Posted on May 23, 2013 by Colleen Lynn

Dog Bite Injury Severity and Bowl-A-Thon Event

DogsBite.org - In an ongoing tradition, we comment during National Dog Bite Prevention Week that there is no National Dog Mauling Prevention Week, a far more serious health and safety issue. The distinction between preventing dog "bites" and preventing dog "maulings" -- injuries involving maiming, loss of limbs and death -- is urgent. Over 600 jurisdictions in the U.S. regulate dangerous dog breeds, primarily pit bulls, to prevent devastating "mauling" injuries and deaths.

Dog Bite vs. Dog Mauling -- The Solesky Family

One of the voices in this critical battle to educate more Americans about the distinction between dog "bite" and dog "mauling" injuries, is the Solesky family. The family's landmark court case, Tracey v. Solesky, led to an appellate decision that declared pit bulls "inherently dangerous" and attached strict liability when a pit bull attacks a person. Last December, the Solesky's released the 911 call of their son's attack to demonstrate in real time a life-threatening dog "mauling."

Throughout the 5-year process of achieving this legal victory, both Anthony and Irene Solesky, the boy's parents, have battled against "bite" obfuscation tactics; those who attempt to equate all dog bites as equal. In media interviews and spoken testimony before Maryland House and Senate committees, both parents always distinguish that their son underwent a life-threatening dog "mauling," an incident never to be co-mingled with or compared to an average dog "bite."

Often Irene's testimony is the hardest to listen to because it is a reminder of how much work must still be done to inform more Americans about the different levels of dog bite injury. "Bite" obfuscation tactics used by regulation opponents only have power because too many people believe a dog bite injury today is the same as it was 35-years ago, hurtful but negligible. 35-years ago, pit bulls and their mixes and rottweilers were virtually nonexistent in our neighborhoods.

When Dominic's friend came to my house, one of the three friends he was playing with, came to my house to tell me, frantically knocked on my door, that he was being attacked by a dog, what I envisioned was just Dominic crying, knocked on the ground, a small bite and the dog owner consoling him.

Obviously, this was nothing like I imagined.

When I went to the scene in the alley, it was nothing of a typical dog bite. And there was no dog owner present. So, everything I imagined was not there.

What I had seen appeared to be a crime scene. And injuries resembled to be from a shark attack. We're talking about all dogs biting, all dogs being similar. They are not similar. They are not built the same way. They don't bite the same way. This was a mauling and that needs to be recognized.

His injuries, he had a cut clear down to the bone on his nose. A chunk out of his cheek. As I found out later, a severed femoral artery. I saw three gaping wounds in his left thigh. Blood all over the alley. And his clothes were saturated.

This does not get done by a poodle. Does not get done by a beagle. We need to recognize the difference. Anything that can cause injury like this is deemed dangerous.1 - Irene Solesky, February 5, 2013, Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee Testimony

Dog Bite Prevention Event: Bowl-A-Thon in Maryland

On Saturday, May 25, the Solesky and Mason families are teaming up for a Bowl-A-Thon event to raise awareness of Maryland's one bite rule during National Dog Bite Prevention week. Both teenagers, Dominic Solesky and Scotty Mason, also badly injured during the same attack, "have fully recovered from their injuries and are ready to bowl to raise awareness about dog bite statistics and the laws addressing dog bite injuries," states the event's news release.

See: Press release in full

Fact sheets will be handed out at the event to inform attendees about the Three Levels of Dog Bite Injury and Maryland's one bite rule. Due to the high court ruling declaring pit bulls "inherently dangerous," owners of pit bulls in Maryland are now held liable for the first bite. Victims of all other breeds are still held to the one bite rule, where victims must prove the dog owner knew or should have known of the dog’s vicious propensity to receive compensation for their injuries.

All funds raised at the Bowl-A-Thon event will be donated to the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center and DogsBite.org.

DogsBite.org encourages readers to download the Three Levels of Dog Bite Injury fact sheet. As stated in the fact sheet, a better understanding of them will help readers navigate the public debate about dog bite injuries and dangerous dog breeds. The fact sheet distinguishes three types of injuries, a dog "bite," a "severe" dog bite and a dog "mauling." The latter two categories, requiring hospitalization, saw an 86% rise from 1993 to 2008, the latest data available.2

The fact sheet also emphasizes that certain dog breeds more commonly inflict second level injuries, "severe" dog bite injury and that only a few dog breeds inflict "mauling" injuries, which represents a "sustained, unrelenting attack during which the animal refuses to stop in a clear attempt to maim or kill it's victim," states the fact sheet. The document also states that "multiple peer-reviewed studies point to only a few dog breeds that inflict attacks of this nature."

The Bowl-A-Thon event created by the Solesky and Mason families to raise awareness about Maryland's one bite rule and the Three Levels of Dog Bite Injury is certainly the first of its kind in the country. Furthermore, the actual victims themselves, Dominic Solesky and Scotty Mason, 6-years after the devastating April 2007 attack, are the bowlers! DogsBite.org hopes that many more events like this one arise in the future during National Dog Bite Prevention Week.

DogsBite.org Neighborhood Safety Brochure

Finally, in April 2012, DogsBite.org announced a neighborhood safety campaign with a new brochure in preparation for National Dog Bite Prevention Week. The safety brochure, How to Keep Your Family Safe from Dangerous Dogs, contains five panels of important information, including images of dangerous dog breeds and the back reserved for U.S. postal mailing. The brochure was designed for parents, homeowners, community activists, and health and safety professionals.

In addition to the brochure, DogsBite.org developed three one-sheet safety flyers featuring the worst offending "mauling" dog breeds, pit bulls and rottweilers. The safety flyers present three powerful distinct messages along with photographs of each dog breed. The safety flyers are "print quality" and free for download and distribution. Since the release of the flyers in April 2012, the top downloaded flyer continues to be, "Is it Worth the Risk? Children and pit bulls do not mix."


Is it Worth the Risk? Children and Pit Bulls Do Not Mix	The Presence of Pit Bulls is as Dangerous as Firearms	Warning: Pit Bulls and Rottweilers

1In the many instances of spoken testimony given by the Solesky's, Irene only refers to her son's injuries as resembling a "shark attack." On February 5, she unintentionally said "dog attack." The founder of DogsBite.org was present on this day and also provided oral testimony to the Maryland Senate Judiciary Proceedings Committee. We've altered one word of the transcribed text to reflect what she intended to say.
2Emergency Department Visits and Inpatient Stays Involving Dog Bites, 2008, by Laurel Holmquist, M.A. and Anne Elixhauser, Ph.D., Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD., November 2010.

Posted on May 21, 2013 by Colleen Lynn

2013 Dog Bite Fatality: Paralyzed Man Pulled from Wheelchair Dies After Dog Attack in Dorchester County

Carlton Freeman, 80-years old, was killed by four dogs in Harleyville.

No Criminal Charges
UPDATE 05/21/13: The Dorchester County Sheriff's announced today that no charges would be filed in the death of Carlton Freeman, a double amputee who died after being mauled by four dogs described as pit bulls. The decision comes after an investigation was carried out by multiple county agencies. Though the dogs were initially thought to belong to a neighbor, authorities later determined the animals did not belong to any one person; the dogs were allegedly feral.

05/14/13: Pit Bulls Identified as Culprits
ABC News 4 reports (within the video only) that family members of Carlton Freeman saw the four dogs pull him from his wheelchair and attempted to drag him into the woods. Family members identified the four dogs as pit bulls. They also said that the terrible attack upon Freeman was especially hard because the owner of the dogs is also family.1 The victim's wife of 35-years, Rita, told reporters, "All he wanted was that they catch those dogs before they hurt somebody else."

Freeman also told authorities before he died that he did not want to press any charges.

05/14/13: Man Dies After Dog Mauling
Harleyville, SC - The Dorchester County Coroner's Office released information today about a dog attack that ended the life of a paralyzed man. According to Coroner Chris Nesbit, Carlton Freeman, 80-years old, was minding his own business while going down the side of the road in his motorized wheelchair when he was attacked by four dogs (breed identification was not provided). The incident happened on May 8 at Spring Branch and Dunnings Road in Harleyville.

Nesbit said the victim was a double amputee at the knees who was "pulled from his wheelchair by his legs as he tried to fight off the dogs." Medical responders transported Freeman to Trident Hospital where he died on Sunday, May 12. In Nesbit's press release, he stated, "He had bites and lacerations from his legs to the top of his head. This is a very sad story, but even worse that Mr. Freeman was basically helpless to the attack, due to being a bi-lateral amputee."

A criminal investigation by the Dorchester County Sheriff's Office is underway. Authorities were able to locate three of the dogs and are still attempting to locate the fourth. According to a report from the sheriff's office, neighbors said the dogs have been "roaming around the neighborhood for months" and told deputies who they suspected the dogs' owner was. Deputies contacted Barbara Goodwin, 61-years old, who said she owns three of the dogs -- a mother and two puppies.

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

1This later turned out to mean a close friend within the community, not an actual relative.

Photo: Live5News.com

Posted on May 9, 2013 by Colleen Lynn

2013 Dog Bite Fatality: Pit Bulls Owner Convicted of Second-Degree Murder After Dogs Kill Antelope Valley Woman

Authorities seized multiple pit bulls and mixed-breed dogs from the home of Alex Jackson.

Sentenced to 15-Years
UPDATE 10/03/14: On Friday, Alex Donald Jackson was sentenced to 15-years in state prison for the murder of Pamela Marie Devitt -- the 63-year old woman was mauled to death by four of Jackson's loose pit bulls on May 9, 2013. Devitt suffered catastrophic injuries in the violent attack; she died while being transported to the hospital. In August of this year, a jury found Jackson guilty of second-degree murder in connection to her death and guilty of multiple drug-related felonies.

During the hearing, the victim's husband, Ben Devitt, gave an emotional victim impact statement. Just days before the deadly attack, the couple had been making retirement plans. They planned to relocate to Washington to be closer to family members. "Her story shouldn’t have ended in such a horrific way," he said. Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Lisa Chung handed down the 15-year sentence and 7-years for the other guilty counts, to run concurrently with the murder term.

08/29/14: Guilty of Second-Degree Murder
Los Angeles, CA - A 31-year old man whose four pit bulls brutally killed a woman last year has been found guilty of second-degree murder. On Friday, the defendant, Alex Donald Jackson, was also found guilty of cultivating marijuana, possession of marijuana for sale and possession of a controlled substance, psilocybin, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office. The jury also found that Jackson was armed with a shotgun during the commission of the offense.

On May 9, 2013 Pamela Devitt, 63, was walking near her Littlerock home when she was violently attacked by four pit bulls belonging to Jackson. Devitt suffered catastrophic injuries, including 150 to 200 puncture wounds, her scalp ripped off and one arm dismembered. She died en route to the hospital. County police authorities unleashed a ground and air search effort to find the attacking dogs and offered a $25,000 reward for, "Information leading to the capture of the 4 killer pit bulls."

Jackson was an unsympathetic defendant from the get-go; his dogs were guilty of multiple acts of aggression prior to killing Devitt. These aggressive acts, however, were primarily directed at animals. Jackson had also put a set of four pit bulls down in 2006 after a separate act of animal aggression. His defense attorney tried to portray Jackson as an "animal lover" who rescued strays. This defense strategy clearly fell flat on its nose. Excellent verdict for a repeat vicious dog owner!

Jackson is scheduled to be sentenced on October 3. He faces 24-years to life in state prison.

05/31/13: Repeat Vicious Dog Owner
Within the massive news coverage in the last 48 hours, new information was revealed on Friday at the first court hearing. Alex Jackson previously owned four other violent pit bulls that were destroyed in 2006 after attacking emus. On Friday, Los Angeles County prosecutors said that this previous incident weighed into the second-degree murder charge, along with three incidents since January involving Jackson's "current" crop of pit bulls that savagely killed Pamela Devitt on May 9.

Most members of the public do not know that many owners of these types of dogs are repeat offenders. After the dog attacks (enough times), it's eventually deemed "dangerous" and the owner puts it down to avoid paying the necessary fees and insurance to own a designated "dangerous" dog. The person then buys a new crop of dangerous dogs and the process begins all over again, including attacks on innocent people and pets. This cycle persists without legal intervention.1

05/30/13: Second-Degree Murder Charges
Los Angeles County prosecutors charged a 29-year old man with murder in connection to the pit bull mauling that killed a 63-year old Antelope Valley woman in early May. Alex Jackson, 29, was arrested at his Littlerock home. His bail is set at over one million dollars -- $1,050,000. If convicted, he faces up to life in prison, according to a district attorney's spokeswoman. Since January, authorities received at least three other reports of Jackson's pit bulls attacking other people.

Pamela Devitt, 63, died en route to the hospital from catastrophic injuries inflicted by the dogs. Coroner officials said they found 150 to 200 puncture wounds and sharp force trauma across her body. Previously, Los Angeles County authorities said Devitt "was dragged 50 yards, scalped and her arm removed." Jackson was also charged with cultivating marijuana, possession of marijuana for sale, possession for sale of a controlled substance and assault with a deadly weapon.

05/11/13: LA County History Lesson
On Friday, 6abc.com published an article, "Littlerock pit bull attack raises legislation questions," that contained an erroneous statement from Los Angeles County Supervisor Mike Antonovich's Office: "the Littlerock attack is the first fatal pit bull attack in the county's history." According to the Fatal Pit Bull Attacks website -- visually tracked on the California Fatal Pit Bull Maulings Map -- there have been 9 previous pit bull fatalities in this county, one stemming as far back as 1891.2

April 2006, Los Angeles County, CA
John Doe, 25
Fatal pit bull attack
November 2005, Los Angeles County, CA
Mike Rocha Gomez, 86
Fatal dog attack involving pit bull(s)
February 1999, Los Angeles County, CA
Fily Araujo, < 2
Fatal pit bull attack
November 1994, Los Angeles County, CA
Baby Doe Garcia, < 1
Fatal pack attack involving pit bulls
January 1990, Los Angeles County, CA
Lilly Marjee, 70
Fatal pit bull attack
July 1983, Los Angeles County, CA
Sara Lynn Delance, 5
Fatal pit bull attack
February 1980, Los Angeles County, CA
Norman Ben Jr., 3
Fatal pit bull attack
February 1945, Los Angeles County, CA
Marguerite Theresa Derdenger, < 2
Fatal pit bull attack
April 1891, Los Angeles County, CA
Don Shorb, 7
Fatal dog attack involving bulldog (pit bull-type)

05/10/13: Mauling Victim Identified
The victim has been identified as Pamela Devitt, 63-years old, of Littlerock. On Thursday at about 9:30 am, Devitt was savagely attacked by up to four pit bulls she encountered while taking her morning walk. Tony Bell, spokesperson for LA County Supervisor Michael Antonovich, said Devitt "was dragged 50 yards, scalped and her arm removed. We’ve gotta do something about it; they’re killing machines." Devitt died in an ambulance en route to the hospital. Bell also stated:

Supervisor Antonovich’s office says this incident points out the need to change state law regarding the aggressive dogs to make communities safer.

"To ask state legislature to allow local government to pass their own ordinances, breed specific if you will. We’re not talking about bans necessarily. We’re talking enhanced enforcement on pit bulls and the owners," Bell said.

Currently, California municipalities are prohibited from declaring a specific dog breed "dangerous" or "vicious," as well as banning a dog breed. Municipalities are limited to breed-specific regulation of the spay/neuter status of a dog. The ordinances on the California breed-specific laws page reflect this limitation. Prior to the ability to regulate the spay/neuter status of specific dog breeds (2005), California was a full anti-BSL state, disallowing all forms of breed-specific regulation.3

The six seized pit bulls remain in quarantine. Authorities are conducting DNA tests to determine if the dogs were involved in Devitt's mauling death. Evelina Villa, a spokeswoman for the county Department of Animal Care and Control, said the owner of the pit bulls had previously been cited because at least one of his dogs had attacked a horse. The 29-year old owner, identified as Alex Jackson, was arrested yesterday on unrelated charges for suspicion of cultivating marijuana.

05/09/13: Investigation Continues
Tweets from Captain Mike Parker of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department along with the Palmdale Sherifff's Station Facebook Page help clarify developing events. Eight dogs were taken into custody on the 37000 block of 115th Street. Six of the dogs were pit bulls, the other two were mixed. The owner of the dogs was arrested for cultivation of marijuana. The correct location of where the mauling victim was found is 116th Street East and Avenue S, Littlerock, California.

It is still not known if the seized dogs are responsible for the woman's death.

05/09/13: Dogs Seized from Home
NBC Los Angeles updated their article reporting that at least four dogs were taken from a home near the mauling site after deputies served a search warrant after 5 pm Pacific Time. Women at the home were reportedly "screaming as the dogs were taken away" and two men appeared to be in custody in the back of the patrol car, according to the article. Seizing the dogs4 comes hours after an active ground and air search effort and county authorities offering a $25,000 reward for:

"Information leading to the capture of the 4 killer pit bulls."

05/09/13: Woman Killed by Pit Bulls
Littlerock, CA - In a developing story, a woman was fatally mauled by pit bulls while out for a walk Thursday morning in the Antelope Valley. Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and animal control responded to the call of a fatal pit bull attack at about 9:30 am. The victim, a 63-year old Hispanic woman, was out for her morning walk on Avenue S near 110th Street East when the dogs attacked. Deputies shot at the dogs, which sent them scattering into the dessert.

A witness saw the attack and began honking her horn to try to scare the dogs away. Instead, the four pit bulls tried to attack the witness's car -- specifically trying to puncture the car's tires. County officials continue air and ground searches trying to locate the pit bulls. Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael Antonovich offered a $25,000 reward for information leading to their capture. The woman suffered severe injuries and died en route to the hospital.

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

1These dog owners also put the attacking dog down to evade the "potentially dangerous" designation. Why not? A new crop of pit bulls has no paper trail -- it's a clean slate for new attacks without accountability. It is true in this case that prosecutors are using Jackson's past vicious dog ownership against him. We hope this is a trend that sticks!
2The article also contains erroneous data about the number of pit bulls euthanized in Denver since its 1989 pit bull ban. In 2009, Animal People reported on the effect of breed-specific laws on pit bull euthanasia rates. Denver's annual average is 275 versus Los Angeles with 13,000. This is not rocket science. After a pit bull ban is enacted, the population of pit bulls dramatically decreases over time, thus the pit bull killing rate decreases as well.
3The statewide preemptive anti-BSL measure was passed by the California legislature in 1989.
4The article did not explicitly state that the seized dogs were the culprits.

Posted on May 9, 2013 by Colleen Lynn

DogsBite.org Releases 8-Year U.S. Dog Bite Fatality State Map (2005 to 2012) and Discussion Notes

Dog Bite Fatality State Map
DogsBite.org - For several years now, after posting our annual fatal dog bite statistics in January, we release a combined year dog bite fatality chart that depicts the breeds most responsible for these deaths. For instance, in both the 7-year and 8-year combined charts, pit bulls contributed to 60% of the total recorded deaths. For more visual information, we've created a combined year dog bite fatality state map that shows the number of dog bite fatalities by state.

The state map is another downloadable educational tool created by DogsBite.org for dog bite victims' advocates, law enforcement, attorneys, doctors and researchers. In addition to these downloadable PDF files, DogsBite.org also maintains interactive Google Maps, specific to pit bull fatalities, for about a dozen of the most troubling states. The Google Maps track by state: fatal pit bull attacks, breed-specific laws, dog bite injury studies, legislative milestones and more.

Discussion Notes

To discuss the state map in more detail, we've added new columns to Chart A and created a state death rate chart for comparison, Chart B. The death rate demonstrates the number of dog bite fatalities per 10 million population within that state over the 8-year period. This rate was calculated by using state population data from the U.S. Census Bureau for each year (2005 to 2012). The dog bite death rate is based upon the combined population of each state over the 8-year period.

Chart A. Highest Number of Dog Bite Fatalities (2005 to 2012)

State	Total Deaths	Pit Bull Deaths	% Pit Bulls
Texas §	32	24	75%
California §	28	23	82%
Georgia	16	9	56%
Florida §	14	7	50%
Michigan	12	5	42%
South Carolina	11	6	55%
Illinois §	10	7	70%
North Carolina	10	7	70%
Virginia §	9	6	67%
Tennessee	8	5	63%

§ Indicates states with full or partial anti-BSL law.

In California, pit bulls contributed to 82% of all dog bite-related fatalities during the 8-year period.Texas led the nation over the 8-year period with 32 deaths followed by California (28), Georgia (16), Florida (14) and Michigan (12). Generally, a higher number of dog bite fatalities occur in the Southern United States. Of the top ten states leading fatal dog attacks, 70% fall within the southern geographical region. Also, with the inclusion of California, which only allows breed-specific spay and neuter ordinances, half of the top ten states are governed by anti-BSL preemption laws.

The columns, Pit Bull Deaths and Percent Pit Bulls, were added to show the variable: Of the total number of dog bite deaths by state, how many were inflicted by pit bulls? During the 8-year period, 32 dog bite fatalities were recorded in Texas. Pit bulls accounted for 75% of these deaths. As readers can see from Chart A, California even surpassed Texas, where pit bulls inflicted 82% of all deaths. Illinois and North Carolina show that pit bulls contributed to 70% of all dog bite deaths.1

Chart B. Highest Death Rate of Dog Bite Fatalities (2005 to 2012)

State	8-Year Population	Total Deaths	Rate Per 10 mil
Alaska	5,573,296	3	5.38
New Mexico	16,158,886	6	3.71
West Virginia †	14,734,312	5	3.39
South Carolina †	36,219,292	11	3.04
Nevada	21,076,972	5	2.37
Oklahoma †	29,521,263	7	2.37
Mississippi †	23,576,586	5	2.12
Georgia †	75,980,220	16	2.11
Texas †	195,959,931	32	1.63
Tennessee †	50,014,681	8	1.60

United States	2,440,244,708	251	1.03

† Indicates states within the Southern United States.
Shaded indicates states that appear in both charts.

60% of the states also fall into the bottom ten positions of states with the lowest median household incomes.2Many readers might be surprised to see Alaska in the number one position. Alaska, however, is a low populated state with distinctive geography. There is also a disproportionate number of Alaska Native people afflicted by serious dog bite injuries and deaths that may be due to unique conditions and activities which include: high risk hunting, mushing, and living in remote and inaccessible areas. (Learn more: Hospitalizations Resulting from Dog Bite Injuries - Alaska, 1991-2002).

South Carolina, Georgia, Texas and Tennessee appear in both charts (shaded). In contrast, Illinois, California and Florida, each included in Chart A, fall below the national death rate of 1.03 per 10 million population, as did New York, the third most populated state, behind California and Texas. As one can see, high population is not the chief predictor for dog bite fatalities. What is predictable is that 70% of the states in Chart B, again, fall within the Southern United States.

There were nine states that incurred no dog bite-related deaths during the 8-year period, including: Idaho, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, and Wyoming. Washington state stands out as the only state with a combined 8-year population of over 52 million that did not incur any fatalities. Of these states, seven had 8-year populations of 14.4 million or less. None of these nine states are part of the Southern United States either.

Download: Full listing of dog bite-related deaths rate by state

Editorial note added March 8, 2017: Updated Chart B and related content to show the death rate of per 10 million population, as well as used a combined 8-year population instead of a rolling base average.

1In February, DogsBite.org issued a report detailing dog bite fatalities in the state of Texas. That report covered a time period of just over 8-years (January 1, 2005 to February 17, 2013). At that time, we noted California in a footnote, but had not reviewed the percentage of deaths inflicted by pit bulls.
2Mississippi is dead last, followed by West Virginia, Tennessee, New Mexico, South Carolina and Oklahoma (2011 to 2004 Wikipedia).

DogsBite blog ::

National Dog Bite Prevention Week (May 19-25, 2013)

Dog Bite Injury Severity and Bowl-A-Thon Event

2013 Dog Bite Fatality: Paralyzed Man Pulled from Wheelchair Dies After Dog Attack in Dorchester County

2013 Dog Bite Fatality: Pit Bulls Owner Convicted of Second-Degree Murder After Dogs Kill Antelope Valley Woman

DogsBite.org Releases 8-Year U.S. Dog Bite Fatality State Map (2005 to 2012) and Discussion Notes