Posted on August 13, 2014 by Colleen Lynn

South florida boy killed by father's pit bulls

From top left: Javon Dade Jr., the crime scene, suspect #1 and the "breed labeling game."

Father Pleads Guilty
UPDATE 03/02/15: Javon Dade Sr. pleaded guilty to aggravated manslaughter on the day his trial was set to begin in connection to the mauling death of his son. Last summer, Javon Dade Jr. was savagely killed by his father’s illegal pit bull and pit bull-mixes at the home Javon Sr. shared with his girlfriend, Alessandra Carrasco, as the two slept off a narcotics hangover. Javon Sr. will serve 4-years in prison under the plea agreement. A jury trial conviction could have resulted in 30-years.

"There is no equity when the victim is a 4-year-old mauled in horrible circumstances by a pack of dogs." - Assistant State Attorney Santiago Aroca

Part of the plea agreement required that Javon Sr. provide a public apology to the deceased boy’s mother, Doreen Reyes, and to take full responsibility for his actions. Reyes was overwhelmed with grief and cried while Javon Sr.’s attorney read his apology letter to the courtroom. Javon Sr. will begin serving his prison sentence on March 16. The plea agreement also requires that he testify against Carrasco, 26, who is also charged with manslaughter in connection to Javon Jr.'s death.

09/11/14: Manslaughter Charges Filed archived
Miami-Dade prosecutors have charged both Javon Dade Sr. and his girlfriend, 26-year old Alessandra Carrasco, with manslaughter charges -- the emphasis placed on Carrasco. According to prosecutors, it was Carrasco who brought the dogs onto the property and who leased the property. Furthermore, it was Carrasco who was in charge of Javon Jr. at the time of his death. Carrasco did not appear in court today. Both defendants are expected to stand trial in November.

08/22/14: Father, Girlfriend Arrested
Miami-Dade Police have arrested and charged two people in connection to the mauling death of 4-year old Javon Dade Jr. On August 13, Javon was first reported missing by his father then discovered dead in the backyard of his father's home by police a short time later. One or more of his father's pit bulls had attacked and killed him. On Friday, his father, Javon Dade Sr., 30, and his father's girlfriend, Alessandra Carrasco, 26, were arrested and charged with child neglect.

According to Dade's arrest report, he picked up his son from his mother's home about 9:30 pm the night before the attack and returned to his home. After his son fell asleep, Dade and Carrasco "began smoking several marijuana cigarettes laced with cocaine," according to the report. When his father and Carrasco woke up the next morning, about 9:00 am, Javon Jr. was nowhere to be found. Police said the front door of the home was locked, but the rear sliding glass door was not.

Notably, now that the police report has been released to the media, we see a distinct language change regarding breeds of dogs. The 5 dogs in question are now being called "pit bull-mixes." The breed labeling game by Miami-Dade Animal Services -- who offered up four different breed names for these dogs, none being "pit bull-mix" -- is now over. This may be due to the fact that the boy's death now involves criminal charges of child neglect and is now fully under police control.1

CBS Miami also spoke to the boy's paternal grandmother, Jocelyn Dade. She said that both her son and his girlfriend have drug problems (as noted in Javon Sr.'s extensive criminal arrests and convictions). Jocelyn also said that the white dogs "grew up" with Javon Jr. but the adult male pit bull -- already euthanized due to aggression -- was a new dog her son had gotten from a neighbor. The related video shows Javon Sr. collapsing to the ground upon learning of his son's death.

08/18/14: DCF Knew of the Pit Bulls
CBS Miami reports that the Department of Children and Families (DCF) was warned that the pit bulls posed a danger to Javon Dade Jr. and his siblings 3-years before one or more of these dogs fatally attacked the boy. According to documents obtained by CBS Miami and their news partners, in March 2011, DCF received a complaint from a neighbor about the "smell" and "feces" and "danger" of the six dogs, two being pit bulls, living in the family's home (See: DCF document).

At that time, Javon Jr., 6-months old, and his two siblings lived with his two parents. The March 2011 DCF narrative in part reads: "There are about six dogs living inside the apartment … the dogs urinate on the floor and the children are frequently on the floor … Two of the dogs are pit bulls … There is concern for the safe care of the children in the home." The DCF report also mentions an incident a year earlier when both parents were bitten trying to break up a dog fight.

When DCF officials confronted the mother, Doreen Reyes, about the allegations, she denied them, claiming to only own three dogs, none of which were pit bulls. At that time, the family was living in Miami-Dade County. DCF failed to contact Animal Services about the dogs being kept illegally by the family. Would it matter if they had though, given that Animal Services is so quick to mislabel any pit bull-type dogs as a terrier-boxer mix, terrier-mix or American bulldog-Labrador mix?

Two of the dogs are pit bulldogs,” the DCF report added. If the DCF investigator knew that it is illegal to keep pit bulls in Miami-Dade County, there is no mention of it, and no indication that animal services was informed of the situation.

The DCF probe concluded that Javan and his siblings were in a “moderate to high” risk environment, yet no action was taken to remove the children or the dogs. DCF investigators spoke with teachers, daycare workers and a doctor who said the children appeared healthy and well dressed. - CBS Miami

Finally, the DCF report spells out part of the father's extensive criminal record. (We checked this last week as soon as his name was released by searching the Miami-Dade County criminal court website.) Javon Dade Sr., has a history of drug offenses involving cocaine and marijuana; a perfect pairing with running an illegal pit bull breeding operation out of his home. By June of 2011, the parents had split up with Javon Jr. living primarily with his mother and visiting his father.

Summary of DCF Investigations

DCF knew about the pit bulls, which are illegal to own in Miami-Dade County and have been since 1989, but DFC did not know about the county ordinance? Second, DCF documents state that on August 13, "Javon Jr. was mauled to death by the father's pit bull dog." So it will now be harder for Animal Services to mislabel the dog(s) as terrier-mixes or bulldog-mixes, ad nauseam. Finally, if DCF had properly followed up and the breed ban enforced, Javon Dade Jr. would still be alive.

08/15/14: Memorial Grows for Victim
Javon Dade Jr. was visiting his father at the time of his violent mauling death. The boy lives with his mother, Doreen Reyes, and his brother in Palmetto Bay. The two parents are no longer together. Friends of Doreen recently defended her on the Local 10 Facebook page. Doreen also commented: "I brought my kids up in a Godly home and I'm leaving it up to him to get us through this tragedy. So please have compassion for my family and my other son through this time."

CBS Miami reports other social media comments. Beryl wrote to Javon's grandmother (maternal or paternal is unknown): "I AM SICK AND TIRED OF THESE DOGS PITBULLS KILLING OUR BABIES. OH GOD HAVE MERCY SAVE OUR BABIES. WORDS CAN NOT EXPRESS HOW THIS FAMILY FEELS RIGHT NOW." Beryl may be referring to the fact that three young boys, ages 4 to 6, have been brutally mauled to death by family pit bulls in Florida in the past four weeks.

A family friend has set up a fund for Doreen and her mother to help them through this loss.

08/14/14: Landlord Update; AC on Record
Kenneth Darbin, the landlord and owner of the property, told CBS Miami yesterday that he warned his tenants a week ago that they had seven days to remove the dogs or face eviction. The day of the fatal attack was the seventh day of his warning, according to reporter Lauren Pastrana who spoke to him. When later reached by phone, he claimed, "They snuck the dogs on the property." The boy’s father had only been living in the house for a little over two months, Narbin said.

New Breed Name -- Will It Stick?

Beginning with Miami-Dade Animal Services labeling 5 of the dogs "labrador-pit bull mixes," then broadening this to "terrier-boxer mixes" finally, Kathleen Labrada, the spokesperson for Animal Services went on record with WSVN last night calling the 5 dogs "American bulldog-Labrador retriever mixes." (We've underlined the first name, which is the predominant breed.) Labrada also admitted that the puppies are too young to properly evaluate, but still called them "terrier-mixes."

"A total of six dogs were removed from the scene. Three adults which appear to be American Bulldog and Labrador Retriever mixes, and one pit bull," said a spokesperson Kathleen Labrada of Animal Services. "The puppies appear to be terrier mixes. They are too young to evaluate, they are under six months of age. We're certainly hopeful that through DNA evidence and other evidence we're able to gather, that we will be able to confirm which dogs..." - Kathleen Labrada

When all else fails, labeling the dog an American bulldog-mix usually sticks. As explained in footnotes, there is no frantic labeling game (throw it until it sticks) about the breed of the number one suspect. If there were, if might get someone from Animal Services fired. It is still unknown, however, which of the adult dogs attacked or if all three did. Currently, Animal Services is trying to pawn off the two adult females (the white and tan dogs) as "American bulldog-Labrador mixes."

People who breed pit bulls, like to produce more pit bulls. The goal is not to produce litters of American bulldog-mixes or labrador-mixes. Therefore, they mate pit bulls with other pit bulls, a breed which certainly has a wide variance in colors and weight, but very little variance in the shape of the head. The white and tan dogs are predominantly pit bulls and any label should reflect this, such as "pit bull-mix" or "pit bull-American bulldog mix" or "pit bull-[insert breed name] mix."

Above: Thus far, Miami-Dade Animal Services have labeled 5 of the dogs three different names.

08/13/14: Landlord; Terrier-Mix Label
In an evening update from NBC Miami, the news team spoke to the landlord and owner of the home, Kenneth Narbin, who said that last week he gave the renters2 -- Javon Dade Sr., and his girlfriend -- seven days to remove the "pit bull dogs from the home." Miami-Dade County has banned the breed for over two decades. Despite this legal demand from their landlord, the boy's father kept the dogs along with his homespun pit bull breeding operation. Now his son is dead.

Before reading the Miami Herald update, it is important for readers to understand that the Herald strongly opposes the pit bull ban and urged the public in 2012 to vote to repeal it. The public shrugged off the Herald and voted by a wide margin to keep the ban. The main reason we link to the Herald now is to point out a disturbing new pit bull "mislabeling" trend. The new trend is to replace "pit bull" with "terrier," as was done on the adopted dog that viciously attacked Rita Pepe.

Twenty minutes later, police made a gruesome discovery: Javon had been mauled to death by dogs in the backyard of the Goulds home, his limp body found in the overgrown grass near a fence.

In the same yard: Two adult female terrier-boxer mixes, an adult male pit bull and three terrier-boxer mixed puppies between two and four months of age. - Miami Herald

The terrier group is a large list of breeds, of which the American pit bull terrier (aka American Staffordshire terrier) is grouped within by many major kennel clubs, along with the border terrier, rat terrier, west highland terrier, Scottish terrier and more. Under this "trending" misleading labeling treatment for pit bulls, a "pit bull-boxer mix" is simply a "terrier-boxer mix." which completely removes the pit bull name to unsuspecting adopters and for dog bite statistical tracking purposes.

Miami-Dade County Animal Services, who initially labeled five of the dogs as "labrador-pit bull mixes," then switched over to the broader "terrier-mix" label. The Herald immediately pushed this "revised" label. What is truly revolting is that Miami-Dade County Animal Services is tax-funded and under the mission to enforce the county pit bull ban. What the public knows now is that even in the case a fatal dog attack, this agency will "protect the breed" over their public safety duty.3

08/13/14: Dogs Seized, Photographed
Miami-Dade authorities seized and photographed a total of six dogs, three adults and three puppies. Authorities "speculate" that at least one adult pit bull may have been trying to protect the puppies when it unleashed a brutal attack killing the 4-year old boy. According to Animal Services, only one dog appeared to be aggressive, an adult male pit bull (top left). The rest of the dogs are allegedly "labrador-pit bull mixes," despite a female Labrador nowhere to be found on scene.4

Above: Local 10 published photos of all six dogs seized after the fatal attack of Javon Dade Jr.

08/13/14: Child Killed by Family Pit Bull
Goulds, FL - In a developing story, Miami-Dade Police confirm that a 4-year old boy was mauled to death by one or more of his family's dogs in Goulds this morning. The attack occurred in the fenced-in backyard of a home at 12301 SW 230th Street. Hovering news choppers at the scene spotted the boy's body covered in a yellow tarp lying in the middle of the backyard. Neighbors described the family's two dogs as being "very aggressive" and believe they are pit bulls.

This is the third little boy in Florida mauled to death by family dogs since July 19. The first two fatalities involved family pit bulls.

The CBS Miami video shows numerous first responder personnel and vehicles at the scene. Miami-Dade police also set up a "command post" near the scene. While writing this blog post, police identified the boy as Javon Dade Jr. and confirmed that three dogs were captured. The video suggests that at least one dog was shot. The investigation is ongoing. It is unknown what the circumstances of the attack were or if the boy was under adult supervision at the time.

WSVN offers additional information. In a press conference, Miami-Dade Police spokesperson Robin Pinkard said the call began as a missing child case. When police responded, they canvassed the area and made the horrific discovery. At least three dogs were captured. Police are still trying to determine who owed the dogs and if the dogs resided at the fenced property or broke into it. Animal control is conducting "a series of tests" to determine the breeds of dogs involved.

Police have been dispatched in search of the missing boy when they made the horrific discovery. "According to investigators, at approximately 10:09 this morning, police received a phone call advising of a missing 4-year-old male," said Pinkard. "As officers arrived they did an area canvas where they discovered a black male, 4 years of age, deceased in the backyard." WSVN.com

Finally, Local 10 News is now reporting the "predictable" pattern that the boy was "visiting" his father's home at the time of the fatal dog attack. Also, as of 1:45 pm Central time, a total of six dogs have been removed from the property. The father, along with his girlfriend, were at the home at the time of the fatal incident. As DogsBite.org readers know, Miami-Dade County has banned pit bulls since 1989. If the dogs are determined to be pit bulls, criminal fines or charges may follow.

View the DogsBite.org Google Map: Florida Fatal Pit Bull Maulings.

1We imagine the DCF report helped as well.
2Only the video contained the phrase "last week." The print version did not.
3Amazingly, for legal purposes and otherwise, the #1 suspect, according to Miami-Dade County Animal Services, is the only dog being labled as a "pit bull." All of the other pit bulls and pit bull-mixes will get recycled back into the community under misleading terrier-mix names.
4Why would Miami-Dade Animal Services pull the "labrador-pit bull mix" stunt? Notably, the breed listed first is the predominant breed. First, it must be explained that puppies this young -- whose physical form has not filled out yet -- are often too young to be properly identified by breed. Second, when two pit bulls mate, this does not produce labrador-pit bull mix dogs. It produces pit bulls or pit bull-mix dogs depending upon the exact make up of each parent. Finally, Animal Services must falsely identify the puppies as anything but "predominantly pit bulls" or else, given the county pit bull ban, they can't adopt out the offspring of a fatally attacking pit bull to the public.

Posted on August 11, 2014 by Colleen Lynn

2014 Dog Bite Fatality: Toddler Dies After Attack by Family Pit Bull While Under Grandmother's Care

Heroic neighbor stopped the attack by stabbing the pit bull with a steak knife.

The Indictment
UPDATE 01/29/15: We received a copy of the indictment against Derek Solem. As we had hoped, it included more information. The dog was not listed as a Staffordshire terrier or pit bull-mix as several news groups stated in their coverage. The fatally attacking dog, named Martel, was a "pit bull terrier." In addition to Martel previously biting another child in the home and the clear (and disturbing) signs the animal posed a serious threat to Deriah, Martel was also dog aggressive.

On or about August 7, 2014 in the County of St. Charles, State of Missouri, the defendant knowingly acted in a manner that created a substantial risk to the life of D.S., a child less than seventeen years old, by keeping Martel, a pit bull, in the house, uncaged so that Martel had access to D.S., Martel had previously bitten [another child's] ear, that Martel didn't like babies, that Martel was aggressive with other dogs, that Martel constantly whined when the defendant would play with D.S., that Martel would urinate on only D.S.'s laundry, that Martel would tear up only D.S.'s things, that Martel would be kept in the defendant's bedroom at night with the door closed so Martel would not have access to D.S.'s room. - Indictment, Derek Solem, January 9, 2015, Eleventh Judicial Circuit Court, State of Missouri

01/28/15: Parents Charged in Death archived
In mid January, St. Charles County authorities arrested and charged the parents of a 22-month old child that was brutally killed by their family pit bull last August. Derek Martin Solem, 32, and Sharon D. Williams, 29, were charged with two felonies each, endangering the welfare of a child and owning a dog that bites a person resulting in death. A court date is set for February 23. No charges were initially expected by police, who called the child's mauling death a "tragic accident."

On August 7, Deriah Solem was under the care of her grandmother when the family's 10-year old pit bull -- usually kept locked in a back bedroom -- somehow managed to get out. The animal immediately attacked the toddler. The grandmother intervened and lost four fingertips trying to pry open the dog's jaws. Deriah Solem was transported to St. Joseph Health Center in St. Charles and later transferred to Cardinal Glennon, where she died of her severe injuries on August 9.

There were no news reports after August 11. If readers recall, on August 9, in the neighboring jurisdiction of St. Louis County, a young man was shot and killed by a police officer that unleashed extended shock waves across the country and dominated local, state and national media. We believed at that time no additional information would ever be learned about this child's death. Unbeknownst to us, the St. Charles County Prosecutor's Office had been looking into the case.

"This was not simply a tragic accident; it was poor decision making by parents that led to the tragic death of a baby." - St. Charles Co. Prosecutor Tim Lohmar

The parents were released from jail after posting $25,000 bail. Both profess their innocence of the charges. An online fund was set up to help raise money for their defense costs. Derek Solem was no stranger to pit bulls. He formerly ran a pit bull kennel operation called Flaming Hot Kennel (2007). Remnants of a MySpace page are still online. At the time of the attack, the grandmother's Facebook profile image was a large white pit bull. It is unknown if that pit bull was the attacker.

According to the indictment, the pit bull that killed Deriah had previously bitten one of their other children in the ear. DogsBite.org has not seen the indictment, but the St. Louis Post-Dispatch describes more of its contents, "The dog regularly destroyed Deriah’s belongings and was kept in a room at night so it couldn’t have access to her room, according to court documents. It also constantly whined when Solem played with the baby, and urinated on the baby’s laundry."

Lastly, we call attention to the language of the online fund created by Williams, the child's mother. She writes, "The dog had been part of the Solem family since 2004 and no one knows why he decided to snap that day." One, St. Charles County prosecutors will try to prove the parents did have knowledge of the dog's previous aggression. Two, we wish they did not have to since there are already decades of documented evidence about the dangerous unpredictability of pit bulls.

08/11/14: Family Pit Bull Kills Child
St. Charles County, MO - Officials confirmed on Monday that a 22-month old girl savagely attacked by her family pit bull-mix last Thursday while under the care of her grandmother has died. Deriah Solem was pronounced dead at Cardinal Glennon Children's Medical Center on Saturday, according to the medical examiner's office. The cause of death was listed as injuries to her head and neck. At the time of the attack, her grandmother was babysitting Deriah and her two siblings.

The attack occurred at the family's home in the St. Charles Hills subdivision; the grandmother also lives at the home. According to police, the grandmother had just finished feeding the little girl and placed her onto the floor. When the family's 80-pound pit bull -- usually kept locked in a back bedroom -- somehow was able to get out. The dog immediatly attacked the toddler. The grandmother intervened and suffered the loss of four fingertips trying to pry open the dog's jaws.

As the attack continued, the grandmother shouted at her two brothers, ages 5 and 8 to flee the house. They ran next door to Jonathan Banta's home. Banta grabbed a steak knife and rushed over. He repeatedly stabbed the dog as it continued to attack Deriah. “I grabbed a steak knife -- that’s all I could find at the time -- went back over there, and the dog still wouldn’t get off, so I stabbed it multiple times,” Banta said. Eventually, the dog let go and collapsed behind a TV.

“I’m still kind of shook up,” he said. “There was a lot of blood, and stabbing a dog is not fun.” - Jonathan Banta

The girl was transported to St. Joseph Health Center in St. Charles and later transferred to Cardinal Glennon. The initial Fox news coverage captures the horror of the attack.1 "She had multiple bites covering her whole body, but the most extensive ones were to the neck, stomach and head area … it was extremely urgent .. the blood loss on the child was extensive," Lt. Dave Tiefenbrunn said. The situation was so critical that there was a surgeon in the ambulance.

The family pit bull-mix had no reported history of attacks or biting, according to police, but family members told police the dog had shown aggressive behavior in the past. This may be why the dog was usually kept locked in a back bedroom? Despite this knowledge, as early as Friday, police said that no charges are expected to be filed in the case. Authorities are calling yet another child's horrific death by a family pit bull a "tragic accident." The 10-year old pit bull was euthanized.

1Scroll to see the second video at the Fox 2 Now news article.

Photos: St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Fox 2 Now and Facebook.com

Posted on August 9, 2014 by Colleen Lynn

2014 Dog Bite Fatality: Visiting Child Killed by Aunt's Pit Bulls in Fanning Springs, Florida

Joel Chirieleison, 6-years old, was killed by two pit bulls on August 7.

Authorities Identify Child
UPDATE 08/08/14: Sheriff's officials have released the name of the young boy killed by two pit bulls while visiting his aunt's home. Joel Chirieleison, the son of Joel Claar and Kristy Chirieleison, had been staying at his aunt's house while his father was at work. The child's aunt, Heather Claar, took the 6-year old boy's father to work that morning then took Joel to her home to watch him. This arrangement had been going on for weeks, according to Levy County Sheriff Bobby McCallum.

Joel Chirieleison is the 250th American killed by pit bulls since the CDC stopped tracking dog bite fatality data by breeds in 1998.1

08/08/14: Child Dies in Aunt's Care
HardisonInk.com reported new information on Friday about the fatal pit bull mauling. The child had stayed at the home with his aunt and grandfather for the past three or four days before the attack, according to Levy County Sheriff Bobby McCallum. When he went outside to play about 8:15 am, two pit bulls, which live at the house, had been let out in the yard. At the time of the attack, the aunt was packing things so that she and the boy could visit her mother, the boy's grandmother.

In a video published by WCJB-TV on Thursday, the aunt is named as the owner of the two pit bulls. McCallum was also interviewed in the video. McCallum said, "He has been around [the dogs] for about a month. It is our understanding that the dogs had been in this family for a couple of years. There are other children in the household and there has never been any problem in the past with these dogs."
Names continue to be withheld until authorities can notify the boy's mother.

08/07/14: Attack Occurred Thursday
The Levy County Sheriff's Office has issued a press release stating that the 6-year old boy was attacked and killed by one or more dogs on Thursday. It was initially reported that the attack occurred on Tuesday. When responding deputies arrived on scene, the child was already dead. The child had injuries consistent with being attacked by a dog or dogs, according to the release. Animal control removed multiple dogs from the property. The investigation is ongoing.

This unnamed child marks the 250th American killed by pit bulls since the CDC stopped tracking dog bite fatality data by breeds in 1998.2

The Ocala StarBanner has also updated their news report. The 6-year old boy had played with his family's two pit bulls many times, but on Thursday morning the dogs suddenly attacked and killed him outside a Fanning Springs home. Before the attack, the boy's aunt had driven his father to work then taken the boy to the home she shares with the boy's grandfather. She let the boy go outside to play and the two dogs followed him. This was routine, according to authorities.

While the aunt and the grandfather were inside watching TV, the aunt looked outside and saw the boy lying in the driveway. She ran outside and the family called 911. First responders from multiple agencies arrived, but the boy was already dead. Levy County Sheriff Bobby McCallum said, "It appears right now to be a terrible tragedy." McCallum added that the dogs had never caused the family any problems before and that they were "well cared for" and current on all their shots.

Levy County Animal Control seized both pit bulls along with four other dogs on the property.

Visiting Children, Babysitters and Pit Bulls

Though information is still developing, it appears that once again, a child visiting the dog owner's home -- and often under the care of a babysitter at the time -- was mauled to death by the owner's pit bulls. The babysitters in this case were relatives watching the child while his father was at work. Most recently, other child fatality victims with similar scenarios include: 4-year old Kasii Haith (Delaware), 7-month old Jonathan Quarles Jr., (Ohio) and 4-year old Logan Sheppard (Florida).

08/07/14: Pit Bulls Kill Child
Fanning Springs, FL - In a developing story, two dogs attacked and killed a 6-year old child Tuesday morning. Despite already being two days later, few details are available, according to the Ocala StarBanner and Gainesville Sun.3 Levy County 911 Communications Center received a call at 8:15 a.m. Tuesday of a child attacked by two pit bulls at the park, according to the Levy County Department of Public Safety report. The child was already dead when first responders arrived.

Units from the Fanning Springs Fire Department, LCDPS, Medic 2 and Battalion 1, LCSO, and Levy County Animal Control responded to the scene. Assisting the family was a victims' advocate from the Levy County Sheriff's Office. The Dixie County chaplain and Marion County Debriefing Team were called in to assist the first responders and dispatchers involved. Fanning Springs has a population of 764 people and is located in Gilchrist and Levy counties, according to Wikipedia.

View the DogsBite.org Google Map: Florida Fatal Pit Bull Maulings.

1,2Fatal Pit Bull Attacks - The Archival Record and Nonprofits Urge CDC to Resume Tracking Richer Data Set for Children and Adults Disfigured, Maimed and Killed by Dogs.
3One commenter is stating that the attack was Thursday morning and only involved one dog.

Posted on August 7, 2014 by Colleen Lynn

2014 Dog Bite Fatality: Ohio Woman, 59, Attacked and Killed by Her Daughter's Pit Bull

Cindy Whisman, 59-years old, was fatally attacked by her daughter's pet pit bull.

Pit Bull Euthanized
UPDATE 08/07/14: The pit bull that killed 59-year old Cindy Whisman was euthanized Thursday, according to Sgt. Melissa Gerhardt of the Butler County Sheriff’s Office. The victim's daughter and owner of the dog, Julie Whisman, surrendered her male pit bull to the county Wednesday after the completion of the investigation by county sheriff's deputies. No charges will be filed at this time. Lt. Mike Craft said, "Detectives found no evidence that this dog had been aggressive in the past."

Butler County Sheriff Richard Jones is interviewed in the video. "I've seen the body," he said. "There were a lot of bite marks on the upper body." Jones comments about pit bulls too. "Playing with fire. There may be nicer ones, but [pit bulls] have a tendency to kill people and maul people." Lastly, to clear up confusion about home ownership, Julie and her 2-year old son Marcus, began living with her mother and father two months ago. Cindy had known the dog for a number of years.

08/05/14: Death Ruled Accidental
The Butler County Coroner’s Office ruled the death of Cindy Whisman as accidental. The cause of death was "due to dog bites." Whisman was mauled across her face, neck and abdomen, according to sheriff's officials. Deputies arrived after receiving a 911 call from a neighbor who witnessed the attack. Wayne Walker, 79, who rushed over to help Cindy said, "It looked like [the dog] took a chunk of her throat out around the jugular." Walker knew she was already dead.

At that point, Walker hit the dog across the face with his walking stick and the dog ran away, he said. He immediately grabbed the child and went inside of Whisman’s house. The child did not appear to be injured, Walker said.

Walker said he has known Whisman for 40 years, and that her husband has health issues and rarely leaves their house.

"It was a terrible thing that happened to her," he said. "She was a good woman." - Wayne Walker, Oxford Press

There continues to be conflicting reports of who owned the home where the attack occurred -- who was temporarily living at the home when Julie Whisman's pit bull of 5-years brutally attacked and killed her mother in front of her 2-year old son? It seems that Walker's statement, who lives directly next door and has known Cindy for 40-years, is the most probable. Julie continues to act bewildered that her pit bull, she touts as "My Guard Dog Polo" on Facebook, killed her mother.

Julie is hardly the first daughter or son whose dog viciously killed a parent or grandparent. Most recently, in 2013 and 2014, Annabell Martin (rottweilers), Nancy Newberry (pit bull), Dorothy Hamilton (pit bulls), Betty Todd (pit bull) and Elsie Grace (pit bulls) all suffered horrific deaths due to their child's poor choice in dog breeds. As a note to parents and grandparents, it is a terrible idea to allow your beloved children to bring these high risk dangerous dog breeds into your home.

The Dayton Daily News reports that the 5-year old pit bull that killed Cindy might be euthanized today. The video shows the dog in quarantine at the Butler County animal shelter (Animal Friends Humane Society). Executive director Meg Stephenson continues to say that the breed of dog has not been determined, despite the dog's owner saying her dog is a pure bred pit bull. Kurt Merbs, Butler County’s assistant dog warden supervisor, is calling the dog a pit bull-presa canario mix.

The Kumpf Card has already been played this year in Ohio. It's not going to happen twice.1 The public has images of this dog at 3 and 5-years old.

Lastly, just before publishing this update, the Oxford Press updated their own article. Apparently, Julie is now having second thoughts about putting Polo down, her 5-year old pit bull that ripped out her mother's throat, killing her. Julie told the media on Tuesday that she wants to see the results of the investigation and better understand what happened before making a determination about her dog. She said after thinking about the "situation" for 24 hours, she is now "indecisive."

08/04/14: Killed by Daughter's Pit Bull
New information reveals that the victim's daughter, Julie Whisman, owns the pit bull that attacked and killed her mother, 59-year old Cindy Whisman. Julie, her 2-year old son and her pit bull began living with her parents two months ago.2 Conflicting information -- which should be cleared up soon -- states that Julie owned the home and her mother was babysitting the boy when she was fatally attacked. What is confirmed is that the pit bull killed the grandmother in front of the child.

"He loved my son ... They played together. My son would sit on him, lay on him. Smack him in the face. He wouldn’t do anything." - Julie Whisman

Cindy was in the backyard with her 2-year old grandson when the pit bull viciously attacked her. Julie was at work at the time of the incident. A neighbor who witnessed the attack called 911. Another neighbor ran into the Whisman's backyard and beat the dog back with a walking stick, but Cindy was already dead. Julie said she has owned the 5-year old male pit bull, named Polo, since it was 6-weeks old. Another dog owned by Julie was also removed from the home by authorities.

08/04/14: Family Pit Bull Kills Woman
Madison Township, OH - In a developing story, a 59-year old woman was attacked and killed by her family's pit bull in Madison Township. The attack occurred at a residence on the 4700 block of Eck Road just after 1 pm on Monday, according to authorities. The victim has been identified as 59-year old Cindy Whisman. The woman was attacked by the family's pit bull and a neighbor witnessed the attack, according to police. More information is expected in the next few hours.

Cindy Whisman's death marks the third fatal dog attack in Ohio since February. Earlier victims include Klonda Richey, 57-years old of Dayton, brutally killed by her neighbor's two mastiff-mix dogs after stepping outside of her home, and Johnathan Quarles Jr., 7-months old, killed by his babysitter's pit bull while visiting her Dayton home. The City of Dayton resides in Montgomery County, which is adjacent to Butler County, where the most recent Ohio fatal dog attack occurred.

The southwest corner of Ohio also includes Hamilton County, where Cincinnati is located. In June, 6-year old Zainabou Drama suffered "unimaginable" injuries inflicted by two pit bulls in Cincinnati. As described by her grandfather, the dogs, "grabbed her face and literally tore it off." Zainabou remains hospitalized at Cincinnati Children's hospital. Her attack brought about a fierce debate. In 2012, Cincinnati repealed their pit bull ban and Ohio repealed their longstanding state pit bull law.

After Cindy's death, the attacking pit bull was taken to Animal Friends Humane Society. Just last week, the News-Journal ran an article (Recent pit bull attacks raise questions about breed, dog laws) focusing on Butler County and nearby cities with breed-specific laws. The executive director of the organization, Meg Stephenson, was interviewed and voiced the typical, "It’s the owner not the breed." How will she now explain Cindy's death? She trained the family pit bull to kill her?

View the DogsBite.org Google Map: Ohio Fatal Pit Bull Maulings.

1When police arrived at the gruesome scene of Klonda Richey's death in February, they shot and killed both dogs and released statements, telling the media the dogs were pit bulls. Not long after, AC Director Mark Kumpf began an aggressive campaign, telling media officials the dogs were "mastiff-mixes" or "cane corsos." His campaign was successful. His leadership, however, fell under scrutiny after Klonda's preventable death. In July, after the second fatal dog attack occurred in his jurisdiction -- involving a pit bull labled an American Staffordshire terrier -- Kumpf's office directed all questions to the Dayton Police Department. His leadership remains under scrutiny today.
2Flip switch, in this case the dog's owner had been temporarily living with the victim when her pit bull of 5-years suddenly attacked her mother who was babysitting her 2-year old son. The toddler witnessed the fatal attack.

DogsBite blog ::

2014 Dog Bite Fatality: Visiting Child Killed by Family Pit Bulls in Miami-Dade County

2014 Dog Bite Fatality: Toddler Dies After Attack by Family Pit Bull While Under Grandmother's Care

2014 Dog Bite Fatality: Visiting Child Killed by Aunt's Pit Bulls in Fanning Springs, Florida

2014 Dog Bite Fatality: Ohio Woman, 59, Attacked and Killed by Her Daughter's Pit Bull