In the 15-year period of 2005 through 2019, canines killed 521 Americans. Pit bulls contributed to 66% (346) of these deaths. Combined, pit bulls and rottweilers contributed to 76% of the total recorded deaths. | More »
A 4-year old boy was fatally injured by a dog in rural Monroe Center, Illinois.
Child Killed by Dog
Ogle County, IL - A 4-year old boy is dead after being mauled by a dog, according to the Ogle County Sheriff's Office. The attack occurred on February 29, 2024. At approximately 4:40 pm, the Ogle County 911 Dispatch Center received a 911 call about a child mauled by a dog in rural Monroe Center, which is located 16 miles away from Rockford, and that CPR was in progress. The child was transported to a hospital in Rockford, where he died of his injuries. The investigation into his death is ongoing.
According to audio dispatch log files from Ogle County Fire on Broadcastify.com, at 4:42 pm the agency was dispatched to a home in the 8900 block of North Limestone Road. CPR was immediately underway. The attack occurred in the backyard. The dispatcher states, "The boy is not responsive. He's in the backyard on the side." Moments later, she states, "CPR is in progress. They are in the backyard. The dog is kenneled." The dog, of an unknown breed, was secured prior to EMS arrival.
Earlier today, Limestone Sphynx and LFD Great Danes, located in Monroe Center, published on their Facebook page, "Due to a loss in our immediate family we've decided that we will no longer be raising great danes. Anyone with deposits in will be refunded. We are also going to be rehoming a number of our adults." One commenter stated, "Just saw the news that is so heartbreaking." The local school published a post, "The Meridian CUSD 223 mourns the unexpected loss of one of our students."
Ogle County Sheriff Brian VanVickle told Shaw Media the dog involved was a "mixed breed." It was euthanized Friday afternoon. That seems unusual, given the family breeds AKC registered great danes -- purebred dogs -- but there may have been other dogs on the property. Shaw Media also quoted Ogle County Animal Control administrator Dr. Thomas Champley. “This is the first time we’ve had a fatality,” he said. This is breaking news. As the news unfolds, more clarity will become available.
Limestone Farm Danes (LFD) in Monroe Center breeds great danes and sphyx cats.
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.
This video is from February 1, after a man was found dead with wounds consistent with dog bites.
Criminal Charges Filed
Longview, TX - A man with a lengthy criminal history has been arrested in connection to a man found dead with wounds consistent with dog bites on February 1, according to police. Martin Gilbert Rodriguez, 56, of Longview, was charged with attack by dog causing death under the Texas felony dog attack law. The 46-year old victim has been identified as Kenneth Pierson. The arrest follows an autopsy report from the Forensic Medical Management Services that was returned to police.
Rodriguez remains in the Gregg County Jail; bond has not yet been set. He has been in jail since February 1 for multiple animal-related offenses and other charges, including: 28 counts of animal at large, 2 counts of animal unvaccinated, 5 counts of failure to maintain financial responsibility, 4 counts of no driver’s license, speeding, and animal illegally kept in a parked or standing vehicle. Rodriguez lives close to where Pierson was found dead in a roadway with wounds consistent with dog bites.
The Fatal Dog Biting Incident
At about 3:00 am, Longview police officers responded to a call for a bicycle in the roadway in the 2500 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Arriving officers found the bicycle and then discovered the deceased man with dog bite wounds. Animal control officers and police confiscated multiple dogs from a nearby residence, as an investigation into his death got underway. Residents complained then that the dogs had been an issue for some time, wondering, "Why wasn’t something done sooner?"
Longview NAACP former president and community member Branden Johnson told CBS 19 that police had been contacted about the dogs at least six times and that two of his friends were attacked by the dogs. Johnson said that more needed to be done to protect everyone in the community. "At least if not fairly and equally, with equity. And when there’s something going on, everybody gets treated how they’re supposed to be treated. And there’s no difference, or indifference," Johnson said.
Habitual Animal Violations Offender
In 2019, Rodriguez faced similar charges: 3 counts of animal at large and 3 counts of animal unvaccinated. In 2021, charges escalated to the felony statute. Rodriguez pleaded guilty to 1 count of attack by dog causing serious bodily injury. The sentence was suspended 5 years and the remainder was probated. In early February, city officials said that animal control officers had issued almost 50 citations since 2019 in cases directly related to the dogs seized from the property on February 1.
Now that Rodriguez has used up the Court's leniency after the 2021 serious bodily injury case, he faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted under the state statute. It is troubling that he continued being a reckless dog owner after the 2019 and 2021 charges. The worst possible outcome of his behavior occurred on February 1 when his dogs killed a man. Certainly, the city should be considering a habitual offender ordinance that prohibits people like Rodriguez from owning any animals.
East Texas man faces charges after man found dead with wounds consistent with dog bites.
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.
Beau Clark, 4-years old, died after a violent bull breed mauling in Morgan County, Alabama.
No Criminal Charges UPDATE 02/29/24: On Thursday, Morgan County Sheriff Ron Puckett issued a release, stating that no charges are expected in the death of 4-year old Beau Clark. Investigators determined the dog was "securely maintained on its own property" and had "no history of violent or aggressive behavior." The child was riding his bike, but for "unknown reasons entered the yard he had been in numerous times." The "child was familiar" with the dog and had been around it "numerous times in the past."
Sheriff Puckett added, "the families are friends and have routinely shared many life events together" and that "this is an incredible tragedy in the truest sense of the word." We know from our own 19-years of data (2005 to present day) that fatal dog maulings resulting in criminal charges compromise 20% or less of all fatal attacks. Seldom is someone to blame when a pit bull "explodes" -- attacking and killing a child and severely injuring an able-bodied adult male, who intervened to save his son's life.
Details from Earlier Reporting
We retrieved the article from Daily Decatur, which had previously been behind a paywall, because it contains additional details. Morgan County Sheriff's Office spokesman Mike Swafford said the call initially indicated the child had been hit by a car. Deputies were unprepared for the horrific scene that awaited them. “Once they arrived on scene, one of our deputies was helping the father with the child, and the other deputy was able to locate the lost dog, which was still aggressive,” Swafford said.
The article also delves into the similar breed history and functionality of the Olde English bulldog (a modern "revived" bull baiting breed) and pit bull terriers -- both engineered to excel in bloodsports and are descendants of fighting and baiting dogs. Morgan County Animal Shelter Director Darren Tucker, "whose department collected the dog’s body and sent off specimens for analysis, said the animal appeared to be a pit bull-mix weighing between 40 and 60 pounds," reports Daily Decatur.
We were unable to obtain a photograph of the dog involved. Director Tucker, however, who collected the animal, believes it is predominantly pit bull.
Tucker said the dog's owners called about getting the dog's remains. The health department "would not allow it," he said. "The dog has to be sent in because of the severity of the incident.” He added that "97% of the calls that Animal Control responds to for aggressive animals end up being pit bull related." His shelter relies heavily on rescue groups to adopt out dogs. But at least two of those groups "will not take pit bulls at all because the breed’s 'trigger' is unpredictable," Tucker told Daily Decatur.
Tucker also made a statement that victims' advocates say. "It’s in that dog to not let go. If it had been a golden retriever, a cocker spaniel, an Irish setter -- it would have probably bit and have been done, and that child could be alive today," he said. Similar to the view of advocates: "If these pit bulls were a beagle, or I could name almost 300 dog breeds, this child would be alive to today." Tucker urged people to carefully investigate breeds and temperament when adopting dogs, reports Daily Decatur.
02/27/24: Child Killed by Bull Breed
Hartselle, AL - Last night, the Morgan County Sheriff's Office published an update about a violent bull breed mauling involving a 4-year old boy. It began with, "A dog bit a child. Child in critical condition. Deputies had to put down dog." The next update, shortly thereafter, states, "The child has passed away." At about 6:00 pm, deputies were dispatched to a home on Ramblewood Private Drive off Vaughn Bridge Road. The dog involved belonged to the child's neighbor, the sheriff's office said.
That same night, the sheriff's office posted another update: "Please pray for the family of the child who was killed by a dog tonight in our community, as well as our Deputies, EMS, Coroner, VFD and Dispatchers that handled this call or responded to the scene. Tonight is hard." The word "dog" was later changed to "Olde English Bulldog." The audio dispatch logs from Decatur and Morgan County Public Safety became difficult to listen to when we heard the ETA of the Air Evac was 20 minutes.
The boy's father sustained serious injuries trying to save his son; he was treated and released from the hospital. Both families involved are friends.
"4-year old male. Attacked by a canine," the dispatcher states. "He's covered in blood. CPR is in progress. Child has bite wounds to the neck." A few seconds later, he states, "Advise that the canine is in the neighbor's yard." Then the ETA is announced. "Survival flight 20 is in route. It has an ETA of 20 minutes," the dispatcher states. The segment ends with details about the landing zone. The sheriff's office warned people to stay away from the area, "Use caution. Large police and EMS presence."
The Olde English bulldog is not recognized by the AKC or the Federation Cynologique Internationale (FCI). It's yet another "revived" bull breed "created for the English sport of bull baiting, practiced from approximately 1100 until 1835," states the UKC. This "revived" bull breed was created in a 1971 breeding program that "began using a linebreeding scheme" to rapidly achieve a dog that matched the look "of the bull baiting dog of the early 1800s." The UKC did not recognize the breed until 2014.
According to working bulldog breeders, "the foundation crosses consisted of English bulldog, and bullmastiff, American pit bull terrier, and American bulldog." The Olde English bulldog (also spelled, Olde English Bulldogge) is one of the breeds used in the creation of the American XL bully, the largest of four sizes of the American bully breed, which was recently banned in the United Kingdom. The dog that killed this little boy was first identified as a pit bull likely because it looked and acted like one.
A GoFundMe created for the boy's family has raised over $30,000 in only 5 hours. "Kevin and Hailey Clark are beloved members of the Hartselle, AL community," states Emily Reeves, who organized the fundraiser. "Tragically, they lost their 4 year old son, Beau, on February 26, 2024. Please donate to help support them and their family during this difficult time." Our hearts go out to the Clark family and to all of the medical and law enforcement responders who worked so hard to save his life.
Mother is a Teacher
The Decatur Daily, which is behind a paywall, states the victim is the "son of a beloved Hartselle High School English teacher. Hailey Clark, Beau's mother, previously taught at Hartselle Junior High before transferring to the high school, according to Principal Brad Cooper." The photograph on the high school's website is the same one used in the GoFundMe. Brian Clayton, the superintendent of Hartselle City Schools, confirmed Beau was a student who attended Crestline Elementary.
Morgan County Coroner Jeff Chunn commented on Facebook about the support the family has received: "I have been in public service going on 43 years and never seen so many people come together as one, as they did [last night]. There were so many, from the dispatchers, police officers, Fire, EMS, hospital staff and even the bystanders were kneeling in prayer. It makes you proud to live in a community and be a part of a first responder family like this. Please continue to pray..."
A friend of the dog owner lives in Hartselle and breeds/sells Olde English bulldogs (OEB) on Facebook, "Bulldog Babies, Hartselle Alabama". In typical "American bully breeder" fashion, he mixes and matches his bull breeds. He crosses OEBs with French bulldogs, boxers, and more. He also owns pit bulls that he blends into his designer bull breed "concoctions."
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.
Brayden Heery, 2-weeks old, died after being "bit by a dog" and "head injury" in Milford.
Cause of Death Released UPDATE 02/29/24: The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined the infant died of blunt impact injury to his head, reports Milford Mirror. The manner of death was accidental. The Mirror also confirms our earlier reporting of data obtained from the audio dispatch log files of the Milford Fire Department. Firefighters responded to the home after a 911 call reported a dog had bitten an infant. They found the incident "as initially reported." The infant was taken to a hospital, but did not survive.
One week after the fatal mauling, the infant's uncle, Kevin Morse, who co-founded On Scene Media New Haven County, a Facebook-based media outfit that posts footage and livestreams of crimes and accidents, spoke to News 12, but would not share the circumstances of the attack. He stated the incident was not "an attack" by the dog but rather "a tragic accident." However, a bite to an infant's head and death by "blunt impact injury to the head," is typically caused by an aggressive dog bite.
Husky Confirmation
In March, the Stamford Advocate reported on a meeting held by the Connecticut Child Fatality Review Panel (CFRP). Data regarding dog attack fatalities of children was presented by Brendan Burke, state assistant child advocate, and the principal investigator on any in-depth child fatality investigation requested by the CFRP. Burke confirmed that Brayden Burwell was killed by a pet husky. "Burwell Heery died of an injury to the head after he was bitten by the family dog, a Husky, according to Burke."
02/24/24: Infant Died Last Friday
Milford, CT - A newborn died after being bitten by a family dog, suffering a head injury. Despite the infant's family not releasing details of what happened, the family states it was "not an attack" by the dog but rather a "tragic accident." Brayden Burwell, 2-weeks old, died on February 16. A local media outlet first reported the newborn's death on February 23. A GoFundMe organized for the infant's mother has raised over $17,000. The dog has since been euthanized, according to family members.
According to the mother's Facebook page, the family dog is "Dakota," a male husky. They obtained the dog when it was a puppy. "And just like that we have a new puppy, a 4 month old purebred Siberian husky," she posted on February 9, 2019. The other dog on her page, "Tucker," crossed the rainbow bridge in 2021. "To have to say goodbye for good to our furbaby was one of the hardest things I've had to do," she posted on March 23, 2021. "Can't wait to build an even closer bond with Dakota."
According to the audio dispatch log files for the Milford Fire Department on Broadcastify.com, responders were dispatched to a home in the 100 block of Gresham Street at approximately 5:15 pm. "Medic 3, we're diverting you to a different call ... [redacted] Gresham, two week old bit by a dog unsure if the child's conscious," states the dispatcher. "Two week old. Bit by a dog. Head injury," she states a minute later. A responder then asks the dispatcher to "put a call into animal control please."
The loss of an infant's life is a "tragic accident." Brayden's death is also a fatal dog mauling. The husky pattern of biting a newborn on the head, often a sleeping newborn, has been documented for many years. Recent attacks include the death of a 4-day old infant in Cave Springs, Arkansas, where "the husky's tooth penetrated the baby's head." In 2019, a 2-year old pet husky "bit a 22-day old baby on the head an undetermined number of times, killing the infant," our nonprofit wrote at that time.
Breed-Specific Traits
In our multi-year report of dog bite fatalities published in May 2018 -- U.S. Dog Bite Fatalities: Breeds of Dogs Involved, Age Groups and Other Factors Over a 13-Year Period (2005 to 2017) -- we pointed out a breed-specific trait pertaining to huskies. "Of the 13 fatal attacks inflicted by huskies, 62% (8 of 13) were infants ≤11 months old and 92% (12) were ages ≤5 years old. The single adult death, a 22-year old female victim, was a multi-breed attack involving a female husky and a male pit bull."
Our research finding was also footnoted with the following: "In comparison with the other top-six killing dog breeds, only 15% (3 of 20) of German shepherd victims were infants ≤11 months old, 13% (6 of 45) of rottweiler victims, 10% (28 of 284) of pit bull victims, 7% (1 of 15) of American bulldog victims, 0% of mixed-breed victims, and 0% of mastiff/bullmastiff victims were infants." Often in the cases of husky-inflicted infant deaths, the baby is sleeping when the dog bites or punctures the infant's head.
Are There New Findings?
Due to the Covid macro-level forces that have impacted our ability to track fatal dog maulings, we divided our tracking into two databases, pre-Covid (2005 to 2019) and post-Covid (2020 to present). For the purpose of reviewing husky fatalities, we joined the husky cases from both. Little has changed since our analysis in 2018. 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 attack infants.
From 2005 to present day, we've recorded approximately 745 dog bite fatalities. Huskies have been involved in 17 of these deaths. Of these victims, 65% (11 of 17) were infants ≤11 months old and 88% (15) were ages ≤5 years old. In the two adult deaths, 22-year old Rebecca Hardy was killed in a multi-breed attack involving a female husky and a male pit bull, and 84-year old Loretta Moore was killed in a multi-breed pack attack involving two huskies, one pit bull and two dogs of unknown breeds.
The two most recent wolf-dog hybrid attacks also involved biting an infant or newborn on the head. Last year, Leo Caddle, 3-months old, died after "being carried around in a dog's mouth." The Shelby County Coroner said the parents tried to get the baby away from the wolfdog, but it was too late. In 2018, Aurora Little, 8-days old, was killed by her family's wolf-dog hybrid while lying in a bassinet. She suffered "very serious injuries to the upper body and the head," Sheriff Gary Parsons said.
Of the 11 husky-inflicted infant deaths, 9 have information about the victim's surroundings. 7 deaths, 78%, involved the infant lying in a bassinet, baby carrier, crib or inside a playpen at the time. 2 deaths, 22%, involved the baby "resting in a bedroom." In one of those deaths, Olivia Rozek was lying on a bed in a bedroom next to her twin sister when the pet husky pulled her from the bed and mauled her. Rozek suffered puncture wounds to her head as well as crushing injuries from the dog's jaws.
In the death of Brayden, the circumstances are unknown, except that Fire and EMS responded to a "Two week old. Bit by a dog. Head injury." The idea of a husky being involved in an "tragic accident" with an infant, killing the infant, without intentional teeth contact sounds as likely as this 1978 husky-inflicted infant death. The director of an animal hospital speculated back then, the husky "may have accidentally knocked over the crib and attacked the infant when the falling crib surprised her."
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.
