Posted on February 12, 2016 by Colleen Lynn

2016 Dog Bite Fatality: Woman Killed by Pet Pit Bull in Perquimans County, NC

Suzanne Story, 36, was killed by a pit bull-mix given to her a few weeks earlier.

Newspaper Finds Owners
UPDATE 02/12/16: Yesterday, we learned from The Virginian-Pilot that the advertisement for the dog was actually placed in The Pilot. A stroke of good luck in the ability to track down the former owners of a pit bull-mix that was off-loaded to Suzanne Story then killed her a few weeks later. “There was blood everywhere,” her mother Debbie Brown said. “Her hair was just soaked -- solid blood -- just covered in blood.” The first edition article was later replaced by this evening update.

"Story had seen a classified ad in The Virginian-Pilot a couple weeks ago advertising Buddy as an easy-going dog that was good with kids. She called a Virginia Beach couple who delivered the dog to her home. When Story offered to pay, the couple just gave her the dog for free and took off." - The Virginian-Pilot, February 11, 2016, First Edition

The pit bull named "Buddy" was a 1.5-year old male pit bull-mix, not a female as previously reported. Story had been cleaning the dog's crate, when the animal suddenly attacked her, ripping open her throat. Her sister and roommate Robin Ross was in the house and heard her screams. She was able to pull the dog off Story -- amazingly -- and lock it in the bathroom. But the dog broke a hole through the bathroom door and continued attacking Story, executing the killing bite.

The Age of Sexual Maturity

We pause now to remind readers of the 1.5 to 2-year old rule about these dogs best expressed by former Lucas County, Ohio Dog Warden Tom Skeldon in 2008. This is the age that pit bulls reach sexual maturity. "[The owners] all think that these pit bulls are nice sweet animals and some of them are, but by the time they get to be a year and half or two years old," Skeldon said, "they're pretty intent on what they're bred to do and that’s grab ahold of things and shake it until it's dead."

This is well known amongst many animal control officers and humane groups, but a fact rarely shared with the public. It is hardly surprising that the most common age of unwanted pit bulls in open admission shelters is 1.5 to 2-years old.1 The aggression has shown up exactly as Skeldon described. The "lucky" owners have had close calls with their animals or children in the household. Then it is "off to the pound" for that pit bull -- or in this case offloaded to an uninformed innocent.

The Pilot Locates Owners

A day after the deadly attack, a reporter at The Pilot contacted the former owners of Buddy, Cheryl and Carl Davino, and told them about the gruesome attack. Cheryl Davino played dumb and guilt-free after driving across state lines and dumping the dog at Story's door. "I don’t know what the heck happened," Davino said. "He was a big baby," she said. Notably, 10 On Your Side stated yesterday that they called a phone number for the Davinos, "but it was a wrong number."2

The Pilot published the advertisement that Davino purchased. “Pitbull & Boxer Mix-Very good w/kids, people. Male. 1 yr. old on Sept. 13. $100.” Davino said she had intended to give the dog away for free, but was reminded by The Pilot that it was a bad idea. "A sales rep told her to put down a dollar amount to make sure people were serious and the dog would be taken care of," states The Pilot. After arriving at Story's house, they gave her the dog for free, as intended.

The Breeder of "Buddy"

After The Pilot published the story, a user with the alias Mike Brown left several comments. We have no idea if what he states is true and we have no sympathy or respect for alias Brown either. We have no sympathy or respect for ANYONE breeding pit bulls in an era when nearly a million3 unwanted pit bulls are systematically euthanized each year and countless others are pawned off to the uniformed then traded "like playing cards" to find a home where the dog won't kill something.

mike brown - "I agree. I bred this dog and am shocked but at the same time I'm not. He wasn't a toy. He was a living soul that couldn't talk. He probably was upset and wanted to go home. I'm just glad this story isn't about me or my family. I had offered to take him just 1 week ago."

mike brown - "I bred this dog. He was American bulldog/pittbull mix. I had just watched him for the owners over the holidays for 2 weeks. In that time he was not aggressive but it was clear he was not trained. I had told the owners 1 week ago if they were going to get rid of him I would like him back. They had wanted to get rid of him after he picked up there small dog and had the dog in his mouth. I only can say that his brothers and sisters are good dogs. His parents are also great. This dog should not have been bounced around. First to me for 2 weeks then only a few weeks later given away. Buddy just wanted to go home. He had just been abandoned 3-4 weeks prior. I'm sure that played a huge roll. I feel terrible about this. Another crazy coincidence is I believe she had a brother that works for me that is in jail rite now. They don't know each other but have the same dad. I can't confirm this but there last names are the same and the age is very close. If this is true then her brother at one point had the dogs sister from the same litter. Man this is sad sad news. I will answer any questions related to buddy."

mike brown - "How am I ignorant? I saw there was a problem and offered to take the dog back. The lady should have just given him back. I wasn't going to give him to someone else. Man if I woulda known this dog would have been bounced around like this she never would have gotten the puppy. Unfortunately you can't see the future. There are 6 more brothers and sisters of Buddy. Whoever bought a bully pit in the neighborhood of redwing off oceana and general booth around November 2014, you probably bought one of his siblings. Please be safe and call me if you need to find him a new home."

Despite alias Brown claiming Buddy's siblings are "good dogs," his brothers and sisters are now squarely in the 18-month old period too. Who knows what might happen? Remember what Skeldon said -- some will remain good and others will not. Shuffling a dog from home-to-home is a never a good idea for the animal, but its no excuse for unleashing a massive attack, killing its new owner either. "Please be safe and call me," Brown wrote, but he did not leave a phone number.

The photograph series taken by The Pilot of Story's family after her death is heartbreaking.

02/10/16: Advertised as "Pit Bull"
13News Now interviewed Suzanne Story's stepfather Randy Brown. He said that she saw a newspaper advertisement about a "female pit bull" that was placed by someone in Virginia. The "off-loaders," who offered the dog for free, drove to Story's home in Perquimans County and delivered the dog that would violently attack and kill her a week later. The off-loaders told her the dog was gentle and good with children. Brown thinks the people knew the dog was dangerous.

"I think they had a problem with the dog and didn't know how to handle it, and they were just trying to get rid of it, and they did." - Randy Brown

Story's neighbor, Jonathan Nash, told 13News Now he was concerned the first time he saw the dog. "I saw her walking the dog. The dog was really pulling her and she was struggling to maintain control from her driveway to her front door." He added, "I started to worry about my little one. If the dog gets out, what is he going to do?" Nash said. Family members say Story was cleaning the dog's crate when the animal attacked her. Story's sister was there, but could not stop the attack.

Brown vowed to find the off-loaders of the dog with the help of an attorney. Yet the whole situation is sketchy -- seems doubtful the previous owners will be easy to track down. However, they did place an advertisement, we hope in a paid newspaper, leaving a credit card trail. God help anyone who agrees to take a pit bull free of charge whose owners drive across state lines to dump the dog at your door. Story leaves behind two daughters ages 15 and 17-years old. We pray for them both.

02/10/16: Died While in Helicopter
Perquimans County, NC - A North Carolina woman is dead after being viciously attacked by her pet dog, described as a pit bull-type dog. Perquimans County Sheriff Eric Tilley said the attack occurred about 1:00 pm Wednesday in the 1200 block of Snug Harbor Road. Her injuries were so extreme, a helicopter from Sentara Norfolk General Hospital in Virginia was sent to airlift her to the hospital. The victim, Suzanne Story, 36, died as the helicopter was landing, Sheriff Tilley said.

Only Had Dog for a Week

On the 13News Now Facebook page post, they state, "The woman's mother said her daughter got the dog about a week ago after seeing an ad in a newspaper that she was good around small children. We're working to get more information…" As far as the breed mixture goes 1.) It will be interesting to see what the newspaper ad said, and 2.) There certainly appears to be olde English bulldogge, pit bull and Johnson or Scotty-type American bulldog; all dangerous gripper breeds.

The victim's stepfather, Randy Brown also of Hertford, posted on his Facebook page about an hour ago, "MY stepdaughter got killed today by a pit. The people that raised this dog need to be held responsible, because they lied about the nature of this dog. I will pressure the issue. Randy Brown." Suzanne Story was the mother of two. Her Facebook photo album shows a variety of pet cats, dogs and other animals, as well as pit bull awareness memes. She was very animal friendly.

In 2012, a 10-month old boy was fatally attacked by a family pit bull-mix in Perquimans County.

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

1Obsessed about pit bulls? By Merritt Clifton, Animals 24-7, September 10, 2014 (www.animals24-7.org)
2They stated in the video, however, that they called the phone number in the advertisement and they were sent to an "unnamed voicemail." That's all we know.
3Oakland hires former SF animal control chief Rebecca Katz to face Nathan Winograd and pit bull advocates in their lair, by Merritt Clifton, November 1, 2014, Animals 24-7 (www.animals24-7.org)

Posted on February 10, 2016 by Colleen Lynn

2016 Dog Bite Fatality: Newborn Dies After Being Bitten by Family Dog

Aiden Jonathon Grim, 3-days old, died after being bitten by a family dog.

No Criminal Charges
UPDATE 02/09/16: No criminal charges will be filed in connection to the death of a newborn that was bitten on the head by a family dog and died, according to Youngstown police. The decision comes after the Mahoning County Coroner's Office ruled the manner of death as accidental. Virtually all dog attacks resulting in death are ruled as accidental; that fact alone does not dismiss criminal charges. About 21% of all dog bite fatalities result in significant or felony criminal charges.

For instance, after four pit bulls disemboweled a 4-year old boy in Detroit, the Wayne County Medical Examiner's Office ruled the manner of death as accidental. The owner of the pit bulls, Geneke Lyons, will soon stand trial for murder in the second-degree, involuntary manslaughter and possessing dangerous animals causing death. The manner of death identifies how the "non-natural" death arose. There are four types: accident, homicide, suicide and undetermined.

In the case of another baby's death, coincidentally also named Aiden (no relation), Dorchester County Coroner Chris Nisbet ruled the manner of death a homicide. Nisbet said parental neglect contributed to the 2-month old's death. In that case, the father left the infant in the living room all by itself while the father slept in the bedroom. The family's newly adopted dog dismembered and killed the infant while his father slept. This is not what occurred in Youngstown this past Sunday.

Not even remotely close. Thus, no child neglect charges.

After the death of 3-day old Aiden Jonathon Grim, Dr. Joseph Ohr, a forensic pathologist with the Mahoning County Coroner's Office explained: "At three days old the child's skull is very fragile and the dog's jaw was able to penetrate the skull, causing injuries to the brain and ultimately the death." Essentially, the dog picked up the child by the head and its teeth punctured the infant's soft skull causing brain injuries and death. Dr. Ohr did not characterize the bite as a "mauling."

Compounding The Tragedy

In an earlier report by WFMJ today, the report stated, "the brother of the infant's mom is the owner of the dog and would like to have it returned." This was excluded in the afternoon update and restated as, the dog's "possible return remains uncertain and still under discussion." The fact that the brother wants the animal back compounds this tragedy much further. It also speaks volumes about the dysfunctional nature and people within that household. May Baby Aiden rest in peace.

02/08/16: Additional Information
In a heart wrenching evening update, the baby's mother, Kristy Grim, told WFMJ that she and the baby were sleeping in the living room that morning. The infant was lying on a blanket inside a plastic laundry basket that was on the floor. Grim was lying next to him sleeping on the couch when she woke up to the baby screaming and covered in blood. The 21-year old mother said she saw bite marks on the newborn's head and she knew the dog had bitten the helpless baby.

While it is jarring to learn the baby was sleeping in the laundry basket, it is more jarring and relevant that the dogs used these baskets as beds.

Grim said the dog "was never aggressive before; he never did anything like that." The dog that attacked the baby was described as a "mix-breed shepherd" and was one of five dogs in the house. Four of these dogs appear to be related in various Facebook photos, each being golden and brown mixed-breeds. Earlier, Grim said it was her brother's dog that attacked. Regardless, as stated already by one commenter: "Five dogs in a house and a newborn. What could go wrong?"

02/08/16: Newborn Dies After Dog Bite
Youngstown, OH - Police are investigating the death of a 3-day old baby boy that was bitten by a family dog. Officers were called to a home on the 3500 block of Valerie Drive early Sunday and found the infant on a bed with a head injury. The baby's 21-year old mother, Kristy Grim, was next to the baby and in tears. Grim's brother and grandmother where also home at the time of the attack, according to police. Emergency medical first responders determined the newborn had died.

“The baby was here in the basket, and I woke up, and it was horrifying. He was ... His head was just covered in blood.” - Baby's mother, Kristy Grim

Grim told 21 News that she left her baby on the floor and fell asleep on the couch. When she awoke, her baby was crying and his head was covered in blood. Grim said she wiped off the blood and called 911. The Mahoning County Dog Warden seized the dog described as a mixed-breed. Four other dogs remain in the home. Lt. Doug Bobovnyik of the Detective Bureau said the injury was not severe, but that it was a "noticeable injury." The coroner will determine the cause of death.

Additional Facebook Notes

Before Grim deactivated her Facebook page, several comments were captured. In one comment, she states the dog belonged to her brother. "Yes, he bit the baby, my brother's dog. And now they're putting it to sleep," Grim wrote. In another, Grim states the dog is not a pit bull. "I know people who have pit bulls around their newborns at least the dog wasn't a pit bull," she wrote. Grim also said that she was waiting on a crib. "I had everything for him besides a crib because a few months ago I was told I would receive a free crib so I did not bother buying one," Grim wrote.

Also, as usual, some people are attacking the young mother on Baby Aiden's GoFundMe page, blaming Grim for the baby's death. Another is calling her a "pos mother" because she had not yet gotten a car seat for the newborn. There is also focus on the makeshift crib the baby was laying in. It is being described as a small basket or laundry basket -- it is unknown which is true. Police must wait until the coroner determines the cause of death before deciding if charges are warranted.

Facebook photos do show the dogs (described as siblings) using the laundry baskets as beds.

Posted on January 24, 2016 by Colleen Lynn

2016 Dog Bite Fatality: Pit Bull Kills Child, Injures Another in Lumberton, North Carolina

Talan West, 7, was killed by a pit bull, while two other dogs attacked his older brother.

Ordinance Passes
UPDATE 06/15/16: Five months after 7-year old Talan West was mauled to death by a neighbor's pit bull, the city of Lumberton passed a pit bull ordinance. The new ordinance, passed in a 5-3 vote, is based upon the ordinance in Edenton. Talan's mother, Jamie West, was a powerful force behind the passage of the new law, which declares pit bulls "potentially vicious." The ordinance bans the tethering of pit bulls, requires a secure pen with a concrete floor and liability insurance.

"My baby’s life counted. Other children’s lives count ... We’ve got to start somewhere and I promised my 8-year-old we would." - Jamie West

The three no votes came from council members who all own pit bulls. Since 2012, pit bulls have killed three people in Robeson County. No other dog breeds have inflicted a fatality in the county since 2005, as far back as our data set for all U.S. dog bite fatalities goes. Since 2005, canines have killed 20 people in North Carolina; 75% (15) of these attacks were carried out by pit bulls. This is a much higher rate than the national rate of 64% for pit bulls over the same period.

Jamie West is an amazing mother of five children today who has overcome extreme odds since the horrific death of her son Talan in January, including keeping her family together after his death when Robeson County officials wanted otherwise. Now Jamie has managed to help pass a pit bull ordinance in an area of the country and North Carolina that for so many years has desperately needed one. Jamie's persistent efforts will save the lives of future innocents in Lumberton.

03/05/16: Mother Regains Custody
We wanted to let readers know that on March 2, a Robeson County judge returned custody of her five children to Jamie West and allowed her family to return to their home. The custody battle between Robeson County social services and Jamie began at the end of January, just days after her 7-year old son, Talan West, was brutally killed by a neighbor's pit bull. Jamie initially fled the state of North Carolina with her children to stop social services from breaking up her family.

Jamie also started a petition on Change.org to Robeson County Commissioners to improve the county's dog ordinance. Currently, there is not even a leash law in the county. As for possible charges being filed against the owner of the dogs, it was reported on February 9 that detectives had nearly completed their investigation; the next step was to send the case to the district attorney's office for review. That was nearly a month ago now and the last news report available.

In memory of Talan West. Due to social services' fiasco, Jamie could not even attend his funeral.

01/29/16: Mother Flees State with Children
In a very heartbreaking development, the mother of a 7-year old boy killed by a pit bull, Jamie West, and her remaining five children will not attend Talan's visitation or funeral service. Talan West, her youngest son, was mauled to death by a neighbor's pit bull last Sunday. Jamie fled the state of North Carolina with her children to stop social services from taking them away from her. 5-years ago, her children were taken away for reasons unknown, but she won back custody.

"I can't bring back Talan, but I can hold onto my five." - Jamie West

In an interview with WRAL News, Jamie said that social workers told her, "I could go to the service with my children. They would not walk in there to get them during the service, but pretty much after it was over and we left, we could discretely, I could hand them over," she said. All of her children are currently with her and are holding up as well as they can, she said. "I have prepared all of them, that if something happens and they have to leave, I will be back to get them," Jamie said.

People on social media have been cruel to the boy's family and are also harassing the GoFundMe page for the boy's burial costs. The person running the page is a close friend of Jamie, who at this stage has no way to run the page herself. It is very common for close friends and family members to manage these donation pages. The situation on the page began with a nasty comment left by a person with the Facebook name of "Fa Kyu" several days ago and it has only deteriorated since.

Several days before Jamie fled the state with her children, the boy's father Steven West posted to his Facebook page, "This dog didn't just bite him, he butchered him." He describes his son's injuries as being ripped 15 to 20 times. Including the neck injuries -- the pit bull latched onto his neck and broke it -- the dog tore into his face, ripped into his midsection and tore out his calf muscle completely. All of the injuries described are common fatal injuries inflicted by pit bulls.

01/26/16: Victims' Family Speaks Out
The mother of 7-year old Talan West spoke to the media Monday about the devastation she is suffering after Talan was mauled to death by two pit bulls. His 8-year old brother Jaylan West witnessed the attack and was also injured by the dogs. The two brothers were among four children chased and attacked by a group of dogs on Sunday. Talan died of his injuries; Jaylan suffered bites to his lower leg requiring stitches. Jaylan was treated and released from the hospital.

Talan and his three siblings were playing in a field behind their home, when three dogs began running after them. Jaylan said he jumped onto a car, but Talan could not get away. “One [dog] was on that leg, one [dog] was on that leg – the big one just all over his face biting him up,” Jaylan told WNCN. One of the dogs, a pit bull, attacked Talan. “[The pit bull] broke his neck, but it took pretty much the entire back of his neck off and that’s when he died,” said his mother Jamie West.1

While county authorities investigate, Talan's parents were told by social services they cannot have any unsupervised visits with their children.

ABC 11 interviewed the boy's father, Steven West. According to Steven's account, only Talan and Jaylan were involved -- the other two siblings were not. Steven witnessed an unnamed woman attempting to give CPR to Talan. "I saw the lady trying to do all she could on my son to keep him alive and my heart goes out to her," Steven said. He also said the tool Jaylan grabbed to fight the dogs off was a pair of pruning shears, not a machete or hatchet as reported in other stories.

Dog Ownership Information

WRAL.com reports that the dogs belong to Afreda Locklear. Her brother, Spencer Oxendine, said that one of the dogs recently had a litter of puppies. The Fayetteville Observer reports that the property where the attack occurred is owned by Alfredia O. and Jack D. Locklear, according to Robeson County tax records. Finally, the attacking pit bull died on scene, but had no visible injuries, The Robesonian reports. A veterinarian is examining the dog, the sheriff's office said.

WBTW Update Adds Details

On Tuesday, WBTW updated their earlier article. It now includes information from Sheriff Kenneth Sealey. There were three dogs involved in the fatal attack. They were taken by animal control and have been euthanized. Sealey described the other dogs as mixed-breeds. Puppies parented by the pit bull and one of the mixed-breeds were taken to an unnamed rescue in Robeson County. We hope the rescue is forced by law to tell any adopters that the parent dogs killed a child.

Melissa Locklear, a cousin of Talan, is also interviewed in the piece. It is unclear if Locklear is related to the owner of the dogs. Locklear believes the owners should be held responsible. "They should be held responsible because, like I said, pit bulls already have a bad reputation," she said. "Everyone knows they’re naturally aggressive," Locklear explained. If you're going to have pit bulls, she said, one must be extra vigilant in understanding its temperament and keeping it secure.

01/24/16: Pit Bull Kills Child Injures Another
Lumberton, NC - Two children, ages 7 and 8, were attacked by a pit bull at a home on the 2400 block of Odum Road in Lumberton Sunday morning, according to the Robeson County Sheriff's Office. Authorities identified the 7-year old as Talan Nathan West. Deputies and EMS responded to a 911 call that was placed about 11:30 am. Talan was found unresponsive with severe injuries. Both children where transported to Southeastern Regional Medical Center, where Talan died.

Talan suffered "severe puncture wounds" in unspecified areas and 8-year old Jaylan Ray West suffered bites in the lower part of the body, states the release. Jaylan has been treated and released, according to the sheriff's office. Both children lived on the 2600 block of Odum Road. “At this time the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Division and the Juvenile Division are doing an investigation on the child’s death to determine the cause," states the news release.

Third Fatal Pit Bull Attack Since 2012

The death of Talan marks the third fatal pit bull attack in Robeson County since 2012. In October 2012, Mary Jo Hunt, 53-years old, was struck down by her seven rescue pit bulls in Pembroke. At the time of the attack, Hunt worked for Robeson County Claws and Paws Rescue. In November 2014, Alemeaner Dial, 83-years old, was mutilated and killed by her granddaughter's four pit bulls in Rowland. The granddaughter and her pit bulls had moved in with Dial about 5-months earlier.

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

1WNCN also reported -- possibly in error, we will be tracking this information down -- that there were 5 fatal pit bull attacks in the county in the last 5 years, two more than what we have recorded for the county during this period.

Posted on January 14, 2016 by Colleen Lynn

Most Powerful Images Came from Social Media

Photographs of six fatally attacking dogs in 2015 obtained from multiple sources.

Jump down to view all 2015 breed identification photographs or read our analysis first.

DogsBite.org - In 2013, we began the tradition of publishing breed identification photographs of fatally attacking dogs when available through news reports, law enforcement or social media websites. Of the 35 total recorded deaths last year, 16 fatalities, 46%, had breed identification photographs, down from 57% last year.1 Predictably, the majority of the images depict pit bulls, pit bull-mixes and their close relatives, along with the second top killing dog breed, rottweilers.

Of all dog bite fatalities with identification photographs, 44% (7) were captured by news media, 38% (6) were supplied by animal control or sheriff's departments and 44% (7) were located on social media pages of the dog's owner or family members. Four attacks also had images in two categories. The most powerful images came from social media and included a mother calling her pit bull a "Big Baby," a victim and her pit bull and a pit bull dubbed "The beast" doing bite work.

Photographs Are Supplemental

The identification photographs are a supplement to the extreme number of multi-sourced news reports that we collect for each fatal dog attack victim and are listed on our Dog Bite Fatality Citations pages. Though we are still collecting news reports for 2015 -- there will be criminal trials, autopsy report information and more -- so far we have collected over 615 citations for 35 victims. We invite you to glance over the 2015 Dog Bite Fatality Citations page to review its length.

News reports pertaining to fatal dog attacks -- with or without identification photographs -- are nearly always multi-sourced. This means that multiple parties have identified the dog's breed including, but not limited to: animal control officers, police officers or sheriff's deputies, other public safety officials, the dog's owner or family members, witnesses and even veterinarians. The images are often greatly helpful, but are also just one component of the overall information available.

Growing Impact of Social Media

Though images obtained from social media in 2015 did not increase from last year, several of them carried significant impact on social media. The image of 25-year old Nicole Cartee sitting with her family pit bull of 10-years, which later killed her, captured the public's attention. This past week, after 9-year old Tyler Trammell-Huston was killed by his older sister's three pet pit bulls, the Facebook images of his sister snuggling with her pit bulls went viral on Facebook as well.

The viral images usually share the element of a family pit bull that unpredictably turns violent, attacking and killing a family member.2

In 2015, three cases would have had the wrong breed identification or no breed attribution had it not been for social media and our investigative research: the deaths of Malaki Mildward, Lamarkus Hicks and Barbara McCormick. In two of these cases, both children, we were also able to track the lineage of the fatally attacking dogs to their sire and dam. We first accomplished this in 2014, after the death of Mia DeRouen, using the dog owner's Instagram account and a pedigree website.

More photos of varying sizes are often available at the indicated full blog post link for each victim.

2015 Fatal Dog Attack Breed Identification Photographs

See: Summary | Full blog post |

Declan Moss, 18-months old, was killed by two family pit bull-mixes while under the care of his grandfather in Brooksville, Florida on January 19, 2015. His grandfather, who owned the animals, witnessed the attack, but was unable to stop it.

See: Summary | Full blog post | Malaki Mildward, 7-years old, was killed by two 8 or 9-month old pit bull-mixes while playing in his yard in College Springs, Iowa on January 22, 2015. The dam had previously bitten a 10-year old boy; the fatal attackers came from her litter.

See: Summary | Full blog post | Roy Higgenbotham Jr., 62-years old, bled to death after being badly attacked by his roommate's pit bull in Wheeling, West Virginia on March 8, 2015. A woman in the home witnessed the attack and fled out a window in fear of the attacking dog.

See: Summary | Full blog post |

De'Trick Johnson, 36-years old, was horrifically killed by a pack of pit bulls owned by John Chester Smith in Jefferson County, Arkansas on March 21, 2015. Smith was later charged with felony manslaughter in connection to Johnson's death.

See: Summary | Full blog post | Kenneth Ford, 79-years old, was brutally attacked by three pit bulls on March 13 in Pahrump, Nevada. The dogs seriously injured two men who intervened and kept attacking after being shot. Ford died of his extensive injuries April 14.

See: Summary | Full blog post |

Brayden Wilson, 10-weeks old, was savagely attacked and killed by his family's pit bull of 8-years in the Red Bird area of Dallas, Texas on April 19, 2015. Afterward, a local columnist shined a light on the deceptive propaganda about the breed.

See: Summary | Full blog post |

Nicole Cartee, 25-years old, was brutally killed by her family pit bull of 10-years in Spartanburg, South Carolina on August 22, 2015. The dog, named Spike, "just snapped" on that day, attacking three family members and killing Nicole.

See: Summary | Full blog post |

Barbara McCormick, 65-years old, was killed by up to three family dogs at her home in Autauga County, Alabama on September 4, 2015. After her death, her son posted images of the dogs to Facebook saying, "I just don't understand."

See: Summary | Full blog post |

Emilio Rios Sr., 65-years old, was savagely killed by two stray pit bull-mixes in North Shore, California on September 8, 2015. The dogs also viciously attacked a woman who came to his aid. The attacks reignited the pit bull legislation debate.

See: Summary | Full blog post | Carmen Reigada, 91-years old, was savagely killed by up to three family dogs in her Miami-Dade County home on September 22, 2015. An American bulldog-mix, Rhodesian ridgeback-mix and lab-shepherd mix were seized from her home.

See: Summary | Full blog post | Lamarkus Hicks, 2-years old, was killed by a chained dog in Kearneysville, West Virginia on September 28, 2015. County authorities mistakenly labeled the dog a "boxer-mix," despite its two owners being longtime backyard pit bull breeders.

See: Summary | Full blog post |

Amiyah Dunston, 9-years old, was savagely killed by a pit bull while playing in the backyard of a home in Elmont, New York on November 8, 2015. Police could not charge its owner, spawning the term: “Defeated Prosecutor Syndrome.”

See: Summary | Full blog post |

Anthony Riggs, 57-years old, was killed by a rottweiler he adopted three hours earlier from Jackson-Madison County Rabies Control on November 12, 2015. The county agency has no evaluation or temperament testing policy or procedure.

See: Summary | Full blog post |

Xavier Strickland, 4-years old, was murdered by four pit bulls while walking with his mother on a sidewalk in Detroit on December 2, 2015. The attack was captured on the dog owner's surveillance cameras and dubbed, "16 minutes of horror."

See: Summary | Full blog post |

Rebecca Hardy, 22-years old, was killed by a pit bull and husky on December 3, 2015 in Port Huron. Her death was ruled "suicide" by Oakland County Medical Examiner Ljubisa Dragovic. A video shows the pit bull being taken by animal control.

See: Summary | Full blog post | Nyjah Espinosa, 1-year old, was killed by her father's American bulldog-mix while visiting his Miami-Dade home on December 20, 2015. The designation rekindled the debate about animal services' constant "breed labeling game."

Post Publication Identification Photographs

Breed identification photographs discovered after the publication of this post on January 14, 2016. These photographs are not included in our overall analysis; they were unavailable at that time.

See: Summary | Full blog post |

James Nevils III, 5-years old, was brutally attacked and killed by his cousin's pit bull on March 25 in Chicago, Illinois. Two teenagers beat the dog with bricks, another man stabbed the dog with a knife until the knife broke, but it was too late.

See: Summary |

Anthony Wind, 26-years old, was found dead at his home on May 24, 2015. Rochester police removed a rottweiler from the home. Dog bite attorney Kenneth Philips states that a rottweiler killed Wind. This same dog was allegedly Wind's "service dog."

See: Summary | Full blog post | Werner Vogt, 85-years old, was brutally attacked by up to four boxers on November 12, 2015. He died of his injuries on December 4. For nearly three months Christian County investigators believed a "wild cat" was responsible for the attack.

See: Summary | Full blog post |

Carter Hartle, 11-months old, was attacked and killed by a family pit bull-mix at his home in Oneida County, New York on November 15, 2015. The male dog, named Diesel, had never shown aggression before, according to the baby's mother.

1Of the 35 total recorded deaths in 2015, two cases are still pending -- awaiting lab results. The deaths of Werner Vogt, 85-years old of Christian County, Missouri and Maria Torres, 57-years old of Gridley, California.
2After a pet pit bull of 8-years killed its owner on Christmas Day in 2014 in Portage, Indiana, the image of 40-year old Edward Cahill posing with his pit bull also went viral on social media. Cahill's mauling death by his family pit bull was "so clear cut," the coroner declined to do an autopsy. "There’s no reason for me to spend $2,500 of the taxpayers’ money on something so obvious," Porter County Coroner Chuck Harris told reporters.

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Most Powerful Images Came from Social Media

2015 Fatal Dog Attack Breed Identification Photographs

Post Publication Identification Photographs