Posted on November 18, 2015 by Colleen Lynn

2015 Dog Bite Fatality: Family Pit Bull-Mix Kills Child in Oneida County, New York

The obituary of Carter Hartle, 11-months old, was published on November 19.

Dog Euthanized
UPDATE 11/17/15: The dog involved in the death of an 11-month old boy has been euthanized, according to officials. Verona dog warden Susan Gardinier said that Diesel, identified as a 2-year old pit bull-shar pei mix,1 was put down today at the veterinarian in Wampsville. On Sunday night, the dog fatally attacked Lisa Cittadino's baby while the animal was in the living room playing with three of the baby's sisters, ages 7, 10 and 12. All three sisters witnessed the horrific attack.

The investigation into his death is still ongoing, but police do not anticipate filing any criminal charges, according to investigators. The Onondaga County Medical Examiner's officer will conduct an autopsy on the little boy. Currently, the baby is still only known as Baby Carter, without a last name. A co-worker of Cittadino, Jennifer Girard, started a GoFundMe page to help the family with medical expenses and funeral costs. The family has also been offered counseling services.

11/16/15: Family Pit Bull Kills Baby
Oneida County, NY - A family pit bull attacked and killed an 11-month old boy in the town of Marshall last night, according to the Oneida County Sheriff's Office. The dog, a 2-year old pit bull named "Diesel," was with the baby and three other children in the home when the family pit bull suddenly attacked the boy. Responding deputies found 32-year old Lisa Cittadino trying to give the child first aid. Cittadino said she struggled to pull the family pet off the baby then called 911.

The baby died due to facial and neck injuries, according to deputies.

Syracuse.com reports the ages of Cittadino's other children, all daughters, are 7, 10 and 12. At the time of the attack, all four were playing with the family pit bull in the living room. Cittadino turned her back momentarily then heard screams from her baby boy and her daughters. When she saw the dog attacking her son, she frantically tried to get the animal to release its grip. Cittadino told deputies the family pit bull has never been aggressive since joining the family 2-years ago.

The still unnamed baby was transported to St. Elizabeth Hospital in Utica, where he died. The pit bull was taken into custody by the town of Verona animal control officer and will be euthanized at Cittadino's request. WKTV stated in their update that the family told the sheriff's office they had raised the 2-year old pit bull from a puppy. A press conference is expected later this afternoon. Also, the jurisdiction of the family's home is being reported as both Marshall and Deansboro.

Developing Updates

In an afternoon update, Syracuse.com spoke to Susan Gardinier, the Verona animal control officer. Gardinier was called out to the scene because the town of Marshall dog warden "didn't want to deal with the dangerous dog," states the article. Gardinier told the news group the same thing that appellate courts have ruled about the breed for 25-years. Pit bulls are in part more dangerous than other dog breeds due to their tenacity, their refusal to terminate an attack once it has begun.

"The thing about pit bulls is if things go wrong, they go very, very wrong. If one attacks, it's very hard to get them to stop. They are bred to latch on, to hang on, and that's what they do." - Susan Gardinier, Verona animal control

The candid voice of Gardinier is not one we hear too often at DogsBite.org. She even added, "It's very difficult to get them to release whatever they've latched onto, much more so than say with a German shepherd." The "hold and shake" bite style of the pit bull, combined with their refusal to terminate an attack once it has begun, is primarily why the breed shows up so disproportionately in fatal attacks. Pit bulls were also selectively bred for explosive, unpredictable aggression.

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

1The photograph from a family member's Facebook page posted a year ago (November 20, 2014) shows a pit bull-shar pei mix at about 1-year in age. Color and size descriptions were not provided in any media reports.

Posted on November 10, 2015 by Colleen Lynn

2015 Dog Bite Fatality: Tenant's Pit Bull Kills Visiting Child on Long Island

Amiyah Dunston, 9-years old, was savagely killed by a pit bull on Long Island.

Child Identified
UPDATE 11/09/15: Nassau County officials have identified the child who was stuck down by the powerful jaws of a pit bull on Sunday. Amiyah Dunston, 9-years old of Baldwin, was visiting a home on Holland Avenue and playing with two other girls outside when a pit bull suddenly executed the killing bite -- the dog latched onto her face and neck and shook her violently. The male pit bull belongs to Carlyle Arnold, who is a tenant on the second floor of the building.

Arnold's Facebook page indicates this pit bull was possibly being trained for bite work. The male pit bull, dubbed "The Beast" by Arnold, is also wearing a weighted collar, as seen on O'Brien's Canine Supply website that specializes in products for pit bull terriers. The organization notes on their home page that since 1984, they have enjoyed keeping some of the "best old family pit bull lines" which is code language for saying, keeping some of the "best old family fighting bloodlines."

Lastly, an update by the New York Post today reports that the dog is a 2-year old male pit bull named Kane. The Post also notes that Arnold is "engaged in a playful tug of war" in the Facebook photo, while wearing the weighted collar and clenching down on the ropes of a tug training toy. Whether Arnold was training for bite work or not, this same equipment is used for bite work training and certainly this activity is designed to strengthen the already powerful jaws of a pit bull.

Monday Evening Updates

The New York Post reports that Amiyah Dunston was visiting her biological father1 at 236 Holland Avenue when she was savagely killed by a pit bull its owner dubbed, "The Beast." Her mother, Mayra Castillo, was too anguished to speak to the media, but her finance, Brian Willis, who helped raise Amiyah, did make a statement. "Amiyah Kayla was a phenomenal little girl who has touched many lives with her presence, smiles and laughs. We thank you for all your support and prayers."

New information was also reported about Carlyle Arnold, the owner of the pit bull. Arnold, who is currently unemployed, has two open cases in Nassau County, a child endangerment case from 2014 and criminal possession of stolen property from October, according to court records. On Monday, he was arraigned on a new charge of criminal-contempt after being arrested Sunday for violating an order of protection involving his girlfriend, states the Post. His bail was set at $10,000.

The Nassau County District Attorney's Office and police are investigating whether to bring charges against Arnold in the mauling death, sources told the Post. CBS New York adds more details. Acting DA Madeline Singas told 1010 WINS, a radio station owned by CBS Radio, "We’re looking to see if this dog did have violent propensities and what kind of dog ultimately it was and if it should have been left with children." DogsBite.org strongly encourages this criminal investigation.

Please visit the GoFundMe page for Princess Amiyah set up by her family members.

11/08/14: Child Dies After Violent Attack
Elmont, New York - Nassau County authorities report that a 9-year old girl has died of her injuries after being attacked by a pit bull at 10:30am in a Long Island backyard. The child was visiting the home when the attack occurred, police said. She had been dropped off at 236 Holland Avenue to play with her friends and was in the backyard when the pit bull attacked her. A responding police officer shot and killed the dog. She was pronounced dead at Franklin Hospital around 1:45pm.

“I am not going to get into the details of what took place, but it was a violent attack.” - Nassau County Detective Michael Bitsko

At the time of the attack, the victim was playing with two other children in the backyard when the male pit bull suddenly attacked her. A woman who lives on the ground floor of the home tried to pull the dog off the girl, but could not. The owner of the dog, Carlyle Arnold, 29, was a second-floor tenant of the building. He was arrested at the scene for an unrelated charge of violation of an order of protection. Police do not believe there is any criminality regarding the child's brutal death.

In many places in the U.S., there are no criminal penalties for the owners of pit bulls and other well-documented dangerous breeds after their dog savagely tears out a child's throat, killing him. Pit bulls, which have an unmatched track record of killing people for over a century, frankly have carte blanche to murder innocent American children -- the law says it's okay. It begs the question: How "civilized" of a modern culture do we live in? The child's identity has not yet been released.

Late Evening Updates

The ABC 7 update reports that when police officers arrived, the pit bull was still mauling the 9-year old girl. The dog then dropped the girl and charged one of the officers, who fired several shots into the animal killing it. The pit bull, weighing between 70 and 80lbs, was carted off in a black bag. Witnesses told ABC 7 that the dog latched onto her neck and head, and fiercely shook her. At least one of the two other children she had been playing with witnessed the horrific attack.

Officials do not believe the pit bull's owner, Carlyle Arnold, was home at the time of the fatal attack or if he could have stopped it even if he was.

The Associated Press picked up quotes from Newsday, the local paper that is behind a paywall. Anthony Tyron Jett, 53, who also lives at the house described the pit bull (as seen in the top right photo) as "gentle" and was shocked when he learned of the child's death. "He was a beast. But he was gentle," Jett said. "He was strong. He was a pit bull. Like any animal comes into the yard, a bird or squirrel or whatever, he would chase it, but he was very people friendly," Jett alleged.2

We hope police examine Arnold's "training program" for his pit bull he dubbed, "The Beast."

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

1Amiyah's biological father was later identified as Tramel Dunston, who had been staying at 236 Holland Avenue, and was friends with the dog's owner Carlyle Arnold. Anthony Tyron Jett, who made the bogus Beauty and the Beast claims, is also Arnold's uncle and lives at the home. All three obviously were quite familiar with "The Beast."
2This individual is truly sickening. The lies perpetuated by Jett have taken the lives of hundreds of innocent people since the early 80s and the livelihoods of thousands more. We have all read Beauty and the Beast Jett -- it's a fairy tale. Jett's fantasy claim, "He was a beast. But he was gentle," helped cause the horrific death of this child.

Posted on October 30, 2015 by Colleen Lynn

2015 Dog Bite Fatality: Visiting Child Killed by Two Pit Bulls in Orange County, Texas

Tanner Smith was attacked and killed by two pit bulls while visiting a home near Vidor.

Family Shares More Details
UPDATE 10/29/15: Funeral services were held for Tanner Jacob Smith on Saturday. Many photographs and comments have been left on his Celebration Wall. Tanner's obituary states that he had only been living in Texas for 9-months. Tanner was a native of Little Rock, Arkansas and was raised in Lincoln, Arkansas before moving to Vidor. The Orange County Sheriff's Office has not released any new information since we learned of the two previous attacks by the dogs.

Tanner's family did provide more information about the attack to Inside Edition. The video and article published on October 21 explains that Tanner and his mother Ashley Phillips were visiting a friend whose father owns the home and the two pit bulls. Tanner's aunt, Melinda Greathouse, told Inside Edition that Tanner had been jumping on a trampoline in the homeowner's fenced-in yard. “When one of the dogs came running in the house and was covered in blood,” she said.

That is when her sister ran outside and found Tanner's body next to the porch, she said. Ashley had believed Tanner was under the supervision of the homeowner while he was playing outside, but he was not there during the attack and no one heard Tanner cry out, Greathouse said. For readers who do not know, victims who are attacked in the face and neck region like Tanner was, cannot cry out. They are instantly silenced as soon as the pit bull executes the killing bite.

“His whole left side of his head had a hole in it. His ear was gone. There was a lot of what looked like road rash on his face.” - Melinda Greathouse

This morning, Tanner's mother left a comment on our Facebook post. "I am tanners mother I was there when it happened he was on the trampoline two feet off the ground the next thing we knew he was gone... They drug him off the trampoline. There wasn't anything we could do," Ashley Phillips stated. She added in another, "Karen is right, he wasn't able to make a sound why because the first bite killed him immediately." One can only imagine the horror of this scene.

No information about the autopsy report has been released. Authorities have not identified the owner of the dogs either, despite two previous attacks and the fatal mauling of a child. It is unknown if criminal charges are possible. At what point will county officials admit that the local ordinance is insufficient, particularly regarding dangerous dog breeds? Simply calling the horrific and preventable death of Tanner, "a terrible tragedy" will not prevent new life-altering attacks.

The family of Tanner Smith has set up a donation account through Wells Fargo Bank. Please send donations to "Donations for Tanner Smith" at account #5817642019 (branch locator).

10/20/15: Previously Attacked Child and Dog
On Monday evening, 12 News published a follow up report. Resident Garrett Bean came forward and shared the story of his 9-year old daughter and her mother, who were both attacked by the same two pit bulls that killed Tanner October 18. The attack happened in February as his daughter, Shealyn Kendall, and her mother walked home from the grocery store. The mother said they were the same two dogs kept at the home on the corner of Aloha Street and Bahama Drive.

"It could have been prevented,” said Garrett Bean about Tanner Smith’s death. “When I found out it was the same dogs, I was furious."

As the two were walking by, both pit bulls and a chihuahua also owned by the homeowner, escaped under the gate and attacked them. Bean showed photos of his daughter's injuries after the attack. Bean also filed a report with the sheriff's office. He was told the dogs would be placed under the standard 10-day rabies quarantine. Then afterward, the dogs were returned to the owner. Bean said he is coming forward with the information now because it has happened again.

Previously Attacked Pet Dog

Today, 12 News published another follow up. The same pit bulls attacked a woman's puppy last year. The Orange County Sheriff's Office also confirmed the details of Shealyn's attack. Neighbor Jessie Moore told 12 News that the two pit bulls belonging to her next-door neighbor attacked her dog named Rocko in March 2014. She had Rocko chained next to her neighbor's fence when the pit bulls dragged him underneath. The attack left one of Rocko's teeth permanently deformed.

"To me it's not how you're raised. It's the breed. You don't hear cocker spaniels attacking and killing a kid you know." - Jessie Moore

A year and a half later, she is still paying vet bills for Rocko's injuries. "It was like a blood bath out there, just attacking each other," Moore said about the incident. Moore is also upset that sheriff's officials did not give the pit bulls' owners a warning. "They could have done something about these dogs a long time ago," Moore said. Sherifff's officials found neither owner at fault, but told Moore that she had her dog tied too close to the fence (so a free mauling was par for the course?)

The Owners of the Pit Bulls

There is nothing elusive about the owners of these pit bulls. They were very easy to track down on Facebook, along with photos of their dogs. What must be addressed now are earlier reports by family members who said the pit bulls had been around children before, thus severely attacking 5-year old Tanner came as a total shock. The shock factor holds no water now that it is known there were at least two previous documented acts of aggression, one on a person and a pet.

Just days after the March 2014 attack, one of the pit bulls' owners shared with her Facebook friends this particular AP article.1 Bam! This was right after her two pit bulls nearly ripped off Rocko's face. Notably also, the sole person who Liked the AP post had warned the owner in 2012, after the owner got a new chihuahua, that the new dog "was a keeper as long as you keep those pits away from him." Doesn't it make you wonder what happened to the previous chihuahua?

10/19/15: No Charges; Family Mourns
An autopsy is scheduled tomorrow for a 5-year old boy mauled to death by two pit bulls near Vidor, Texas on Sunday. Tomorrow is Tuesday, October 20, 2015 and would have been Tanner Smith's 6th Birthday. This morning his kindergarten classmates spent time making cards for his family. Imagine a teacher trying to tell a classroom of kindergartners that their classmate is never returning. Dear Tanner, heart Blake, read one. His family is overwhelmed and overflowing in grief.

"It is difficult because he is like one of my own … I hurt but I can only imagine the pain that [his mom is] in." - Melinda Greathouse, Tanner's aunt

Family members said that in Tanner's short life, he had already had multiple heart surgeries for a medical condition called hypoplastic left heart syndrome. They also said that Tanner's Scooby-Doo themed birthday party will still take place at a local park. The only difference is that Tanner will be celebrating up in the sky. "We know he's celebrating without us up there," Greathouse said. Family members said that donations can be made to the American Heart Association in Tanner's name.

No Criminal Charges are Expected

The Beaumont Enterprise reported this afternoon that the Orange County Sheriff's Office did not expect any criminal charges to be filed, citing that the two pit bulls were in a fenced yard when the deadly attack occurred. The family said that the dogs' owners were also devastated. An older couple lives at the home, according to Greathouse, and the dogs had been around other children before, including their own grandchildren. So the attack came as a total shock, Greathouse said.2

We remind readers what the founder of DogsBite.org told The Dallas Morning News columnist Steve Blow after a family pit bull attacked and killed a baby boy in Dallas last April, "They're always shocked." The simplest way to avoid these horrific tragedies is for parents to never allow their children to be near these dogs. Tanner Smith is the 141st child mauled to death by pit bulls since the CDC stopped tracking breed data in 1998. Parents, please make this wise choice.

In a scene almost too sickening to imagine, a 2-month-old baby in a bouncy seat was attacked and fatally mutilated by the family’s pit bull.

The baby’s grandmother expressed the family’s complete shock. The dog had been in the family and around other children for eight years without problems, she said.

But it’s no surprise at all for Lynn. In fact, it’s disgustingly familiar.

“It’s what they always say. They’re always shocked,” she said. - April 22, 2015, The Dallas Morning News

10/19/15: Pit Bulls Kill Boy in Texas archived
Orange County, TX - A 5-year old boy is dead after being mauled by two pit bulls Sunday evening. The Orange County Sheriff's Department identified the kindergartner as Tanner Smith of Vidor, Texas. At the time of the deadly attack, Tanner was with his mother, Ashley, who was visiting a friend at a home in the 1700 block of Aloha Street near Vidor. Ashley believed he was outside with her friend's husband, but then learned the husband was not home, according to the sheriff's office.

Once she realized the husband was not at the house, his mother went outside and discovered her son gravely injured by the two pit bulls.

Deputies and EMS arrived on scene and began life saving measures on the injured boy. He was transported to a hospital in Beaumont and was later pronounced dead. When the friend's husband learned what happened, he quickly returned home and shot and killed both pit bulls. Tanner would have turned 6-years old on Tuesday. His grandmother, Melissa Phillips, said he was bitten 16 times, including a horrific bite to the main artery of his neck. The investigation is ongoing.

Visiting Children Killed By Dogs

So far in 2015, dogs have killed 26 Americans. Pit bulls are responsible for 81% (21) of these deaths. 35% (9), of all dog bite fatality victims were either visiting or living temporarily with the dog's owner when the attack occurred. Of these deaths, children 7-years and younger accounted for 78% (7), and 89% (8), involved pit bulls. Texas leads all fatal attacks in 2015 with 5 deaths. Arkansas, Florida, North Carolina, Oklahoma and West Virginia follow, each incurring 2 deaths.

Tanner Smith, 5-years old of Vidor, Texas, is the 470th American mauled to death by pit bulls.

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

1Bill Draper, Attitudes and laws against pit bulls soften, Associated Press, March 11, 2014 (news.yahoo.com)
2Subsequent updates to the 12 News article later revised this to "terrible shock."

Posted on October 24, 2015 by Colleen Lynn

National Pit Bull Victim Awareness Day Arrives

Pictured: Mia DeRouen, 4-years old, was killed by her family's pit bull in 2014.

Ways to Take Action
North America - Ten days ago, we wrote about a new information website launched by a coalition of over 50 support groups in the United States and Canada declaring October 24, 2015 the first ever National Pit Bull Victim Awareness Day. The new website explains the multi-part pit bull crisis: innocent people and animal victims suffering serious and fatal injuries inflicted by pit bulls and the open admission shelter crisis caused by the rampant number of overbred and unwanted pit bulls.

Imagine if the volume of these victims and the pit bull shelter crisis -- extremely high pit bull intake, occupation and euthanasia rates -- were cut by a third or even by more in just a few years? Smart cities and counties that have adopted mandatory pit bull sterilization laws are seeing some of these results. More jurisdictions are following suit too. A mandatory pit bull sterilization law is a powerful step toward achieving a safer community and reigning in pit bull-related shelter issues.

Ways to Take Action

The new website lists ways that you can take action. Please help honor the victims of these attacks and prevent new life-altering maulings by voicing the concerns of victims. Encourage your community leaders and policymakers to review the successful results jurisdictions have achieved after adopting breed-specific pit bull laws. Advocate for breed-specific legislation and support education about the genetic inheritance of aggression and attack traits in pit bull type dogs.

Voice the concerns of victims to your community leaders and policymakers.
Call for desparately needed mandatory pit bull spay and neuter laws.
Advocate for breed-specific legislation and share cities with successful results.
Support the science of how behavior is inherited in aggressive dogs.
Visit the Partners and Friends page for links to more information about victims' advocates, breed-specific legislation, the pit bull shelter crisis and more.
Visit the website for more ideas »

About DogsBite.org

DogsBite.org is a research and education nonprofit organization dedicated to conducting research on the growing, but underreported, public safety issue of severe and fatal dog attacks inflicted by well-documented dangerous dog breeds. We publish the results of our research to educate the public, law enforcement, journalists, attorneys and policymakers and to prevent new life-altering attacks. The public has the right to know information that helps them keep their families safe.

A very special thanks to Dogs Bite Decatur AL who has created so many posts about this day!

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