Posted on May 31, 2024 by Colleen Lynn

2024 Dog Bite Fatality: Pet Husky Attacked, Killed Newborn Sleeping in Crib in Knoxville, Tennessee

A pet husky attacked, killed a newborn while he slept in his crib in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Husky Kills Infant
Knoxville, TN - An infant is dead after being bitten on the head by a pet husky. Ezra Mansoor, 6-weeks old, passed away Thursday. The attack occurred on May 24 while the infant was sleeping in a crib. "Ezra was just asleep in his crib -- not crying or anything. And she just attacked out of nowhere," the baby's mother, Chloe Mansoor said. The 8-year old female husky is being held in a bite quarantine at the Young-Williams Animal Center. Chole said the dog had not shown aggression in the past.

A GoFundMe created four days ago states, "On Friday, May 24th, Mark and Chloe’s son Ezra was the victim of a dog attack and is in critical condition at East Tennessee Children’s Hospital in Knoxville. He is currently intubated and sedated with life-threatening injuries, the most serious being a brain bleed and brain swelling. Ezra is only 6.5 weeks old and his parents are completely devastated." Yesterday, the fund announced the baby's death. The infant's organs were donated to other children.

The mother also stated, "It could be any dog at any time." However, apparently no one warned the young parents about the track record of huskies killing newborns and infants by biting them on the head, specifically when the infant is lying in a crib or bassinet, and specifically when the infant is sleeping. Ezra's death marks the third husky-inflicted infant death this year. Brayden Heery, of Milford, Connecticut, was 2-weeks old. Amaya Carmack, of Greenville, Tennessee, was 4-days old.

Husky-Inflicted Infant Deaths

Despite huskies being infrequently involved in fatal dog maulings in the U.S., they are still among the top killing dog breeds, and they still disproportionately kill infants. From 2005 to present, we've recorded approximately 760 dog bite fatalities. Huskies have been involved in 20 of these deaths, 2.6%. Of the husky victims, 65% (13 of 20) were infants ≤11 months old and 90% (18) were ages ≤5 years old. The two adult deaths involved a multi-breed attack, each involving at least one pit bull.

Of the 13 husky-inflicted infant deaths, 92% (12) have information about the victim's surroundings. 10 deaths, 83%, involved the infant lying in a bassinet, baby carrier, crib or inside a playpen at the time. 2 deaths, 17%, involved the baby "resting in a bedroom." At least 11 of the 13 husky-inflicted infant deaths, 85%, involved the infant sleeping at the time. Presumably, the infant was not crying or emitting any sounds. Further, one of the infant's parents is typically close by, such as in the next room.

Breed-Specific Traits

Over the 19-year period of 2005-2023, infant killings (≤11 months old) among the other top-killing dog breeds -- pit bulls, rottweilers, mixed-breeds, German shepherds, mastiff/bullmastiff, and American bulldogs -- ranges from 2% to 21% of their victims. The husky percentage of infant killings, 65%, is quite high in comparison. Only 8% of pit bull victims are infants; only 14% of rottweiler victims are infants. Most of the 13 husky-inflicted infant deaths, 85% (11), are neonates too (≤1 month old).

An 8-year old female husky killed a newborn baby boy as he slept inside his crib.

Baseline reporting requirements:
Law enforcement departments across the United States should release consistent "baseline" information to the media and the public after each fatal dog mauling, including these items.

Posted on May 22, 2024 by Colleen Lynn

2024 Dog Bite Fatality: Boy Killed by Dog Pack in Eagle Butte on the Cheyenne River Reservation

A 9-year old boy was killed by a dog pack on the Cheyenne River Reservation.

News Release from Tribe
Eagle Butte, SD - On Sunday, the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe issued a statement about a boy found dead on the reservation Saturday near his bike with injuries that may have contributed to his death. His death is being investigated by the Cheyenne River Tribal Police. "Officials have yet to determine the exact cause" of death. "There is a possibility it may have been the result of a feral canine attack, but the results will not be determined until the autopsy is conducted," states the news release.

In order to reduce the feral dog population in the Eagle Butte area, animal control officers began patrolling the region, picking up roaming dogs. If the dog is wearing a collar, it will be held for 72 hours at the Wakpa Waste Animal Shelter, states the release. Ordinances require dogs to be tied up, leashed, or fenced. The shelter's Facebook page indicates that a rescue group transports unwanted/stray dogs off the reservation. A reservation-wide "Gathering of the Dogs" event occurs once or twice a year.

Relatives. it is with a heavy heart I relay this message to the Oyate. Yesterday, on abnormally tragic incident occurred here in Eagle Butte that is still being investigated by the Cheyenne River Tribal Police. A deceased child was found near a bike with injuries that may have contributed to his death, but officials have yet to determine the exact cause. The family has been notified, and we send them our love, prayers, and condolences during this difficult time.

There is a possibility it may have been the result of a feral canine attack, but the results will not be determined until the autopsy is conducted. To ensure the safety of the community, today, Animal Control and other support programs will be patrolling and picking up animals not tied up, leashed, or in a fence as stated in the ordinance. If it has a collar, the animal will be held for 72 hours at Wakpa Waste Animal Shelter for its owner to claim, register, and pay the associated fines as stated in the law. - Ryman LeBeau, The Office of Chairman Le Beau

Dog Attack Death Confirmed

The West River Eagle identified the child as 9-year old Lester Peneaux. His mother died in 2021. Lester is part of the Iron Lighting family, under the guardianship of Dale Iron Lighting. On Tuesday, "Iron Lighting confirmed the results of an autopsy and investigation by the FBI concluded there was no foul play, and the death was the result of an attack by a pack of dogs." Concern about the number of loose dogs has grown over the last few years. Unofficial estimates go as high as 1,000 loose dogs.

The article confirms there were two "Gathering of the Dogs" events in 2022. The May event rounded up 41 dogs in Eagle Butte. Dogs not retrieved by their owners in 48 hours, were transported off the reservation to rescue organizations in conjunction with the Rural Area Veterinary Services (RAV) and the HSUS. Details about the animal shelter include that it was built in 2016, has room for 6-14 dogs and facilities for a veterinary office and surgery, but there is no full-time veterinarian in Eagle Butte.

The River Eagle also published relevant parts of the tribe's animal control ordinance. An interesting section pertains to liability when two or more dogs are acting together. "Section 12-1-7 states that owners are liable for the actions of two or more dogs acting together. 'Where any injury has been caused by two or more dogs acting together and such dogs are owned or kept by different persons, all such persons may be joined or kept by defendants in the same action to recover damages.'"

The Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe animal control code also has a provision for pit bulls. Section 12-1-8 Dangerous Animals states that pit bulls must always wear an adequate harness, owners must post a notice that a dangerous animal is kept on the premises, the dog must be microchipped, and confined in a secure enclosure. The owner must obtain $50,000 in liability insurance, and the dog must be registered with an annual payment of $100, along with providing two color photographs of the dog.

On Wednesday, KELO reported that tribal animal control officers collected 30 dogs during the first 24 hours of patrolling for loose dogs. Officials did not say if any of the dogs collected were involved in the fatal attack. Also on Wednesday, USA Today reported that Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe police Chief Charles L. Red Crow said that four dogs were involved. "We discovered that there were four dogs that attacked and killed him," Crow said. Tribal police have categorized the involved dogs as "feral."

South Dakota Reservations

From 2014 to 2015, there were two dog bite fatalities on the southern South Dakota reservations. Jayla Rodriguez, 8-years old, was killed by one or more loose dogs on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in November 2014. Four months later, Julia Charging Whirlwind, 49-years old, was killed by one or more loose dogs on the Rose Bud Indian Reservation. The Cheyenne River Indian Reservation is one of three northern South Dakota reservations. The population in the Eagle Butte area is approximately 1,239.

Cheyenne River reservation killed by dog pack

State map showing the Cheyenne River Reservation where a boy was killed by a dog pack.

Lester Peneaux, 9-years old, was killed by a dog pack on the Cheyenne River Reservation.

View the DogsBite.org Google Map: Fatal Dog Attacks on American Indian Reservations.

Learn about breed-specific laws on Indian reservations in our Breed Safety Laws section.

Posted on May 20, 2024 by Colleen Lynn

2024 Dog Bite Fatality: Man, 40, Killed by Family Pit Bull-Mix in Farmington Hills, Michigan

A 40-year old man was killed by a family pit bull-mix on Saturday in Farmington Hills.

Man Killed by Family Dog
Farmington Hills, MI - A 40-year old man is dead after being mauled by a family dog. Farmington Hills police officers responded to a home in the 22000 block of Elmgrove Street at about 8:00 pm Saturday for a report of a dog attack. A family member, who had not heard from the victim all day, went to his home to check on him, and found him unresponsive on the ground in the backyard. The dog was pulling on his body. He separated and contained the dog in the house prior to calling 911.

The victim was transported to Corewell Hospital Farmington Hills, where he was pronounced dead. No other people were inside the home. The dog, a pit bull-mix, was taken into custody by Oakland County Animal Control. The Oakland County Medical Examiner conducted an autopsy and ruled the cause of death as "K-9 mauling." The manner of death was an accident. The victim's name was not released. Police are speaking to family members to determine if the dog had a history of aggression.

On Saturday, May 18, 2024, at approximately 8:00 p.m., the Farmington Hills Police Department responded to a residence in the 22000 block of Elmgrove St. on a report of an injured man who had been attacked by a family dog.

A family member of the resident called 911 to report that he went to his relative’s home after not hearing from him all day, and upon arrival, the family member found the man unconscious, laying on the ground in the backyard of the home with the dog pulling at his body. The family member advised that he had separated and contained the dog in the house prior to calling 911. There were no other people in the house.

When officers arrived on scene, they found a 40-year-old man unconscious with significant wounds consistent with animal bites. Farmington Hills Fire Department firefighter/paramedics arrived on scene, provided aid, and transported the victim to Corewell Hospital Farmington Hills, where he ultimately succumbed to his wounds.

The Oakland County Medical Examiner performed an autopsy, which ruled the manner of death as accidental and the cause of death as K-9 mauling. The dog, which has been turned over to the Oakland County Animal Control, is believed to be a Pitbull mix.

Investigators are working with family members to determine if the dog had any previous history of aggression or could have been labeled as “dangerous or potentially dangerous” by Farmington Hills City Ordinance. - Farmington Hills Police Department, May 20, 2024

This is the second violent pit bull attack in Oakland County in less than a week. On May 15, a 1-year old girl and her grandparent were attacked by two family pit bulls at a home near Nissen Court and West Maple Road. The dogs belonged to the baby's grandparents. The child sustained severe lacerations to her face, forehead, lower back, and leg. The child was transported to Ascension Providence Hospital then transferred to Mott Children’s Hospital, where she was last listed in critical condition.

A 40-year man who lives at the home on Elmgrove Street owns a male pit bull-mix.

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

Posted on May 17, 2024 by Colleen Lynn

Family Shares Account After Dog Survives Violent Pit Bull Attack; Layla is Currently Recovering

Layla is on the mend after surviving a violent pit bull attack on May 9, 2024.

DogsBite.org - On May 9, we received a request to help a family whose German shorthaired pointer, Layla, was attacked by an off-leash pit bull. The dog grabbed Layla by the chest and shook. She also sustained multiple injuries on her right back side, requiring stitches and draining tubes. She now wears an extra-large recovery cone. Layla turned 5-years old in April. The family set up a "comfy corner for her," and they all slept together on an air mattress to keep her from trying to jump on and off furniture.

Hi Colleen,

Our German Shorthaired Pointer was just attacked by a pit bull today. So many stitches, sutures, and three tubes draining her chest. My wife survived the attack because of her and managed to escape with a minor puncture wound and scratches on her hand.

All she was doing was walking at the front of our neighborhood, when she heard a woman scream, and to my wife's horror, she saw a pit bull charging at her as fast as it possibly could go.

There were several people that saw the entire thing and tried to help break the grip, but it wasn't until a much larger man came and forced his hands into the jaws to pry the mouth off our dog. If you're familiar with this pointer breed, they have very narrow chests. This pit bull grabbed my poor dog by its chest and shook it. My wife said that she won't ever be able to unhear the screams coming from my dog.

The owner, a woman living in a house by herself, unable to properly care for the animal, let her small-framed daughter walk this dog and risk the lives of the members in our community.

I know you've heard these stories before, but I just wanted to get ours out there. Not that our story is particularly unique, but I will say that it is alarming that we have been unable to get law enforcement or animal control to appear at our home to file a report. This happened at 1:00 pm Eastern time today, and it's likely that this dog will have to go on another walk. We're a little shocked that there isn't more urgency, considering the immediate risk that the animal poses to our neighborhood.

We noticed the email thread was much longer than just the recent attack. When we scrolled to the bottom, we saw that our last exchange was 11 years ago. That correspondence was about a Cesar Millan episode, where he helped "rehabilitate" problem pit bulls owned by reformed gang members. One was a "blue-nosed pit bull named Monster" that lived up to his name by jumping on guests and stealing food off the dinner table, according to the description of the show, "Homeboys and Hounds."

At that time, the father shared concerns about Millan advocating "complacency around pit bulls" to his followers, many of whom practiced his dog training advice like a religion. The father owned a pug then, who would not have survived the attack that Layla did. A pit bull shaking a small dog by its chest is nearly always fatal. We reminded the father then, "Cesar says whatever Cesar wants to say," and that he has also been honest about bull breeds in the past, as he was during a 2006 episode.

“Yeah, but this is a different breed … the power that comes behind the bulldog, pit bull, presa canario, the fighting breed. They have an extra boost. They can go into a zone, they don’t feel the pain anymore ... So if you are trying to create submission in a fighting breed, it’s not going to happen. They would rather die than surrender. If you add pain, it only infuriates them ... to them pain is that adrenaline rush, they are looking forward to that, they are addicted to it … That’s why they are such great fighters.” He goes on to say: “Especially with fighting breeds, you’re going to have these explosions over and over because there’s no limits in their brain.” - Season 3, episode 4, The Dog Whisperer

One decade later, he experienced a pit bull attack firsthand, or rather his wife did. "My wife said that she won't ever be able to unhear the screams coming from my dog." Several people witnessed the attack and fortunately, one intervened, "a much larger man came and forced his hands into the jaws to pry the mouth off our dog." One of the witnesses gave them a note: "My husband and I witnessed the off-leash pit bull attack your dog. Please call me if you need anything. I hope your dog is okay." ☹️

layla is recovering after violent pit bull attack

Layla is recovering after a violent pit bull attack that occurred on May 9, 2024.

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