Posted on March 27, 2013 by Colleen Lynn

2013 Dog Bite Fatality: Bryan County Toddler Killed by Family Pit Bulls

Victim of fatal pit bull mauling: Monica Renee Laminack of Ellebell, GA.

Mother 'Studying'
UPDATE 04/17/13: A mother charged with child cruelty in the dog mauling death of her daughter was in her bedroom studying for her GED diploma when the toddler was attacked by the family's pit bulls, according to her attorney. The child slipped into the backyard unnoticed through a doggie door and was attacked and killed by the animals. Yesterday, Summer Laminack was charged with second-degree cruelty to children, a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

Georgia law defines second-degree child cruelty as an act of criminal negligence that causes a child excessive pain, either physical or mental. Two other adults were at the home at the time of the attack. Sheriff Clyde Smith said the child's grandmother was taking a nap; authorities have not released what the third adult was doing. District Attorney Tom Durden said, "It was a very horrific event that happened." Durden plans to let a grand jury decide if the case should go to trial.

04/16/13: Young Mother Charged
Charges have been filed in the death of a 21-month old toddler killed by a pack of family pit bulls in Ellabell last month. Summer Laminack, 18-years old, was charged with second-degree cruelty to children in the death of her daughter, Monica Laminack, according to a press release from the Bryan County Sheriff’s Department. Her attorney, Tom Edenfield of Savannah, surrendered Laminack on Tuesday to the sheriff's department. She was released on a $5,000 bond.

Laminack, along with two other adults and two young boys were at the home on March 27 when the family's pit bulls mauled the toddler to death. Bryan County Sheriff Clyde Smith said the adults were apparently napping at the time. At one point, the child's grandmother awakened and alerted family members to the attack, according to Smith. By the time any of the adults reached the child, she was already dead. Further action by the Bryan County Grand Jury is pending.

03/29/13: Criminal Charges Expected
Sheriff Clyde Smith tells WTOC there is no excuse for one of the adults to not be keeping a close eye on Monica, which is why second-degree felony child cruelty charges are being considered. The length of the attack is what investigators are now focusing on and why it took so long for family members to respond. Earlier, news reports said the 911 call was made at 6:36 pm. When EMS arrived, the little girl's body was already cold, indicating that she had been dead for a while.1

Detective Donnie Thomas said, "It wasn't just a one or two minute ordeal. It was not one or two bites and the dogs went on their own way." Smith and Thomas provided WTOC photos of Monica's body after the attack to show how severe and possibly prolonged the attack was. "The bite marks covered her entire body, the graphic photos even showing what appeared to be the tiny child's head nearly decapitated along with severe internal damage," reports the article.

03/28/13: News Conference Held
Byrancountynews.net reports more details about the news conference held Thursday morning in Pembroke. Bryan County Sheriff Clyde Smith said the child's mother, Summer Laminack, 18, grandmother, Michelle McIntyre, great-grandmother, Pat Asher, and two uncles, ages 14 and 12, were home at the time of the fatal dog mauling. Family members told Smith they "went to sleep" after returning from a store just after 5 pm. The 911 call was placed at 6:36 pm.

"Apparently what happened is the child and the dogs were all in the house together and exited the house through the doggie door," Smith said ... "The dogs apparently live in the house also ... and they all went outside and at some point they started attacking the child, mauled her and drug her all over the yard. They tore her clothes off and scattered her clothes all over a pretty large back yard." - Bryan County Sheriff Clyde Smith

Smith said that charges of child neglect would be the minimum that could be filed. Smith said he did not anticipate any charges being filed before the child's funeral. Smith only saw photographs of the young girl, but said that deputies and emergency personnel who responded to the scene were "very disturbed." Smith told reporters, "They said it was the worst they have seen. It was bad -- very bad." Bryan County Animal Control euthanized all seven pit bulls on the scene.

03/28/13: Child Victim Identified
The young child mauled to death by her family's seven pit bulls has been identified as Monica Laminack. Bryan County Sheriff Clyde Smith said that when EMS arrived, the child was already cold, indicating she had been dead for a while. Authorities continue to question how the child ended up in the backyard alone with the animals. Speculation ranges from her 12-year old brother leaving her in the backyard to the child accessing the dogs through the home's doggie door.

"All the dogs had access to the house, nine dogs in all. She habitually played with dogs, all of them." - Bryan County Sheriff Clyde Smith

The seven dogs involved in the attack, all pit bulls, were put down at the scene. Two other dogs (not pit bulls) living at the residence and not involved in the attack were spared. A separate article reports that Smith held a news conference Thursday morning. Smith confirmed that the child crawled through the doggie door, apparently she had done so in the past. Smith said that he would be shocked if no charges were filed. Five people were in the home at the time of the attack.

Smith added that four generations of the family lived at the home.

03/27/13: Toddler Killed by Pit Bulls
Bryan County, GA - Bryan County police authorities are investigating the death of a 21-month old girl who was mauled to death by a pack of seven pit bulls and pit bull-mix dogs Wednesday night. Police say the girl's grandmother was sleeping when she was awakened by a commotion in the yard. She looked out and saw the attack, but was unable to save the child. All of the pit bulls belonged to the child's family and have already been euthanized Bryan County Animal Control.

The child's identity has not yet been released.

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

1Authorities believe the child died at 6 pm, a half an hour before the 911 call.

Photo: Facebook.com

Posted on March 20, 2013 by Colleen Lynn

Report: Texas Dog Bite Fatalities, January 1, 2005 to February 17, 2013

The report shows that 34 Texas dog bite fatalities were recorded during this period, more dog bite-related deaths than any other state. Impediments to reduce these deaths include the one bite rule and the 1991 statewide measure that prohibits breed-specific laws.

Austin, TX - In just over the last 8-years, 34 Texans were killed by dogs. Pit bulls were responsible for 76% of the total recorded deaths. The second most lethal dog breed, rottweilers, accounted for 15%. Pit bulls figure more prominently in Texas statistics then they do nationally (60%) in roughly the same period. This may be due to the state's exhaustive history with dogfighting and the 1991 statewide law that prohibits municipalities from regulating specific dog breeds.

Texas is also a one bite state. Victims of dog attacks must prove the owner knew or should have known of the dangerous or vicious propensities of the dog in order to prevail in a civil lawsuit. This same burden of proof applies to the criminal statue, Lillian's Law, which only affects loose dog attacks (off owner property attacks). Since the 2007 passage of Lillian's Law, only one set of dog owners, whose animals viciously attacked and killed a person, has been convicted under it.1

Texas Dog Bite Fatality Statistics

January 1, 2005 to February 17, 2013

34 Texas dog bite fatalities were recorded during this period, more fatalities than any other state.2 Pit bulls contributed to 76% (26) of
these deaths.
Combined, pit bulls (26) and rottweilers (5), the second most lethal dog breed, accounted for 91% (31) of the total recorded deaths.
Texas data shows that 68% (23) of the victims were children ages 11-years and younger. Of this group, 52% (12) were ages 2 and younger.
35% (12) of all fatal dog attacks involved more than one dog; 6% (2) involved a "pack attack," involving 4 or more dogs.
18% (6) of the recorded deaths involved chained dogs; 100% of the chaining fatalities resulted in the death of a child 4-years old or younger.3
Pit bulls 83% (5) and rottweilers 17% (1) comprised all chaining fatalities in Texas; each fatality occurred in a rural or semi-rural area.
Family dogs comprised 53% (18) of all fatal dog maulings; 88% (30) of the attacks occurred on the dog owner's property.
18% (6) of the total recorded deaths resulted in criminal charges, just lower than the national average of 22% in nearly the same period.
The combined years of 2006 and 2007 accounted for 38% (13) of all Texas dog bite fatalities in just over the 8-year period.
Harris County had the most fatal dog attack occurrences (5) followed by Bexar County (4) and Montgomery County (3).4

Doctors Lead Call to Reform Texas Laws

Calls to reform state laws after years of horrific dog maulings have come from victims' families, elected officials,5 citizens and newspaper editorials. Texas doctors have long been forthright as well. The first Texas medical study, Pit Bull Attack: Case Report and Literature Review (Texas Medicine, 1988), was published several years before the 1991 statewide anti-BSL measure. Doctors at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston issued a prophetic warning:

An 83-year old man was attacked by two pit bulls. The injuries sustained included significant soft-tissue losses in both upper extremities. Such intensity of bites and the magnitude of soft-tissue trauma may be characteristic of a pit bull attack. The development and use of this breed of dog and
its current population in the United States suggest that further injuries and deaths will occur. - Pit Bull Attack: Case Report and Literature Review

Since the 1988 publication of this study, pit bulls have killed 245 Americans.

In the 8-year period leading up to the study (1981 to 1988), pit bulls inflicted 45 deaths nationally. In the last 8-years (2005 to 2012), pit bulls inflicted 151. This is over a 300% increase in national fatal pit bull maulings. The rate of Texas fatal pit bull maulings, however, has increased over 500% since the 1988 study. Of the 45 recorded deaths in the 1980s period, 13% (6) were Texas victims. Of the 151 deaths recorded in the last 8-year period, 21% (32) were Texas victims.

In 2011, doctors from University Hospital San Antonio went even further in their study, Mortality, Mauling and Maiming by Vicious Dogs (Annals of Surgery, 2011). The study's findings conclude the following about pit bulls: "Attacks by pit bulls are associated with higher morbidity rates, higher hospital charges, and a higher risk of death than are attacks by other breeds of dogs. Strict regulation of pit bulls may substantially reduce the US mortality rates related to dog bites."

Texas, the state that leads the nation in dog bite fatalities, is a “one bite” state that prohibits breed-specific laws … The unacceptable actuarial risk associated with certain breeds of dogs (specifically, pit bulls) must be addressed … Individual municipalities need the power to enact ordinances that can protect their citizens from this risk. If they are to obtain such power, the issue must be addressed at the local, county, and state legislative levels. - Mortality, Mauling and Maiming by Vicious Dogs

The study emphasizes that Texas is a one bite state that also prohibits breed-specific laws. Furthermore, these three aspects may never have been placed into a single sentence so succinctly before. 1.) Texas leads the nation in dog bite fatalities 2.) Texas is a one bite state and 3.) Texas prohibits breed-specific laws. The call to reform Texas laws by the San Antonio doctors also addresses the necessary legislative levels that must be involved: local, county and state.

Impediments to Achieving Reform

The one bite rule, which omits civil liability for the dog's first bite (or first mauling, maiming or death). This liability standard was established in England in the 1600s and has no place in modern America.
The 1991 anti-BSL measure, which prohibits municipalities facing a breed-specific problem from directly responding to it. The only benefactors of the law are breeders and owners of dangerous dog breeds.
The cultural acceptance, primarily in rural and semi-rural areas, of keeping dangerous dog breeds chained and unsupervised in an accessible yard and the acceptance of the mortality of children that naturally ensues.

A Closer Look: Deaths by Chained Dogs

DogsBite.org began reviewing Texas fatal dog attack data after a second Texas toddler was killed by a neighbor's chained pit bull in under a 1-month period this year. Last year in the U.S., chained dogs killed two individuals. In the first 47 days of 2013, Texas matched this national statistic. Texas data shows that pit bulls and rottweilers accounted for 100% of the chaining deaths. Each fatality involved a child 4-years old or younger and occurred in a rural or semi-rural area.

On January 19, 4-year old Christian Gormanous of Montgomery County climbed over a 4-foot chain link fence into his neighbor's yard. A chained pit bull on the other side immediately attacked him. On February 16, 2-year old Isaiah Aguilar of Sabinal was killed after getting too close to his neighbor's chained pit bull. According to Isaiah's family, there was a "huge hole" in the neighbor's fence and the pit bull had previously killed its own sire and attacked puppies from its own litter.

The death of 4-year old Kylar Johnson in 2012 in a small community outside of Victoria must also be mentioned. After an all night search for the boy carried out by multiple law enforcement teams, Kylar was discovered dead the next morning, killed by a resident's chained pit bull. The owner of the dog, Manuel Garcia, kept 10 chained pit bulls in his mostly-fenced backyard. While Kylar still managed to wander onto the property, he had little chance of ever leaving the property alive.

Chaining dangerous dog breeds and leaving them unsupervised in an accessible yard is a recipe for disaster. The very act of chaining these types of dogs is irresponsible and perpetuates additional negligence, such as accessible yards. Why build secure fencing if the dog is chained? Cheap economics is the only priority in the minds of these dog owners. The cultural acceptance of these attitudes in many parts of Texas ensures that more children will lose their lives.

Progressive Texas Municipalities

Despite the two most significant road blocks to reforming Texas laws -- the one bite rule and anti-BSL measure -- a handful of municipalities have enacted proactive policies in the past few years. In each case, the policies are different, reflecting the diversity of municipalities and their need to craft policies without state imposed limitations. All three initiatives, however, share the following in common: preventing new attacks and holding dog owners more responsible.

Fort Worth, Texas

In January 2009, one week after the fatal mauling of 3-year old Brooklynn Millburn by a neighbor's rottweiler, Fort Worth Animal Control underwent a door-to-door sweep citing non-compliant dog owners. In just 4-days, 800 citations were issued. Code officers said they intended to knock on doors in every city neighborhood in a 90-day period. By July, the Code Compliance Administration had prepared and presented a revised animal control ordinance to city council.

The ordinance created a uniform fencing requirement for all dogs and secure 6-foot fencing for "aggressive" dogs -- animals that make repeated attempts to climb, dig or chew through fencing in order to attack or harass a person or a pet. Thus, citizens no longer need to "wait to be attacked" in these situations before meaningful steps can be taken. The ordinance also encourages sterilization (intact pet permit) and allows for the seizure of any dog tethered to a fixed object.

See: Related FAQ and municipal code.

Garland, Texas

In 2010, after years of pit bulls leading bite statistics and being caught at large, Garland created a departmental directive requiring 6-foot fencing for pit bulls. As stated in the directive, its purpose is to provide "uniform enforcement" of its existing ordinance that requires enclosures for all dogs to be properly maintained to prevent the animal from escaping. The directive then clarifies the type of enclosures necessary to "adequately maintain American Staffordshire Terriers, pit bull dogs, American Bull Dogs, or crossbreeds thereof within the enclosures."

The directive also states that specific enclosure requirements for pit bulls are necessary due to the "physical characteristics common to pit bull dogs that provide them with the capability to escape confinement from enclosures not meeting the following standards." Pit bull owners that registered their dog prior to the August 1, 2010 directive are exempt. Examples of acceptable and unacceptable enclosures for pit bulls are located on the city's website.

San Antonio, Texas

In 2011, San Antonio created a special court that hears all canine related crimes, including dog bites, strays, the mistreatment of animals and irresponsible dog owners (failure to vaccinate, license and more). The most important aspect for dog bite victims is that their case now only appears before a judge that has a deeper understanding of the issue. For instance, the seriousness of dog bite injuries and the common excuses recited by irresponsible dog owners.

In 2012, San Antonio went even further by deploying "one of the most proactive approaches in the state to support dog bite victims," according to San Antonio Express-News. The new program specifically tackles the process of a Dangerous Dog or an Aggressive Dog investigation by making it more efficient and favorable to dog bite victims. The process is outlined in the proposed Dangerous Dog Revision Process that was passed by city council members in October 2011.6

Conclusion

National statistics from 2005 to 2012 show that pit bulls killed 151 Americans and accounted for 60% of the total recorded dog bite-related fatalities. In Texas, this percentage is even higher. In roughly the same period, pit bulls accounted for 76% of the total recorded deaths. The rate of pit bull fatalities in Texas is also accelerating. Since the 1988 medical report was published in Texas Medicine, the rate of fatal attacks inflicted by pit bulls in Texas has increased over 500%.

There are two impediments to reduce these deaths: Texas is a one bite state that also prohibits breed-specific laws. Both obstacles can and should be eliminated through state legislative means. The cultural tolerance in many rural and semi-rural areas of leaving dangerous dog breeds chained and unsupervised in an accessible yard is another barrier that must be overcome. Secure fencing and anti-tethering ordinances can and should be enacted on local or county levels.

There is a growing will amongst Texas municipalities to reform animal control policies to better protect human welfare and safety. This report calls out three cities that have enacted progressive policies to prevent new attacks and to hold dog owners more responsible. There is also a growing will to prosecute dog owners under Lillan's Law, though the criminal law is still largely underutilized. DogsBite.org hopes this growing will outpaces the growth of the problem itself.

Epilogue: Fatal Dog Mauling Victims

2005 - Sandra Sanchez, 32-years old (Harris County, TX)
2005 - Roberto Aguilera, 64-years old (Bexar County, TX)
2005 - Lillian Stiles, 76-years old (Thorndale, TX)
2006 - Ashton Scott, 11-months old (Childress, TX)
2006 - Gemma Carlos, 2-years old (Horizon City, TX)
2006 - Mariah Puga, 3-years old (Hargill, TX)
2006 - Frank Baber, 49-years old (Spur, TX)
2006 - David "Ted" McCurry, 41-years old (Willis, TX)
2006 - Pedro Rios, 4-years old (Pasadena, TX)
2007 - Amber Jones, 10-years old (San Antonio, TX)
2007 - Pamela Rushing, 50-years old (Friendswood, TX)
2007 - Carolina Sotelo, 2-years old (Combine, TX)
2007 - Celestino Rangel, 90-years old (San Antonio, TX)
2007 - Magdelena Silva, 95-years old (El Paso, TX)
2007 - Scott Warren, 6-years old (Dallas, TX)
2007 - Seth Lovitt, 11-years old (Killeen, TX)
2008 - Tanner Monk, 7-years old (Breckenridge, TX)
2008 - Pablo Lopez (Hernandez), 5-years old (Weslaco, TX)
2009 - Brooklynn Milburn, 3-years old (Fort Worth, TX)
2009 - Tyson Miller, 2-years old (Luling, TX)
2009 - Izaiah Gregory Cox, 7-months old (San Antonio, TX)
2009 - Barbara Chambers, 59-years old (Garland, TX)
2009 - Justin Clinton, 10-years old (Leverett's Chapel, TX)
2010 - Kaden Muckleroy, 2-years old (Henderson, TX)
2010 - Jeannette Vaughn, 3-months old (Harris County, TX)
2011 - Brayden McCollen, 2-weeks old (Cypress, TX)
2011 - Donna Conrad, 71-years old (Valley View, TX)
2011 - Mya Maeda, 11-days old (Amarillo, TX)
2011 - Edna Dyson, 71-years old (Houston, TX)
2012 - Jace Valdez, 16 months old (Magnolia, TX)
2012 - Kylar Johnson, 4-years old (Victoria County, TX)
2012 - Rayden Bruce, 3-months old (Burleson, TX)
2013 - Christian Gormanous, 4-years old (Montgomery County, TX)
2013 - Isaiah Aguilar, 2-years old (Sabinal, TX)

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

1In 2011, the 11th Court of Appeals upheld the conviction of Jack Wayne Smith and Crystal Michelle Watson in the death of Tanner Monk. Since the appellate ruling, several convictions under Lillian's Law in cases of nonfatal dog attacks have been made, including two in Travis County just last year: Verna Cooper and Reginald Welton.
2California followed with 29 dog bite fatalities and Georgia with 16 during the same period.
3DogsBite.org tracks deaths by chained dogs when the animal is chained during the attack. This category likely should be expanded to include a chained dog that breaks free from restraint and immediately attacks causing death, such as the case of Kaden Muckleroy in Henderson, Texas.
4Technically, Dallas County also had three fatal occurrences, if one includes a fatality that occurred in Combine. The small City of Combine lies in both Dallas County and Kaufman County.
5Senator Rodney Ellis (Harris County) is part of this 2007 article. In 1991, Ellis sponsored the statewide anti-BSL measure and helped ensure its passage. Nearly 15 years later, in 2005, Ellis backtracked by sponsoring SB 1111 that would allow counties over the size of 1.9 million (Harris, Bexar, etc.) to enact breed-specific laws. Recall that Ellis' constituency, Harris County, has the most fatal dog attacks in Texas.
6Three people were killed by pit bulls in San Antonio from 2007 to 2009. These deaths not only moved San Antonio doctors to undertake a medical injury and mortality study, but moved city officials to create policies favorable to dog bite victims.

View: Full news release

Posted on March 14, 2013 by Colleen Lynn

Westwego Woman Loses Eye, Ear and Both Arms After Pet Pit Bulls Attack

Linda Henry seen after surviving a near fatal pit bull mauling.

Victim After Mauling
UPDATE 05/31/13: Linda Henry who was nearly mauled to death by her own pit bulls in March, recently spoke to WDSU.com. Henry suffered the loss of both arms and disfiguring eye injury in the savage attack. The dogs also ripped most of her scalp from her skull. "The worst part," Henry said, "was my head." Henry underwent skin grafts this week to replace the skin that was ripped from her skull. A local company, Innovative Prosthetics, has donated new arms for Henry.

Councilman Glenn Green introduced a tougher breed-specific ordinance in the wake of Henry's attack. Green told WDSU: "No other dog is causing the problems that pit bulls are causing. We have to protect the public safety, (and) I'm going to do that." The new ordinance is to scheduled to go before Westwego City Council in July. Green previously said that Henry would testify at the public hearing. Henry, once a pit bull lover, now believes the breed should be banned.

04/10/13: Ordinance Drafted archived
Westwego city officials have drafted a new ordinance further targeting pit bulls. The action was driven by the savage pit bull mauling of Linda Henry. In March, three of four adult pit bulls that Linda had raised with her boyfriend since puppies ambushed her as she walked into her home.1 Henry suffered catastrophic pit bull injury, including the amputation of both arms, the loss of an eye and ear and devastating scalp injury -- the dogs ripped the scalp off the back of her head.

Westwego has had a pit bull ordinance since 2000 and city officials are strengthening it, proposing that owners be at least 21-years old and have at least $100,000 in liability insurance under their homeowners or rental policies. Also required under the proposed ordinance is mandatory microchipping and mandatory sterilization -- breeding new pit bulls will be banned. Police shot and killed all four adult pit bulls at the scene and seized a litter of eight pit bull puppies.

"They're going to be able to keep their pit bulls. They’re going to find it's a lot more expensive." -- Westwego City Councilman Glenn Green

The proposed ordinance will be reviewed more closely in July after newly elected City Council members take their seats. On Monday, Councilman Glen Green, who is leading the effort behind the proposed ordinance and visits Linda in the hospital, stated from the Westwego City Council podium: "I'm going to make sure your insurance company knows what's going on. I don't care if you don't like it. Unless you've been across the river to see Ms. Henry, you can't complain."2

03/18/13: Councilman Knows Victim archived
Linda Henry remained in critical condition at a New Orleans hospital Monday after suffering catastrophic pit bull injury. Westwego Councilman Glenn Green visited Henry at the hospital and said that he has seen improvement in her condition. Green said she now responds "when you talk to her" by wiggling her toes. Green said he's "had enough" after seeing Linda's devastating injuries and wants to make owning certain dog breeds more difficult inside Westwego city limits.

"I'm going to be a pain in their asses," Green said of owners of certain breeds. "That is the most vicious, brutal thing I've ever seen. I don't want to see that happen again to a citizen in Westwego."

Green said his plans are still in the works and he will seek support amongst his fellow City Council members to amend the city's current dog ordinance. Green added, "If they want to challenge it in court, so be it," Green said. "There are several breeds that I'm putting in there." In 2000, after the death of 2-year old Ramani Virgil, who was killed by his family's tethered pit bull, Westwego adopted an ordinance that spells out special confinement requirements for pit bulls.

Green said the severity of Linda's injuries will stay with him for a long time. "It happened in my district," Green said. "I have to step up to the plate. I mean this young woman, I've known her since she was a little girl. She is not just someone in my district. She is a friend, a family friend. I mean I can't even imagine living my entire life being vision impaired and having no arms." Linda lost an eye, ear and both arms in the attack. The pit bulls also tore off the back of her scalp.

03/14/13: Catastrophic Pit Bull Injury archived
Westwego, LA - Yesterday, the horrific pit bull attack that occurred in Westwego was added to the DogsBite.org Dog Bite Fatality Watch List. New details emerged today. Linda Henry, 54-years old, suffered catastrophic injury; two arm amputations and the loss of an eye and ear after a vicious attack by three pit bulls she had raised since puppies. The dogs also ripped the scalp off the back of her head. Westwego police arrived and shot and killed all of the adult pit bulls in her home.

As of Thursday, Henry remains in critical condition on life support at LSU Interim Hospital.3

Her boyfriend, Clarence Allen, who helped raise the dogs said, "I don't know why they did it … We had those dogs like kids in there. They never had a fight. I don't understand it." He said the two passed by each other just before the grisly attack. Allen was headed away to a corner store and Henry was on her way back home, "carrying her terrier dog."4 When Allen got to the store, his little cousin called him on the phone and said that police were at his home, shooting his dogs.

Doesn't understand it? Pit bulls are unpredictable.

Police Chief Dwayne "Poncho" Munch said, "It's the worst dog bite I've ever seen in 25 years of police work." The couple's pit bulls evidently attacked Henry as she walked into the home. Munch said when police arrived, "They could hear the woman screaming in the house. They saw all three dogs biting her." Officers immediately shot two pit bulls that charged them as they entered the home then shot the third dog that was still mauling Henry. A fourth pit bull was also shot.

A neighbor named Alma saw Henry walk into the home and moments later heard Henry screaming, "Get off of me." Alma said that Henry was in awful shape when officers removed her from the home. "Lord, it was devastating. I've never seen something like that." She added that police carried the dogs' bodies out in garbage bags, one of which leaked blood onto the street in front of her home. Puppies taken from the home were carried out in a kennel, according to Alma.

Pit bulls consistently maul and kill their owners.

Despite being hailed as the "most loyal" dog breed by their owners and advocates, pit bulls consistently maul and kill their owners. These attacks are on the rise as well. DogsBite.org noted in the 2011 fatality statistics, "Of the 8 total instances this year in which a family dog inflicted fatal injury to its primary caretaker, the dog's owner, 88% (7) involved pet pit bulls." The Occupy Maul Street blog keeps an ongoing log of these maulings and calls them Darwin attacks.

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

1Linda only lived one block from Westwego City Hall.
2Also on Monday, four police officers, three paramedics and a code enforcement officer were given certificates and greeted by applause from those in the packed City Council chamber for helping save Henry.
3Jennifer Abbrecht, the communications director for the Louisiana SPCA, spouts "typical" distortions about pit bulls in The Advocate article while the victim is on life support after suffering catastrophic pit bull injury. According to Abbrecht's pathetic pit bull apologia, Westwego officers should not have shot the dogs to save the woman's life either. DogsBite.org hopes that Councilman Glenn Green is not swayed by Abbrecht's reprehensible distortions.
4There were 4 adult pit bulls in the home and a litter of 8 pit bull puppies along with this "terrier."

Posted on March 11, 2013 by Colleen Lynn

2013 Dog Bite Fatality: 7-Year Old 'Visiting' Galesburg Boy Killed by Pit Bull

Ryan Maxwell shown next to his school's remembrance sign.

New Details Emerge
UPDATE 03/10/13: The Register-Mail published two updates Sunday that help clarify family relationships and the events leading up to the fatal dog attack. Ryan was brutally killed by a pit bull while visiting the home of Susan Ferguson on Whiting Avenue on March 2. The Ferguson family had two pit bulls; police shot the dog, named Ghost, that attacked Ryan. Ashiya Ferguson, Susan's daughter, surrendered the other pit bull pledging, "I will never own another pit bull again."1

The two pit bulls belonged to Ashiya Ferguson and Jereme Carter. Last August, Carter was arrested and charged with the shooting death of Terrell Allen in Galesburg. After his arrest, Ashiya and the two dogs moved to her mother's home at 675 Whiting Avenue.2 Galesburg Animal Control responded to two complaints between December and February that the dogs were left neglected out in the cold. By the time officers arrived, the dogs had already been taken back inside.

Ashiya denies her pit bulls were neglected and that Ghost was dangerous.

Ryan's mother, Sarah Mead, has a 1-year old child with Jeffery Ferguson, Ashiya's brother. An earlier article described Jeffery as his mother's fiancée. It was Jeffery who invited Ryan to go to Skate Palace then spend the night with family members who live at the Whiting Avenue home. Ryan's 1-year old brother also spent the night. On Saturday afternoon, following the evening of skating, Ryan played with Ashiya's two youngest children, 7 and 8, in the backyard of the home.

Ghost was chained to the deck in the back of the home, but "somehow" managed to break free. The pit bull then launched a lethal assault on Ryan -- clamping onto his throat -- just outside the home's rear sliding glass door. Ashiya said that nothing could free the boy from the dog's jaws. They kicked the dog; hit it with shovels and the butt of a BB gun. "I couldn't believe it was Ghost," Ashiya said. "Oh God, it was so horrible. I couldn't stop it. I couldn't stop it. I couldn't stop it."

Keen observations of a dog breed selectively bred to perform exactly this way.

03/05/13: Mother Breaks Down
Painful details continue to emerge in the wake of Ryan Maxwell's horrific death. The Register-Mail reports events leading up to the fatal pit bull mauling. Ryan had been invited to go to Skate Palace then spend the night with friends who live on Whiting Avenue. It was Ryan's first and last time to ever roller skate. On Saturday, he was viciously attacked by a pit bull residing at the Whiting Avenue home. The animal still had the boy clenched in its jaws when police officers arrived.

Sarah Mead, the boy's mother, said the reality of her son's death had not set in. But she broke down when being interviewed. "I have to go to the funeral home at 1 p.m. today," Sarah said. She started to cry. "Not my baby. This isn’t fair. This isn’t right. Words can’t describe how I feel right now. I have never felt this much pain in my life." Sarah's mother, Tina Mead, said they were all at the hospital, when doctors couldn't revive Ryan. Sarah had to give them permission to stop.

After that, Ryan was in a room and Sarah and I went in there to lie with him. To be with him. Half of his face was gone. And all of his throat. They had a wash cloth over half his face and his throat covered up. This thing did that to him. This thing just took our heart. It just took our soul. - Tina Mead

Visitation is scheduled for 4 to 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Hinchliff-Pearson-West Galesburg Chapel, with services at 11:30 a.m. Thursday.

View Related video3

03/04/13: Teacher Interviewed
In a solemn update, WQAD interviews Ryan's teacher at Nielson Elementary School. Ryan was in the second grade. The video images of his teacher talking, the school hallway lined with small coats and Ryan's desk, overflowing with cards and stuffed animals left by his classmates, come too soon after Sandy Hook. The school is providing grief counselors for the students, staff and parents to help them cope with the sudden loss of Ryan, horrifically struck down by a pit bull.

A memorial fund was established at Ryan Maxwell Memorial Fund, in care of F&M Bank, 21 East Main Street, Galesburg, Illinois 61401.

03/03/13: Dog Owner Blames Self
The owner of the pit bull that savagely killed 7-year old Ryan Maxwell told CBS4 news on Sunday that her family tried everything they could to get the dog off the boy, including using a shovel and a lighter. "My son pushed me out the way and just ran up there and start beating the dog and I could just see the dog had this baby," said Ashiya Ferguson. She said her family has had the dog for a year and a half, but yesterday, amazingly, they saw a "completely different side" of the animal.

To repeat once again, what we have written so many times on this website:

The behavioral characteristic of pit bulls to grab ahold of things and shake it until its dead occurs when the dog enters into sexual maturity, about 1.5 to 2 years old. This is not debatable.4

The family will never forget the screaming and brutality of the scene, of having to witness their own dog relentlessly maul a child, reports CBS4. "I feel guilty I blame myself. I'm sorry and I feel so bad," said Ferguson. The owner said she takes responsibility for what happened and prays it will never happen to anyone else. Her words, however, arrive too late -- the boy is dead. Likewise, as a pit bull owner, Ferguson was perfectly aware of the breed's horrific reputation for killing.

Q: How many times did Ashiya Ferguson recite pit bull myths in the last 1.5 years?

03/03/13: Dog Kills Visiting Child
Galesburg, IL - In a developing story, a 7-year old boy was mauled to death by a dog on Saturday. Police responded to 675 Whiting Avenue just after 1 pm to a report of a child attacked by a dog. Officers arrived and found the dog still biting the boy. Once the officers "disengaged the dog" the animal turned on them. Police shot the dog to prevent further attacks on officers or others nearby. The boy was taken to Galesburg Cottage Hospital, where he died from his severe injuries.

According to the news release from the Galesburg Police Department, the boy was visiting the home and playing in the backyard when he was attacked. KWQC reports that investigators described the dog as a pit bull. Investigators also believe the dog was restrained prior to the attack, but managed to break free. Police are withholding the boy's name pending notification of family. Notably, police arrested a man for armed robbery at the same residence last October.

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

1It is unknown where the other pit bull was located when Ghost fatally attacked Ryan.
2Later the same night, after Terrell Allen was shot to death, Ashiya was in a parked car in front of her and Carter's home when an unknown number of assailants open fired, riddling the car with 11 bullets. Ashiay and Carter understand deadly violence all too well. Golden retrievers or poodles wouldn't interest this couple.
3Paula Johnson, the boy's great-aunt, used "dogs" in plural form in the video. Thus far, via online research, we believe at least two family members owned pit bulls, but it is unknown if both dogs were present during the attack.
4What is debatable is how often, if ever, breeders of pit bulls and groups that adopt out young pit bulls ever share this information with the buyer or adopter. Doing so would deflate the myth, "It's all in how you raise 'em!"

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