby screaming and went in to try to save her baby and that’s when the dog tried to kill her, too. The father, who owned the dog prior, was able to stop the attack, but he was injured, too. The dog was not treated poorly. The dog was dearly loved. And yes -- the dog was a pit bull." - CBS News anchor Carissa Lawson

A GoFundMe was created for the baby's family. He has been identified as Daymon Balbuena.

03/10/24: Baby Killed, Mother Injured
Woodbridge, NJ - An infant is dead and his mother seriously injured after a multi-victim "family" dog attack Saturday morning. Authorities were dispatched to a home on Mereline Avenue in Woodbridge Township at about 6:17 am in response to a 911 call that reported a baby had been attacked by a dog. Upon arrival, police found the baby and the mother had sustained serious injuries. The infant was pronounced dead at the scene. The mother was taken to a hospital, where the father joined her.

Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone issued a statement to media notifying them of the attack, but it did not include the baby's age or identify the family. No dog breed information was provided either. Ciccone is memorable, as it was her office that did not pursue charges after a pair of pit bulls breached a fence-line in 2021 and killed 3-year old Aziz Ahmed and critically injured his mother while they were inside their own yard. The boy suffered "total evisceration" injuries.

We had no kind words for her then about how she issued her prosecution decision: "Ciccone, however, never contacted Aziz's family before issuing her decision in emails to private citizens on March 23. Lacking in courage and courtesy, Ciccone also did not hold a press conference about her decision, which would have forced her to face media and public scrutiny," we wrote. "Ciccone's actions are so sheepish and cowardly, they are literally 'beyond the pale.' Our hearts go out to Aziz's family."

Multi-Victim Fatal Dog Attacks

Now Ciccone faces another multi-victim dog attack involving a dead child and critically injured mother. This time, however, the "family" dog was the perpetrator. It was also a "single family" dog that instigated the attack not a "pair" of unfamiliar pit bulls. What types of dog breeds inflict multi-victim attacks resulting in death? During the pre/post Covid 4-year period of 2020 to 2023, multi-victim attacks involved 15% of all dog bite fatalities (33/215). 73% (24) were carried out by pit bulls.

Eight dog breeds were involved in 1 death. Only pit bulls (24 deaths), rottweilers (2 deaths) and American bulldogs (2 deaths) were involved in multiple deaths. While multi-victim attacks resulting in at least 1 human death can be a "rampage" attack, like when two family pit bulls killed two children in Tennessee and critically injured their mother, we only require that the injury sustained by the other victim(s) was consequential, requiring treatment by a professional at the scene or at a hospital.

We also looked at multi-victim attacks resulting in death inflicted by a family dog during this period, and within this subset, a single family dog being the perpetrator. Of the 33 multi-victim attacks involving at least 1 human death, over half, 55% (18) involved family dogs as perpetrators. 72% (13/18) were inflicted by family pit bulls. Of the 18 multi-victim attacks involving family dogs, 56% (10) were carried about by a single family dog. 70% of these attacks were inflicted by a single family pit bull.

multi-victim dog attack in woodbridge

Breeds of dogs Involved in multi-victim dog attacks resulting in death (2020-2023). Several attacks involved multiple breeds, thus producing a death count total of 36 rather than 33.

multi-victim dog attack in woodbridge

After a person who knows the mother admitted it was a pit bull, the comment was removed.

Related articles:
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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.

2024 Dog Bite Fatality: 2-Year Old Killed by Dog in North Alabama Marking Second Child 'Death by Dog' in Region in 4 Days

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Mark Alan - killed by dog in north alabama
Mark Allen Partain, 2-years old, was killed by a dog in north Alabama on Friday.

Dog Owner Arrested
UPDATE 06/20/24: Police arrested 55-year old Melissa Phillips in connection to the fatal dog mauling of a 2-year old boy earlier this year. On March 1, New Hope police responded to the 200 block of T R Christian Road for a report of a child who was attacked by dogs. Two dogs, a husky and a German shepherd-mix, were seized from the home of Rickey Clark. A third dog, a "brown bulldog" that was known to run loose in the area, was also suspected. Phillips resides down the street from Clark.

The third dog was surrendered to authorities as the investigation continued. Bite impressions taken from the dogs ruled out the two initial dogs belonging to Clark. The third dog, belonging to Phillips, had recently been involved in another dog attack. Phillips was indicted for a violation of Emily's Law (under Section B). Though a court had not declared her dog to be dangerous, "the owner of the dog had prior knowledge of the dangerous propensities of the dog." Phillips faces a Class C felony charge.

Detectives determined with the help of forensics, that the bite marks collected belonged to the third dog -- not the neighbor's [Rickey Clark].

“This is a dog that the owners had already had an issue with attacking someone else so there was already ground work there to say this was a vicious dog or this was a dog that has propensity for violence and to attack people," Bates said. "With the death of this child, that’s kind of what led the weight of this charge.” - Chief Deputy Stacy Bates with the Madison County Sheriff's Office, WAAY-TV, June 20, 2024

All three dogs were euthanized over the course of the investigation. Last week, the investigation was brought before a Madison County grand jury, resulting in Phillips' indictment. Phillips voluntarily surrendered to sheriff's detectives. She was booked into the Madison County Jail on a $15,000 bond. The breed of Phillips' dog is unknown. She is seen with a "brown dog" and a "missing" black Labrador on social media pages. The Madison County Sheriff's Office says the investigation is ongoing.

03/01/24: Toddler Killed by Dog
New Hope, AL - A 2-year old boy is dead after being attacked by a dog in New Hope Friday evening. The city is 40 mile east of Hartselle, where 4-year old Beau Clark was brutally killed by an Olde English bulldog on Monday. Beau was buried earlier today; over a thousand people attended his funeral. On Friday, at about 5:21 pm, Huntsville Emergency Medical Services Inc., (HEMSI) responded to a residence in the 200 block of T R Christian Road after a report of a toddler being bitten by a dog.

HEMSI spokesman Don Webster said that multiple agencies responded, including, Madison County Sheriff's Office, Owens Cross Road Police Department, and New Hope Police Department. The boy was pronounced dead at the scene, Webster said. Madison County Sheriff's Office spokesperson Brent Patterson said the child was at a neighbor's home when he was attacked by a neighbor's dog. Madison County Coroner Tyler Berryhill said an autopsy will be performed on the child this week.

WAFF spoke to Rickey Clark, the owner of the dogs (no relationship to Beau Clark). He said that one of his dogs, a husky, was responsible for the attack. Both of his dogs were seized by animal control. WAFF captured footage of the dogs being confiscated. A husky is seen and a shepherd-type dog. Clark said the toddler got into his backyard by "opening the gate himself." The gate was latched but not locked. Clark said his dogs had never harmed anyone before. He even showed WFF his gate.

Child & Breeds Identified

The boy's mother has publicly identified him as Mark Alan. "Last night our world was completely shattered. I lost my youngest child, my mini me, my Mark Alan," Kayla Hughey wrote. "The hurt is unreal. I don’t even feel like I’m living in reality. My children’s hearts are so broken." Hughey stated that she has "spoken with all of the police and investigators" and that "it looks as if this was just a very tragic accident with no one to be held at fault." Hughey thanked the many first responders.

The two dog breeds involved have been confirmed as a husky and a German shepherd-golden retriever mix. The sex and spay/neuter status were not released. The ages of the dogs were not released. Despite the importance of all three in fatal dog maulings, this "basic" data is rarely released. This type of fatality was much more common pre-2010 -- "male child entered into dog pen." We know in the 2021 New Mexico case that the adults present in the home were prosecuted afterward.

Third Dog Possibly Involved

According to Clark, a third dog was possibly involved. Clark was alerted to the attack after hearing frantic screams from the boy's father. "He was banging on the door real hard and he said, 'It's my son, it's my son, I think he might be dead,'" Clark said. He rushed outside to see what was wrong and saw the toddler laying on the ground, unresponsive, in front of the dog pens and the gate was open. There was also a brown bulldog "running around in the yard," Clark said, whose owner is unknown.

"When I got my dogs put up, I saw her [the bulldog] running out of the yard, and I don't know if she had anything to do with it." Clark said that seeing the brown bulldog, which he described as female, running loose isn't unusual. WAAY-TV reached out to the Madison County's Sheriff's Office (MCSO) to learn more. Three dogs were placed into quarantine that are believed to have been involved, MCSO said. But animal control did not confirm knowledge of a third dog. The investigation is ongoing.

killed by dog in north alabama

The two dogs under investigation, a husky and a German shepherd-mix, were cleared.

Related articles:
02/27/24: 2024 Dog Bite Fatality: Child Dies After Bull Breed Mauling in North Alabama
02/24/24: 2024 Dog Bite Fatality: Newborn Dies After Bite to the Head by Pet Husky

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.