Posted on November 27, 2023 by Colleen Lynn

DogsBite's Giving Tuesday Challenge 2023 - Help Us Complete Our Victims' Database Through 20-Year Period

Only 1 Year Remaining to Reach 20 Years of Data Collection (2005-2024)

Join us on Facebook for DogsBite.org's Giving Tuesday Challenge 2023.

Giving Tuesday Challenge 2023
DogsBite.org - On November 28, Giving Tuesday, we are asking supporters to help us complete our victims' database. There is only 1 more year of data collection to go! Last year, we thought the Covid years would force us to stop at 18 years of data collection. But we were wrong -- and with your help, we prevailed during 2023! Our comprehensive and authoritative database of dog bite fatalities now contains 19 years of evidence-based data. But a full 20-year data set is ideal for research purposes!

This year's campaign emphasis our 2021 Covid Impact Report that we published in April.1 The report compared our own data to CDC Wonder data, which showed a 131% increase in dog bite fatality deaths from 2018 to 2021. In August, an article published by The Hill brought national attention to this issue.2 By September, CDC published their own report with similar findings. CDC states, "From 2018 to 2021, deaths more than doubled for both males (from 15 to 37) and females (from 20 to 44)."3

We believe the last time CDC published dog bite fatality statistics or analysis in a report was 23 years ago, on September 15, 2000.4

This year's campaign emphasizes the veracity of our data collection. We have over 100,000 pages of documentation in the 19-year data set for 722 victims. During the Covid years, we expanded the data collection for each victim from 38 parameters to 50. This requires thousands of added hours of research and coding time. On Tuesday, help us complete the definitive victims' database of dog bite fatalities so that we can preserve a full 20-year study period of data for a third-party researcher!

Changes to Meta Fundraising

This year, there is no "Meta Match" on Giving Tuesday. As of October 31, 2023, Meta no longer processes donations. Meta now partners with PayPal Giving Fund, the same entity that processes GoFundMe donations. Like GoFundMe, Meta is now just a platform that helps nonprofits share fundraising campaigns. 2023 also marked the end of AmazonSmile. Big Tech, apparently, has exited the nonprofit fundraising sector! Learn more about changes to Meta's fundraising tools.

Other Ways to Help

Many of our blog readers are already monthly or annual donors. Thank you so much to all of you! Giving Tuesday is always a fundraising day to attract new people to our cause and to invite new readers of the blog to support our cause on this global giving day. There are other ways to help DogsBite.org too. You can give a one-time gift or a monthly gift through PayPal, you can give to our PayPal Giving Fund page, which has no transaction fees. You can also snail mail a donation!

Help us reach our goal of $8,000 for DogsBite's Giving Tuesday Challenge 2023!

DogsBite.org's Giving Tuesday Challenge 2023 - November 28, 2023 - On Facebook.

1Macro-Level Forces Report: Covid Impacts of 2021 U.S. Dog Bite Fatality Capture Rate of Nonprofit, DogsBite.org, April 18, 2023 (www.dogsbite.org)
2Daniel De Vise, "Blame the pandemic: Dog bites are on the rise," The Hill, August 8, 2023 (thehill.com)
3Number of Deaths Resulting from Being Bitten or Struck by a Dog,* by Sex — National Vital Statistics System, United States, 2011–2021, MMWR, September 8, 2023 (cdc.gov)
4Breeds of Dogs Involved in Fatal Human Attacks in the United States Between 1979 and 1998, by Sacks JJ, Sinclair L, Gilchrist J, Golab GC, Lockwood R, J Am Vet Med Assoc, 2000 Sep 15;217(6):836-40

Posted on November 20, 2023 by Colleen Lynn

2023 Dog Bite Fatality: Male Teenager, 15, Killed by a Pair of American Bully-Mixes in Raytown, Missouri

Makai Williams, 15, was killed by a pair of American bully-mixes in Raytown, Missouri.

Dogs Kill Teenager
Raytown, MO - A teenager is dead after being attacked by two American bully-mixes. On November 14, at approximately 3:30 pm, officers were dispatched to a front yard of a home in the 9300 block of East 77th Street for a report of an unresponsive person. Upon arrival, they found 15-year old Makai Williams suffering from severe injuries. The teenager was transported to a local hospital, where he died three days later. Authorities confiscated both dogs from the home. No arrests have been made.

Since the American bully -- which comes in four different sizes (Pocket, Standard, Classic and XL) -- is a "natural extension of the American pit bull terrier," and is comprised of "multiple" bull breeds, it seems redundant to call these dogs "American bully-mixes." Police did not release the size or coloring of these dogs. The United Kingdom recently banned the XL bully due to a growing number of fatal attacks inflicted by the XL bully since 2021. The investigation into the boy's death is ongoing.

Released by: Captain Dyon Harper
Release Date: 11-20-2023
Dog Attack Victim Identified

Raytown, MO – The Raytown Police have identified the teen who was killed from an apparent dog attack on Tuesday, November 14th as Makai Williams, a 15-year-old Raytown resident.

On the afternoon of November 14th, 2023, at 3:36 p.m., Raytown Police responded to a residence in the 9300 block of East 77 Street regarding an unresponsive male. Upon their arrival, they located a 15-year-old male suffering from several severe injuries. The victim was transported to an area hospital but succumbed to his injuries on November 17th. It was determined that the victim’s injuries were caused by dog mauling.

Two apparent American Bully mixed breed dogs have been impounded from the residence. No arrests have been made. The investigation is ongoing.

Report Number: 23-3057

In October of 2022, a pair of American XL bullies -- a name interchangeable with XL pit bulls -- killed both children in their Tennessee home, 5-month old Hollace Bennard and 2-year old Lilly Bennard, and severely injured their young mother who intervened. Both children were pronounced deceased at the scene. The father called the dogs "house lions" on social media. The couple had owned the male and female pair of XL pit bulls for at least eight years before the dogs killed their two children.

Discovered Inside Home

KCTV reports that Williams was discovered inside the home -- not in the front yard -- and that family members were on scene. "Raytown police found a 15-year-old male lying on the kitchen floor with apparent head trauma. He was identified as Makai Williams. There were several people on scene who police presumed to be family members. According to the incident report, they told police Williams was located in the back of the home and were unsure of the cause of his injuries," reports KCTV.

teenager killed by pair of american bully-mixes

A male teenager, 15, was killed by a pair of American bully-mixes in Raytown, Missouri.

Baseline reporting requirements:
Law enforcement departments across the United States should release consistent "baseline" information to the media and the public after each fatal dog mauling, including these items.

Posted on November 16, 2023 by Colleen Lynn

2023 Dog Bite Fatality: Elderly Harris County Woman Found Dead in Bayou with Multiple Bite Marks

Constable: "Preliminary Info Victim Deceased of Many Dog Bites"

An elderly woman found dead in a bayou in northwest Harris County apparently had bite marks.

Cause of Death Released
UPDATE 11/20/23: The Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences website lists the primary cause of death of Sau Nguyen as "multiple sharp force and blunt injuries." The manner of death was an accident. Both are indicative of a fatal dog mauling. The autopsy report is not yet complete. The place of death is listed as "ditch Houston, TX." Records at the Forensic Sciences website are updated every 30 minutes. Harris County Veterinary Public Health still has not released any dog breed data.

11/16/23: Woman Found Dead
Harris County, TX - On Wednesday, the body of a 79-year old woman was discovered dead by her son in a bayou near their northwest Houston home. Investigators said she appeared to have multiple bite marks. Her body was found near the 6100 block of Downwood Forest Drive near Bold Forest. Her family said she typically takes a daily walk, but did not return from her walk Wednesday afternoon. That's when her two sons began searching for her. She was discovered face down in the water.

According to neighbors, there was one home on the block where dogs frequently escaped from. One of the neighbors even told the victim to look out for the dogs on her walk Wednesday. Another unidentified neighbor said, "They attacked the neighbors. They even killed some of the dogs, pets, you know, the little, small chihuahuas and everything. We lost a life because of wild dogs." The video footage shows a German shepherd-mix and another shepherd-type being detained by authorities.

Her two sons identified their mother as Sau Nguyen. In the 1970s, she came to Houston from Vietnam with her husband to raise her children. According to a recent update by the Harris County Sheriff's Office, the investigation is ongoing and there is no indication that dogs were involved (Why then did officials seize seven dogs?). An autopsy will confirm her cause of death. Her death appears to have similarities to Robert Simonian, who died of drowning, but also sustained multiple dog bites.

"The last time this happened, about a month ago, they attacked someone in the same exact spot this lady was found, back here on the bayou," neighbor Reed Folwell told KRIV. The owner was ticketed at that time. "We asked the police when they came, 'What is it going to take to get this taken care of?' Does somebody have to die?" Three weeks prior to the dogs attacking Simonian, the dogs had been returned to their owner after being suspected of killing a man at the exact same canal location.

Neighbors Agitated

A subsequent KRIV video shows at least six of the seven dogs. The video also shows neighbors tense and agitated while constables were still at the scene. Neighbors had complained to authorities about these dogs for over a year prior to the woman's death. Folwell provided Ring camera video too, where he tries to escape the dog pack by fleeing into his home, saying "Holy Shit!" Neighbors cheered, hollered and clapped their hands after the dogs were loaded into the animal control vehicle.

In a tweet on Wednesday night, the preliminary cause of death was also announced. Pct. 1 Constable Alan Rosen tweeted out, "One of our most vulnerable communities- our senior citizens! 80 yr. old mom found deceased by her own family after not coming home from a walk. Preliminary info victim deceased of many dog bites." A spokesperson from Harris County Veterinary Public Health also provided a written statement about the case, finally nailing down the time her body was discovered.

"On November 15th, at approximately 11 p.m., animal control officers were dispatched to Downwood Forest Drive in northwestern Harris County, Texas," said a spokesperson from Harris County Veterinary Public Health. "The call was made by Constable Precinct 1 after a woman was found dead. The officers retrieved seven dogs, which were surrendered by their owner. The dogs are currently under the custody of the Harris County Pets Resource Center. The case is under investigation."

harris county woman found dead in bayou, dogs seized

Multiple dogs were seized after a woman was found dead in a bayou in northwest Houston.

found dead in bayou in harris county dog seized

Video from KPRC shows a photograph of the dog pack snapped by a neighbor recently.

The owner of the chihuahua killed by the dogs said the same canines have killed 7 dogs.

Harris County, Texas dog bite fatality map

This suspected fatal dog mauling in Harris County could be the seventh since late 2021.

Posted on November 13, 2023 by Colleen Lynn

2023 Dog Bite Fatality: Birmingham Woman Found on Roadside in Ensley was Killed by Dogs Coroner Says

A 63-year old Birmingham woman discovered dead on a roadside in Ensley was killed by dogs.

Woman Killed by Dogs
Birmingham, AL - A woman found dead on a roadside in Birmingham's Ensley neighborhood on November 9 was killed by dogs, authorities said Monday. The announcement comes four days after one or more dogs inflicted the fatal attack. The dog(s) responsible, apparently, have not been located either, which means that any person walking in the area is at risk. The Jefferson County Coroner’s Office identified the victim as 63-year old Sharon Kaye Billups Portis, who lived in Birmingham.

The autopsy performed by the county coroner determined that Portis' injures are due to an "apparent dog attack." Portis was discovered by a passerby just before 6:30 am on the grass shoulder of a roadway in the 2000 block of 18th Street Ensley. Her bicycle was lying a few feet away. She was known to ride her bike frequently. She was pronounced dead on the scene at 6:45 am. Birmingham police are investigating the circumstances around her death. No other information has been released.

On August 26, 2022, at about 1:00 am, a man was discovered dead on a roadway near his bicycle in Channelview, an unincorporated area in Harris County, Texas. He sustained multiple dog bite injuries. There were no witnesses to the attack, and the area is known for packs of stray dogs. The coroner eventually ruled the cause of death was "multiple sharp and blunt force injuries due to dog bites." It is unknown if authorities ever captured the dogs involved or if that investigation yielded any results.

Family Members Seek Answers

Portis' family members believe she was leaving for work late Wednesday night, when she was attacked. She lived about 100 yards away from the location of the attack. Birmingham police say they are investigating, but Portis' brother, Albert Ford, said that no one from that agency has contacted his family. “No one from that agency has contacted any of her family members. She has a mother, she has an 88-year-old mother, no one has contacted her mother or any of her family,” Ford said.

On Thursday, police finally issued a warning to Ensley residents, encouraging them to carry a big stick or pepper spray, since the dog(s) involved have not been captured almost a week after the fatal attack. “We have not been able to identify the animals and we do consider them to be a danger to the public because they are still loose," officer Truman Fitzgerald said. Police are urging animal control to set up traps to capture stray dogs in the area. Yet, it remains unknown if stray dogs were involved.

Meanwhile, Ford and other family members have been combing the neighborhood searching for the dogs before they attack again. "Someone has died. There is a present danger!" he told WVTM. Ford has been looking for surveillance video and doorbell cameras that could have captured the attack. Ford is doing the work that police should be doing, he said. “I'm out here being a detective because I feel there is no detective, and nobody really cares. I mean, that's just kind of the way I feel.”

The director of The Greater Birmingham Humane Society, Allison Black Cornelius, who urged action after Joe Cleveland was killed by dogs in March, said that no one is safe until these dogs are identified and taken off the streets. We agree, especially if this involved a dog pack. There have been multiple cases of the same dog pack killing two people before being caught. Last year in Alabama, a dog pack killed a public health employee after attacking a woman one day earlier, who also died.

"I'm very concerned at the lack of what appears to be an investigation this week into these, who are these animals? Were they owned, were they are wild pack because I understand that her injuries were really I mean really horrendous and horrific. So, we got to figure out what happened." - Allison Black Cornelius

Ford is also shaken by her injuries, and that attacks like this even occur in a civilized society. "Just to even imagine that it's hard to sleep, is hard to rest, is hard to work, because this is inconceivable that something in this day and age in the city of Birmingham. I mean, for real, seriously, I mean, this is just unimaginable that this can happen." However, if you follow this blog, you will know that fatal pack attacks routinely occur in the South, like the near double fatal attack in Louisiana in September.