2024 Fatal Dog Attack Breed Identification Photographs

Nonprofit Captured 65% of Breed Identification Images in 2024

2024 breed identification photographs
Photographs of six fatally attacking dogs in 2024 obtained from multiple sources.


Jump down to view all 2024 breed identification photographs or read our analysis first.


DogsBite.org - In 2013, we began the tradition of publishing breed identification photographs of fatally attacking dogs when available through news reports, animal control agencies, police departments, social media and public information requests. Of the 66 dog bite fatalities recorded in 2024, 56% (37) had some form of a breed identification photograph. Our nonprofit was responsible for capturing 65% of them. Pit bulls and their mixes represent 68% of the identification images collected in 2024.

Of the 37 cases with breed identification photographs, 57% (21) comprised images captured or republished by news media; 65% (24) comprised images located on social media pages of the dog's owner or family members; and 65% (24) comprised images that were the result of our research and otherwise may have gone unpublished. Police and animal control agencies released dog identification images after only 3 deaths, yet 76% of all deaths (50 of 66) involved dogs taken into quarantine.

(Percentages are higher than 100% due to a single death containing multiple dog images, each attributed to a different source, as well as images that fall into overlapping publishing categories.)

Identification Photographs (2013-2024)

From 2013 to 2024, images captured by our nonprofit have risen from 26% to 65%. Images captured by media have fallen from 79% to 57%.

breed identification photograph 2013-2024

Chart A shows 12 years of breed identification photographs collected from 2013 to 2024.


Media Gains Since Covid

Taking a closer look at the four Covid impact years (2020-2023), when media reports of fatal dog attacks declined, breed identification images captured by media averaged only 32%. Last year shows the first gain in media captures since the Covid years. From the 32% average between 2020 and 2023, media captured images rose to 57% in 2024, a 78% rise. While our nonprofit's capture rate rose during these same Covid impact years -- attaining a 78% average -- we fell to 65% in 2024, a 17% decrease.

Most media captures occur while they are on location of the fatal attack. They photograph images of the dogs being confiscated by authorities. In 2024, media was on location more frequently than during the Covid impact years. For instance, media rushed to the scene -- by air and by land -- after Dominic Cooper, 35, was killed by his pack of breeding pit bulls in California. Media were also on location after Pedro Ortega, 26, was killed by his three XL bullies on a children's playground in Mesa Viking Park.

2024 breed identification photographs DogsBite v media capture rate

Chart B shows the rising number of breed identification images captured by our nonprofit since 2013 and how media captured images declined during the Covid impact years to 32%.


Unreleased Breed Data 2024

Of the total recorded 66 dog bite fatalities in 2024, 10 cases lacked all breed information (15%). A FOIA by our nonprofit lowered that number to 9. Our research into the Facebook pages of the dog owners and victims -- providing details about the attack -- lowered that number to only 8 cases (12%) when full breed information was unknown. In 2022, the landscape was far worse, when 33% of all recorded fatal dog maulings lacked breed information until we brought forth multiple time-consuming FOIAs.

In 2024, 23% of deaths involved 1 or more dogs shot at the scene, which often diminishes the ability to collect breed identification images.

Characteristics of the 10 cases in 2024 where authorities did not release breed data include: 70% of victims are adults ≥ 35 years old; 100% involved non-family dogs (when known 9/9); 78% of the attacks occurred off the owner's property (when known 7/9); and 67% involved a pack of 4 or more dogs (when known 6/9). In the 2 cases where breed data was discovered, 1 involved a pit bull, and the other involved 3 different breeds: rottweiler-mix (2), German shepherd-mix (1) and chihuahua-mix (1).

Pack Attacks & Off Property Attacks

In 2024, pack attacks fell back to the pre-Covid level of 15%. In 2023, there was a sharp rise in pack attacks, comprising 29% of dog bite fatalities. Obtaining breed images in pack attacks can be challenging, but in 2024, images were captured for 70% (7/10). In 6 of those cases, 86%, media was on location capturing images, or republishing images shot by witnesses. In over half of those cases (4/6), the pack only involved a single dog breed, such as a pack of great danes or a pack of pit bulls.

In 2024, off-property attacks continued to be elevated and comprised 36% of dog bite fatalities -- a 44% rise from the pre-Covid years of 25%. But it is a decrease from 2023, when off-property attacks comprised 42% of deaths. Surprisingly, dog breed images in off-property attacks, which are also challenging to obtain, were captured in 71% (17/24) of cases. Again, this is largely due to media being on location more frequently. Of the 17 off-property attacks with images, media captured 71% (12).

2024 off-property attacks - DogsBite v media capture rate

Chart C shows how frequently media captures images of dogs in off-property attacks. Prior to Covid, media captured 45% of cases; that dropped to 21% during the Covid impact years.


Breed Misidentification Conflicts

Several breed identification conflicts arose in 2024. They began with the death of Beau Clark. The Morgan County Sheriff's Office identified the dog as a pit bull, then changed it to an "Olde English bulldogge," a close bull baiting breed relative. Morgan County Animal Shelter Director Darren Tucker, "whose department collected the dog’s body and sent off specimens for analysis, said the animal appeared to be a pit bull-mix weighing between 40 and 60 pounds," reported The Daily Decatur.

After a child was killed by a dog at Limestone Sphynx and LFD Great Danes, whose parents operate the kennel, the Ogle County Sheriff's Office said the dog involved was a "mixed-breed," even though the kennel only sold "AKC registered great danes" -- purebred dogs. After his death, the boy's parents published on the LFD Great Danes kennel's Facebook page, "Due to a loss in our immediate family we've decided that we will no longer be raising great danes." Few details were released by police.

When Brooklynn Park police stormed through a fence and shot two pit bulls attacking a child, they saw adults using "hammers and pickaxes to get the dogs off" the child, stated a search warrant. Several days later, while the child was in a coma on the verge of death, the parents fiercely stated, "THEY WERE BULLDOGS! NOT PIT BULLS."1 Police later clarified the dogs were American bullies of the "XL variety," a mixture of pit bull and American bulldog. Police noted "this breed is banned in the UK."

Bulldog, pit bulldog, American pit bulldog, pit dog, fighting bull terrier ... But "a rose by any other name would smell as sweet." - William Shakespeare

Summary

In 2024, over half, 56%, of dog bite fatalities had some form of a breed identification photograph, a decrease from the 11-year average of 62% (2013-2023). Our nonprofit captured nearly two-thirds of them, 65%. Pit bulls and their mixes represent 68% of the identification images collected in 2024, also a decrease from the 11-year average of 73%. Breed identification images captured by media rose to 57% in 2024, up substantially from the Covid impact years (2020-2023) average of 32%.

In 2024, there was an increase of breed identification photographs captured in pack attacks and off-property attacks -- the most challenging images to obtain. Images were captured for 70% (7/10) pack attacks. In 6 of those cases, 86%, media was on location capturing images, or republishing images shot by witnesses. Breed images were captured for 71% (17/24) of off-property attacks, also due to media being on location. Of the 17 off-property attacks with images, media captured 71% (12).

Finally, of the total recorded 66 dog bite fatalities in 2024, 10 cases lacked all breed data (15%). Through our nonprofit's research and FOIAs, we lowered that number to 8 cases, 12%. Characteristics of cases where authorities did not release breed data include: 70% of victims are adults ≥ 35 years old; 100% involved non-family dogs (when known 9/9); most occurred off the owner's property, and most involved a pack of 4 or more dogs. Two of these pack attacks occurred on Indian reservations.

2024 Fatal Dog Attack Breed Identification Photographs

Reuben Pierce - Jacksonville, Arkansas

Photos of multiple recent pit bulls in the dog owner's home (social media & dogsbite.org)

Reuben Pierce - fatal pit bull attack, 2024 breed identification photograph

See: Full blog post | Reuben Pierce, 70-years old, died three months after being mauled by pit bulls on October 30, 2023, in Jacksonville, Arkansas. His estate sued the owners, Kenneth Cash and Jennifer Swartz, for "wrongful death, negligence, battery" and punitive damages. A judge awarded the plaintiff $5 million in compensatory damages and $10 million in punitive damages.

Leonora Hale - Chiefland, Florida

Photos of catahoula leopard dogs on victim’s facebook page (social media & dogsbite.org)

Leonora Hale - fatal catahoula attack, 2024 breed identification photograph

See: Full blog post | Leonora Hale, 72-years old, was killed and her husband injured after being attacked by a catahoula leopard dog on January 30, 2024, in Chiefland, Florida. Police said the couple had bred catahoula leopard dogs for more than 25 years when one of the dogs turned on them. In 2021, the couple competed in a dog show with a catahoula named, "Hale's Doc Holiday."

Willie Mundine - Indianapolis, Indiana

Photos of 1 or both fatally attacking loose pit bulls (police/animal control & news media)

Willie Mundine - fatal pit bull attack, 2024 breed identification photograph

See: Full blog post | Willie Mundine, 85-years old, was killed by two pit bulls on January 30, 2024, in Indianapolis, Indiana. A police officer shot one dog to stop the attack. A week earlier, the same pit bulls attacked Mark Lowe and his dog "Dante." A day earlier, the pit bulls attacked Richard Hayes "just yards away" from where Mundine was attacked, leaving Hayes hospitalized.

Kenneth Pierson - Longview, Texas

Photos of 2 of 4 dogs, of unreleased breeds, seized from dog owner’s home (news media)

Kenneth Pierson - fatal dog attack, 2024 breed identification photograph

See: Full blog post | Kenneth Pierson, 46-years old, was killed by multiple dogs on February 1, 2024, in Longview, Texas. Pierson was found deceased by his bicycle covered in dog bites. Martin Rodriguez, 56, was charged with felony dog attack resulting in death afterward. In 2021, Rodriguez pleaded guilty to felony dog attack resulting in serious bodily injury; the sentence was probated.

Harold Phillips - Detroit, Michigan

Photos of three pit bulls on dog owner's Facebook page (social media & dogsbite.org)

Harold Phillips - fatal pit bull attack, 2024 breed identification photograph

See: Full blog post | Harold Phillips, 35-years old, died while hospitalized after being attacked by three pit bulls on January 29, 2024, in Detroit, Michigan. Phillips had just exited a bus when the dogs got loose and attacked him. "The dogs bit a pretty big hole out of his arm and tore his artery, so he lost a lot of blood," his wife, Shauntaye Phillips, said. He died on February 2, 2024.

Dominic Cooper - Compton, California

Photos of 2 of 5 adult fatally attacking breeding pit bulls (news media)

Dominic Cooper - fatal pit bull attack, 2024 breed identification photograph

See: Full blog post | Dominic Cooper, 35-years old, was killed by his pack of breeding pit bulls on February 16, 2024 in Compton, California. When Los Angeles County deputies arrived, they encountered 13 agitated pit bulls. Several were fighting near Cooper's body. A news chopper captured graphic images of his blood soaked body lying inside a kennel by overturned food bowls.

Brayden Heery - Milford, Connecticut

Photos of fatally attacking family husky, “Dakota” (social media & dogsbite.org)

Brayden Heery - fatal husky attack, 2024 breed identification photograph

See: Full blog post | Brayden Heery 2-weeks old, was killed by a family dog on February 16, 2024 in Milford, Connecticut. The infant's family stated it was not "an attack" by the dog but a "tragic accident." The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner stated the baby died of blunt impact injury to his head. An official from the state's Child Fatality Review Panel confirmed the dog was a husky.

Child John Doe - Monroe Center, Illinois

Photos of great danes from the family’s breeding business (social media & dogsbite.org)

Child John Doe - fatal great dane attack, 2024 breed identification photograph

See: Full blog post | Child John Doe, 4-years old, was fatally mauled by a dog at his home on February 29, 2024 in Monroe Center, Illinois. The next day, the boy's parents, who own Limestone Sphynx and LFD Great Danes in Monroe Center, published on the kennel's Facebook page, "Due to a loss in our immediate family we've decided that we will no longer be raising great danes."

Baby "Lennox" Doe - East Hartford, Connecticut

Photos of fatally attacking dalmatian-pit bull mixes (news media, social media & dogsbite.org)

Baby Lennox - fatal pit bull-mix attack, 2024 breed identification photograph

See: Full blog post | Baby "Lennox" Doe, 1-year old, was killed by a family dog on March 13, 2024 in East Hartford, Connecticut. Police said, "the mother and the child were playing on a trampoline" when the dog attacked the baby. The baby's father described his dogs as "dalmatians mixed with pit." He said the primary aggressor, a male, had never shown aggression before.

Courtney Williams Cox - Brooks County, Georgia

Photos of 2 of 15 dogs, of unreleased breeds, seized from dog owner’s home (news media)

Courtney Williams Cox - fatal pack attack, 2024 breed identification photograph

See: Full blog post | Courtney Cox, 35-years old, was killed and her son severely injured by a dog pack on May 9, 2024 in Quitman, Georgia. The attack occurred after Cox's three children exited a school bus. After arriving deputies determined that a private citizen had taken the children to a hospital, they found Cox dead from her injuries in the front yard of her home, near the bus stop.

Amaya Carmack - Greeneville, Tennessee

Photos of fatally attacking family husky “Damascus” (social media & dogsbite.org)

Amaya Carmack - fatal husky attack, 2024 breed identification photograph

See: Full blog post | Amaya Carmack, 4-days old, was killed by a family dog on May 13, 2024 in Greeneville, Tennessee. A scanner report indicated the dog was a husky. Property records show the infant's paternal grandmother, who owns the home, owns "Damascus," a male husky. Locals said the husky had previously killed the next-door neighbor's rabbit and other small animals.

Adult John Doe - Farmington Hills, Michigan

Photos of fatally attacking family pit bull, "Homer" (social media & dogsbite.org)

Adult John Doe - fatal pit bull attack, 2024 breed identification photograph

See: Full blog post | Adult John Doe, 40-years old, was killed by his own dog on May 18, 2024 in Farmington Hills, Michigan. A relative discovered his body and called 911. The medical examiner ruled the cause of death "K-9 mauling." Animal control took the dog, a pit bull-mix, into custody. The victim had owned a male pit bull-mix, "Homer," since 2017, according to his Facebook page.

Ezra Mansoor - Knoxville, Tennessee

Photos of fatally attacking family husky, "Mena" (news media, social media & dogsbite.org)

Ezra Mansoor - fatal husky attack, 2024 breed identification photograph

See: Full blog post | Ezra Mansoor, 6-weeks old, died after being bitten on the head by a family husky on May 30, 2024 in Knoxville, Tennessee. "Ezra was just asleep in his crib -- not crying or anything. And she just attacked out of nowhere," her mother, Chloe Mansoor, said. The family had owned the female husky, "Mena," for eight years. The dog had never shown aggression before.

Adult Jane Doe - Los Angeles, California

Photos of fatally attacking family pit bull, "Ice" (dogsbite.org FOIA, news media & social media)

Adult Jane Doe - fatal pit bull attack, 2024 breed identification photograph

See: Full blog post | Adult Jane Doe, 53-years old, was killed by her pit bull on May 30, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. Records obtained from Los Angeles Animal Services state that "Ice," was "under quarantine for a Level 5 bite to the throat of the owner." LAAS updated the bite to Level 6 after being informed of her death. There were no mainstream media reports about this attack.

Willard Norton - Town Creek, Alabama

Photos of 1 of 2 fatally attacking pit bull-mixes (social media & dogsbite.org)

Willard Norton - fatal pit bull attack, 2024 breed identification photograph

See: Full blog post | Willard Norton, 83-years old, was killed by his neighbor's two pit bulls on June 2, 2024 in Town Creek, Alabama. Norton was tending to his roses in his yard when the dogs attacked. The same dogs had killed Norton's dog last year. A day before the fatal attack, the dogs' owner tried to rehome her female pit bull, stating in part, "she can clear a 4 foot fence easily."

Toby Berkley - Snyder, Texas

Photos of two pit bulls on dog owner's Facebook page (social media & dogsbite.org)

Toby Berkley - fatal pit bull attack, 2024 breed identification photograph

See: Full blog post | Toby Berkley, 40-years old, was killed by two pit bulls on June 27, 2024 in Snyder, Texas. Police found Berkley dead in the roadway. The dogs' owner, Marco Aguirre, made public statements afterward, including: "So yeah they are my dogs and I will take full responsibility for their actions but I will not take any responsibility for any foul play and actions my dogs did."

Theresa Rhodes - Bolivar, Tennessee

Photos of 1 of 2 fatally attacking at large pit bulls (police/animal control & news media)

Theresa Rhodes - fatal pit bull attack, 2024 breed identification photograph

See: Full blog post | Theresa Rhodes, 61-years old, was killed by two pit bulls on July 1, 2024 in Bolivar, Tennessee. Police found Rhodes bleeding in the middle of the street. She had "extensive injuries sustained from a dog attack." Police shot at two dogs that were hovering nearby, causing them to flee. A photograph of one of the pit bulls was issued as an advisory until it was captured.

Jaxson Dvorak - Lorain, Ohio

Photos of two fatally attacking family dogs being seized by authorities (news media)

Jaxson Dvorak - fatal pit bull attack, 2024 breed identification photograph

See: Full blog post | Jaxson Dvorak, 6-years old, was killed by one or both family dogs -- a pit bull, and a shepherd-mix -- on July 3, 2024 in Lorain, Ohio. Arriving officers were notified the boy was "pronounced dead from injuries sustained during the attack." The 911 caller told dispatch she got a call from her uncle who was watching her kids. He told her, "The dog ate his face."

Johnny Fontenot - Arkadelphia, Arkansas

Photo of fatally attacking family XL bully/pit bull-mix seen as puppy (social media & dogsbite.org)

Johnny Fontenot - fatal pit bull attack, 2024 breed identification photograph

See: Full blog post | Johnny Fontenot, 41-years old, was killed by his own pit bull-mix, an XL bully, on July 3, 2024 in Arkadelphia, Arkansas. Arriving officers found Fontenot deceased laying in the driveway. Police determined he was attacked during the night. The dog had been neutered, as required by ordinance. Fontenot's wife purchased the dog from Nelson Bullies, LCC in 2022.

Adult John Doe - Houston, Texas

Photos of 2 of 4 fatally attacking at large dogs (dogsbite.org FOIA)

Adult John Doe - fatal pack attack, 2024 breed identification photograph

See: Full blog post | Adult John Doe, 87-years old, was killed by four dogs on July 6, 2024 in Houston, Texas. A witness told police that between 8:00 and 9:00 am, he saw three dogs charging the victim, who was defending himself with his trash cans. When he drove by the victim's home about 2:00 pm, "he saw what looked like legs." There were no media reports about this attack.

Adult Jane Doe - Tuscaloosa County, Alabama

Photos of a pair of bullmastiffs on victim's Facebook page (social media & dogsbite.org)

Adult Jane Doe - fatal bullmastiff attack, 2024 breed identification photograph

See: Full blog post | Adult Jane Doe, 62-years old, was killed by one of her bullmastiffs on July 11, 2024 in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama. Deputies responded to a home on Highway 69 North, where they found a woman deceased inside of a dog pen. Police said the 911 caller shot and killed the large dog. The victim bred bullmastiffs and had at least one active breeding pair at the time.

Covil Allen - Brooklyn Park, Minnesota

Photos of one family pit bull on dog owner’s Facebook page (social media & dogsbite.org)

Covil Allen - fatal pit bull attack, 2024 breed identification photograph

See: Full blog post | Covil Allen, 3-years old, was critically wounded, his mother injured by two pit bulls while trying to buy a puppy on July 19, 2024 in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota. Adults used "hammers and pickaxes" to get the dogs off him. Officers open fired on the dogs, killing one. Covil sustained a fractured skull, jaw, collarbone, vertebrae, and a punctured lung. He died on July 29.

Davina Corbin - Feather Falls, California

Photos of 2 of 25 dogs that were part of a fatally attacking great dane pack (news media)

Davina Corbin - fatal great dane attack, 2024 breed identification photograph

See: Full blog post | Davina Corbin, 56-years old, was killed by a pack of great danes in Feather Falls, California on August 8, 2024. Deputies found her dead on Blackhawk Trail covered in "numerous bite marks and injuries." While executing a warrant on a nearby home, detectives located 25 great danes running loose. Deputies "spent the entire day" capturing the dogs.

Robert Holguin - Oakland, California

Photos of a cane corso-Neapolitan mastiff on owner’s property after the attack (news media)

Robert Holguin - fatal mastiff attack, 2024 breed identification photograph

See: Full blog post | Robert Holguin, 53-years old, was killed by three cane corso-mastiff mixes on September 1, 2024 in Oakland, California. Holguin was living out of his car on Brendan Burke's property, the dogs' owner and a friend. The dogs mauled his legs, arms and head, and pinned him under a car, killing him. Burke was charged with one felony count for failing to secure his dogs.

Zoey Hawkins - Visalia, California

Photos of three family pit bulls on dog owner’s Facebook page (news media, social media & dogsbite.org)

Zoey Hawkins - fatal pit bull attack, 2024 breed identification photograph

See: Full blog post | Zoey Hawkins, 4-years old, was killed by a family pit bull on September 4, 2024 in Visalia, California. Zoey was getting out of a kiddie pool when the male dog latched onto her armpit and shook. The parents had a dedicated Facebook page for "Tara," a female pit bull. Two other pit bulls and pit bull advocacy memes were also seen on the parents' pages.

Jiryiah Johnson - Converse, Texas

Photos of 2 of 3 fatally attacking XL bully/pit bull-mixes (news media, social media & dogsbite.org)

Jiryiah Johnson - fatal pit bull attack, 2024 breed identification photograph

See: Full blog post | Jiryiah Johnson, 1-year old, was killed by papered XL bullies in Converse, Texas on October 7, 2024. The babysitter, who owned the dogs, had left Jiryiah with her 13-year old daughter. When the dogs started attacking the baby, the teenager barricaded a door "using her body" to protect the baby until help arrived. The babysitter was charged with three felonies.

Chevy Womack - Torrance, California

Photos of fatally attacking family pit bull-mastiff mix “Rambo” (social media & dogsbite.org)

Chevy Womack - fatal pit bull-mix attack, 2024 breed identification photograph

See: Full blog post | Chevy Womack, 1- month old, was killed by a family pit bull-mastiff mix inside her home on October 8, 2024 in Torrance, California. Last Halloween, when the mother could not find the dog, she warned friends on Facebook, "Rambo can get aggressive if you have gloves, a helmet, or a mask on. I don't want him running around and mistakenly hurt anyone."

James Provost - Albany, New York

Photos of 2 of 9 adult pit bulls fatally attacking a man (news media & social media)

James Provost - fatal pit bull attack, 2024 breed identification photograph

See: Full blog post | James Provost, 60-years old, was killed by multiple pit bulls on October 9, 2024 in Albany, New York. Provost had been in a backyard adjacent to where the dogs were kept. The dogs got through the fence and attacked him. Witnesses filmed part of the attack on their cell phones. A news agency published a still frame of the video showing the man's body blacked out.

Jo Echelbarger - Ashville, Ohio

Photos of two fatally attacking pit bulls, "Apollo" and "Echo" (news media, social media & dogsbite.org)

Jo Echelbarger - fatal pit bull attack, 2024 breed identification photograph

See: Full blog post | Jo Echelbarger, 73-years old, was killed by a pair of pit bulls with a history of aggression on October 17, 2024 in Ashville, Ohio. Echelbarger had been weeding a flower bed on her patio when the dogs attacked her, leaving her with a "hole in her neck." Police charged Adam Withers and his mother Susan Withers with one count of felony involuntary manslaughter.

Chris Culbertson - Kansas City, Missouri

Photos of 2 of 7 fatally attacking pit bulls captured on surveillance camera (news media)

Chris Culbertson - fatal pit bull attack, 2024 breed identification photograph

See: Full blog post | Chris Culbertson, 46-years old, died on November 6, 2024 after sustaining life-threatening injuries by a pack of pit bulls in Kansas City. The 23 minute attack was captured on surveillance camera. Before dying, Culbertson told his sister, "They were trying to drag me like I was their dinner." Police had received over 15 complaints about the dogs prior to the attack.

Jeriline McGinnis - Boston, Massachusetts

Photos of family pit bulls "Deuce" and "Buddha" (news media, social media & dogsbite.org)

Jeriline Brady-McGinnis - fatal pit bull attack, 2024 breed identification photograph

See: Full blog post | Jeriline McGinnis, 73-years old, died after being attacked by one of her four pit bulls on November 18, 2024 in Boston, Massachusetts. The dog also seriously injured her husband. Their landlord, civil rights leader Jean McGuire, described the couple as having "a pit bull family." She added that the McGinnis’ would breed the dogs and sell the pit bull puppies.

Caleb Brown - Jacksonville, North Carolina

Photos of 1 of 2 fatally attacking family pit bulls, "Xena" (social media & dogsbite.org)

Caleb Brown - fatal pit bull attack, 2024 breed identification photograph

See: Full blog post | Caleb Brown, 8-years old, was fatally bitten in the neck by one or both family pit bulls on November 29, 2024, in Jacksonville, North Carolina. Investigators said the child and a sibling were letting the dogs out of the residence to use the bathroom when the attack occurred. Family members said the dogs had not show aggression prior to the deadly attack.

Amelia Yu - Covina, California

Photos of a family rottweiler and rottweiler-weimaraner mix seized (news media)

Amelia Yu - fatal rottweiler attack, 2024 breed identification photograph

See: Full blog post | Amelia Yu, 5-years old, was killed by multiple dogs she had grown up with on December 8, 2024 in Covina, California. The child was in the backyard with her father when she fell. The three dogs -- a rottweiler, a rottweiler-weimaraner mix, both male, and a female Doberman -- immediately began attacking her. She sustained fatal injuries to her torso and head.

Pedro Ortega - San Diego, California

Photos of 1 of 3 fatally attacking family XL bully/pit bull-mixes (news media)

Pedro Ortega - fatal pit bull attack, 2024 breed identification photograph

See: Full blog post | Pedro Ortega, 26-years old, was killed by his three XL bullies in front of his son on a children's playground in Mesa Viking Park on December 13, 2024 in San Diego. A neighbor's surveillance camera captured one bloodsoaked dog with a taser dart sticking out of its neck. Another neighbor captured photos of the same dog as it was removed from a vehicle.

Hector Pierna - Beaumont, Texas

Photos of two fatally attacking pit bull-mixes after being seized (animal control & news media)

Hector Pierna - fatal pit bull attack, 2024 breed identification photograph

See: Full blog post | Hector Pierna, 78-years old, was mauled to death by a pair of loose pit bulls while walking home on December 16, 2024 in Beaumont, Texas. Police found Pierna critically injured, suffering from dog bites. He was taken to a hospital where he died. Pierna was attacked just two houses away from his own. Authorities captured both pit bulls; no owner was located.

Samara Rogers - Augusta, Georgia

Photos of two fatally attacking pit bull-mixes being seized by authorities (news media & social media)

Samara Rogers - fatal pit bull attack, 2024 breed identification photograph

See: Full blog post | Samara Rogers, 21-years old, was killed by two pit bull-mixes while walking on December 18, 2024 in Augusta, Georgia. She sustained severe bite wounds to the face and torso and died at the scene. News footage shows officers removing two large pit bull-mixes from the owner's home, Charles David Blackwell, who was charged with involuntary manslaughter.

Kingsley Wright - Cincinnati, Ohio

Photos of two pit bull-mixes on the biological father's Facebook page (social media & dogsbite.org)

Kingsley Wright - fatal pit bull attack, 2024 breed identification photograph

See: Full blog post | Kingsley Wright, 3-years old, was brutally killed by two pit bull-mixes on December 27, 2024 in the Roselawn neighborhood of Cincinnati. At the time, she had been staying the night with her biological father for the first time. Her father told 911 that he awoke about 7:50 am, walked into the living room, found blood all over and his daughter dead on the floor.

How We Track Photograph Sources

We track the identification photograph's original source. There may be multiple images of a dog thus, multiple sources may be attributed to a single attack. We also track where the image was published. For instance, after Jiryiah Johnson's death, media captured all three dogs being seized by authorities from multiple angles. We obtained images of the dogs from the owner's and co-owner's social media pages. Thus, the photographs were sourced to news media, social media, and DogsBite.org.

What is simpler to measure in our tracking and analysis is the rising number of breed identification photographs located on the dog owner's or family member's social media pages, from only 16% of all collected images in 2013 to 65% in 2024, a 306% rise. It is also easy to see the small number of images provided by law enforcement even though most dogs after a fatal attack are held alive in quarantine. Police released identification images after 3 deaths this year, 8% of cases with images.

Photograph Tracking Categories

  • DogsBite.org published only; no news media republished the photograph
  • U.S. news media supplied original photograph and/or republished photograph
  • Social media website supplied breed identification photograph
  • Law enforcement or animal control department supplied photograph
  • Canines shot to death at the scene of a fatal dog attack
  • Canines held in a quarantine facility after a fatal dog attack
2024 breed identification photographs from six pack attacks

Breed identification photographs from six pack attacks in 2024 when media was on location.


1Breeders of fighting dogs call them "bulldogs" without any other specification. The name in those circles means performance bred. For instance, "A 100% bulldog." Whereas American bulldogs are typically shortened to "Ambulls." But the mother wrote: "THEY WERE BULLDOGS! NOT PIT BULLS." Otherwise, "bulldog" used alone usually refers to the English bulldog, like the Georgia Bulldogs football team. But even that mascot was rooted in a "solid white bull terrier" at the turn of the 19th Century, whose breed was synonymous with the "fighting bull terrier" and "bull and terrier" and more. The irony is that the parents claimed there was some distinction between a BULLDOG and a PIT BULL. Even the American bulldog was previously named the "American pit bulldog" because it also evolved from bull baiting and "pit fighting." Police later identified the dogs as American bullies of the "XL variety," a mixture of pit bull and American bulldog. That's a lot of ink to spill over the "NOT PIT BULLS" claim, given that police stormed in and saw adults using "hammers and pickaxes to get the dogs off" the child. Because "a rose by any other name would smell as sweet."

Related articles:
01/30/24: 2023 Fatal Dog Attack Breed Identification Photographs - DogsBite.org
01/20/23: 2022 Fatal Dog Attack Breed Identification Photographs - DogsBite.org
01/12/22: 2021 Fatal Dog Attack Breed Identification Photographs - DogsBite.org
01/12/21: 2020 Fatal Dog Attack Breed Identification Photographs - DogsBite.org
08/31/15: Who Can Identify a Pit Bull? A Dog Owner of 'Ordinary Intelligence'...


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.

2024 Suspected Dog Bite Fatality: Elderly Woman Killed by Multiple Dogs in Milam County, Texas; Few Details Released

killed by dogs milam county
Delores Woolverton, 88, was allegedly killed by multiple dogs in Milam County.

Woman Found Dead
Cameron, TX - On December 19, 2024, the Milam County Sheriff's Office issued a release about an elderly woman found dead on December 18. At approximately 1:00 pm, deputies responded to a residence in the 500 block of Beverly Drive and discovered her body. An autopsy was ordered to determine her cause of death. The Rockdale Reporter identified the victim as 88-year old Delores Woolverton. The alleged dog attack occurred in Woolverton's yard. No other details were released.

Beverly Drive Death Investigation
December 19, 2024

(CAMERON) The cause of death for a Rockdale woman is under investigation.
The Milam County Sheriff’s Office responded about 1PM Wednesday, December 18th, to a home on Beverly Drive, just outside the city limits of Rockdale, in reference to a deceased female. This investigation is active and open. An autopsy has been ordered to determine cause of death. Several dogs located on the property have been removed and secured out of an abundance of caution. No further information will be released until the investigation is complete. - Milam County Sheriff's Office

A local who commented on the sheriff's post, Cari, wrote, "They were not her dogs." In response to the question, "So the dogs did something?" Cari replied, "Yes, they killed her." Cari also wrote, "There were several dogs, all owned by the same person." The dogs were allegedly running loose at the time. Milam County is where the Texas felony dog attack statute "Lillian's Law" came from. In 2005, Lillian Stiles was mowing her lawn when she was fatally mauled by six loose pit bull-rottweiler mixes.

The felony "loose dog" law was enacted in September 2007. It is a second-degree felony if an owner fails to secure the dog and it fatally attacks a person outside of the owner's property. It was first tested in 2008 after four pit bulls killed 7-year old Tanner Monk in Breckenridge. The owners, Crystal Watson and Jack Wayne Smith, were found guilty by a jury after deliberating for less than one hour. Each were sentenced to 7-years in prison. In 2011, the 11th Court of Appeals upheld the verdict of the jury.

Autopsy Ordered in Woman's Death
December 26, 2024

An autopsy has been ordered by the Milam County Sheriff's Office in the death of an elderly Rockdale woman last Wednesday who was allegedly attacked by dogs while in her yard on Beverly Drive.

The autopsy was ordered to determine the exact cause of death, said Sheriff's Office Public Information Officer, Brett Eberhart. He said more details will be released after the investigation.

Authorities had not released the woman's name by The Reporter's early deadline, but friends of the victim told The Reporter that it was Delores Woolverton, who was in her late 80s.

Several dogs located at the scene "have been removed and secured out of an abundance of caution," Eberhart confirmed. - The Rockdale Reporter

Part of the urgency of the Texas legislature in passing Lillian’s Law is that a jury acquitted the owner of the dogs that killed Stiles several months earlier. At that time, there were no state laws that specifically addressed canine-inflicted homicides. Jose Hernandez, 55, was charged with criminally negligent homicide, but prosecutors could not prove that Hernandez had previous knowledge of his dogs' vicious propensities. Thus, Hernandez walked out of the Milam County courtroom a free man.

Woolverton worked at the local nursing homes in Rockdale for over 35 years as a Medication Assistant and taking care of elderly people, according to her obituary. She was well known for "finding every garage sale and thrift store" she could. She met a lot of people over the years that knew she collected her “treasures” as she called them. She had many friends in the community. She leaves behind multiple children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She also had one great-great grandchild.

Alleged Large Dog Pack

Another commenter, Darren, responded to a post on the Rockdale TX Residents NEED to KNOW Facebook group. The post asked if anyone had information about the "mauling of Rockdale resident Delores Woolverton." Darren stated, "10 dogs killed a woman! That is all the detail that you need!" Like many rural and urban areas in the U.S. since the onset of Covid, reports of stray and roaming dogs have escalated. There were two reports about the rising number of stray dogs in Rockdale in 2024.

Multiple Unconfirmed Cases

We have multiple pending FOIAs for fatal dog maulings in 2024, including the death of Rogelio Garza, 59, in Hidalgo County, Texas last January. There was no cause of death released after the death of Ronald Coffman, 59, in Jacksonville, Florida in September, a man in Durham, North Carolina in September, a homeless man in San Bernardino, California in November, the death of Jamillah Price, 51, in Philadelphia in November, and the death of Velma Leake, 92, in Rochester, New York in December.


killed by dogs milam county

Delores Woolverton, 88, was allegedly killed by dogs in Milam County, Texas in December.

killed by dogs milam county

One local resident stated that a pack of 10 dogs killed the elderly Rockdale woman.

Related articles:
12/016/24: 2024 Dog Bite Fatality: East Texas Man Mauled, Killed by Two Pit Bulls in Beaumont
07/08/24: 2024 Dog Bite Fatality: Man Killed by Dog Pack on Corsair Road in Southwest Houston


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.

2023 Unreported Dog Bite Fatality: Family Files Federal Lawsuit After Woman Killed by Son's Known Vicious Dogs

federal lawsuit known vicious dogs Pharr Texas
Estela Manteca died after being attacked by her son's known vicious dogs.

The Complaint
Pharr, TX - On January 3, 2025, a daughter and a granddaughter of a 91-year old woman killed by her son's pack of vicious dogs in 2023 filed a federal lawsuit against the City of Pharr, Texas seeking $100 million in damages. The plaintiffs brought the action against the city "for the gross failure of its public works division to protect Estela Manteca from a foreseeable and preventable attack by a large pack of vicious dogs owned by her son, Alex Aranda, with whom she resided," states the Complaint.

All four dogs involved -- Ringo, Billy, Casper, and Bonita -- had been declared "vicious" by the city a year earlier for attacking another person. The Complaint alleges the city "exhibited a pattern of deliberate indifference, neglecting to take reasonable measures to mitigate the known and escalating threat, ultimately resulting in the tragic and avoidable injuries on January 10, 2023," and her death on May 6, 2023. The Complaint states the indifference is "so egregious it shocks the conscience."

The federal lawsuit alleges the city's conduct, "rooted in inadequate supervision and training," constituted a violation of her civil rights.

Manteca sustained catastrophic injuries in the violent dog attack, leaving her in a coma and requiring the amputation of both legs -- bilateral leg amputations -- which ultimately led to her death. "Her arms, chewed to the bone, underwent extensive skin graft procedures that failed to heal adequately, and medical experts anticipated that they too might have required amputation had she survived," states the Complaint. The Complaint shows her graphic injuries in Exhibit 1 (which we specifically excluded).

The Complaint states Manteca was a "vulnerable citizen, fearful and intimidated by her son" and that "her elderly and fragile condition created an environment of heightened danger." Both facts were made known to city officials by family members. On January 24, 2022, the city declared the dogs "vicious" requiring "confinement, a leash and muzzle, proper signage, and insurance" but the city "failed to follow up to ensure compliance with these requirements, allowing the danger to persist unchecked."

Four days before the attack, on January 6, 2023, the city issued a Notice of Impoundment for Destruction for Ringo for a separate attack. "Despite this urgent notice, the City failed to act, leaving Ringo and the other dangerous dogs on the property" where they would later fatally maul Manteca, states the Complaint. "The actions and inactions of the Defendants constitute egregious misconduct" and a "pattern of reckless disregard for the safety and welfare of residents under their care."

"33. Defendants exhibited flagrant incompetence in their handling of the repeated reports concerning the dangerous dogs Ringo, Billy, Casper, and Bonita - the appalling neglect demonstrated by failing to enact timely measures to protect Estela Manteca is indicative of a severe breach of duty.

34. Such inexcusable oversight not only heightened the imminent risk faced by Manteca but also ultimately led to her tragic and avoidable death.

35. By consistently disregarding reports of dangerous conditions and ignoring the known threat posed by Ringo, Billy, Casper, and Bonita, the Defendants displayed a blatant failure to act."

Further, the city continues to allow Aranda to be a dog collector on the same property, located in the 600 block of East Sam Houston Boulevard. Since the fatal attack, "reports indicate that he has since accumulated another large number of dogs on the same property, perpetuating the potential for similarly horrific incidents," states the Complaint. "The City of Pharr has been notified again by the family and has yet to remove this new set of dogs which are on the property at this time."

The causes of action include, "deprivation of substantive due process and equal protection" under the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution. Count I: Monell Claim - failure to train and supervise; Count II: Deliberate and indifferent conduct that shocks the conscience; Count III: Age-based discrimination and Count IV: State-created danger. The plaintiffs seek an award of "no less than one hundred million dollars in compensatory and punitive damages," states the Complaint.

Governmental Immunity

Suing a city or county requires piercing governmental immunity. This process is meant to be formidable, or else cities would be mired in endless litigation, where taxpayers would be forced to compensate an endless number of tort victims. Further, no governmental entity -- no city, county, state, or the federal government -- can be sued on grounds that it has not consented to. That is, "The king can do no wrong," which is an age-old legal maxim. In this case, it appears that no Texas statute would authorize this lawsuit, thus, the plaintiffs' attorneys have turned to the Civil Rights Act.

In an email correspondence with dog bite attorney Kenneth Phillips about this lawsuit, he shared, "When the defendant is a city, as in this case, the grounds must be set forth in a statute. For example, in Alvarado v. City of Los Angeles, the grounds for the thrust of the case were established by a statute that says any city can be sued if it fails to do a mandatory duty." In Alvarado, the city broke the state's statutory mandatory bite disclosure law by not disclosing the bite history of the dog to the adopter.

Regarding filing the case under a civil rights violation, Phillips shared, "Since it is a federal law, it doesn't matter whether Texas gives consent or not. However, what matters is whether there is a civil right to law enforcement in the form of animal control. No court has ever said yes to that." His comments also pertain to the federal lawsuit filed against the city of San Antonio due to the city's "malfeasance" and "gross misconduct" after Ramon Najera was killed by known vicious pit bulls.

The Four Dogs

Exhibits show that Aranda was ordered to appear in court on January 17, 2023 for animal control violations including, "Dog Bite on Human." The sex, breed and coloring are listed for all four dogs -- Ringo, Billy, Casper, and Bonita -- along with a photograph. The dogs are a variety of "shephard" (sic)1 and terrier mixed-breeds. Five other dogs were also seized, including a young pit bull-mix and a stray "shephard mix" (sic) with a brachycephalic skull shape that had been declared vicious in 2022.2

All nine dogs had been declared "vicious" in January 2022, a year before the fatal attack, because each had "recently severely attacked and injured a human being." At that time, Aranda was instructed to turn the dogs into animal control or ordered to comply with the requirements and conditions of owning a vicious dog. The requirements include confinement conditions, leash and muzzle when outside of kennel, signs displaying "vicious animal on premises," and proof of liability insurance.

The Dog Owner

Interestingly, in 2018, five years before Aranda's dogs killed his mother, Aranda appeared twice in local media about a “stolen dog” issue. KRGV reported that Aranda was a veteran suffering from PTSD who was searching for his “stolen” comfort pet, a chihuahua named "Wheezle." Aranda reported his stolen dog to the Pharr Police Department. The property seen in the news footage is the same property where his collection of large dogs attacked his mother in January 2023, ultimately causing her death.

Wheezle, who was not involved in the fatal mauling, was reunited with Aranda a few days later, which prompted more news coverage. "I feel at peace," Aranda said after being reunited with his dog. "I feel at ease. Instead of taking that medication, I worry about taking care of him." By January 2022, four years later, Aranda owned nine dogs declared "vicious" after "severely" attacking a person. At least four of those "vicious" dogs proceed to inflict the deadly attack on his mother in January 2023.

Summary

The Complaint stresses that family members repeatedly filed complaints about Aranda's dogs to the Pharr Police Department, its Public Works Department, and the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, warning of the eminent danger these dogs posed to Manteca, but the city "failed to investigate or intervene in any meaningful way, despite the clear and escalating danger." It is unknown if the family had any recourse through court action to remove the dogs from the property.3

The simplest and safest solution would have been for Alex Aranda to surrender his nine dogs declared "vicious" to animal control back in 2022.

The Complaint states "dereliction of duty" 11 times. But what type of duty? Was it a "mandatory" duty like it was in Alvarado, or was it "discretionary?" In Alvarado, because the state had passed a mandatory bite disclosure law, the city had a mandatory duty to disclose the dog's bite history to the adopter. By failing to do so, the city broke the law. 99 days later, the dog "shredded" Alvarado's arms. The city settled the case for $7.5 million because their defense of "discretionary immunity" failed.

It does "shock the conscience" that the city had declared Aranda's nine dogs "vicious" a year before the fatal mauling, and that even after multiple complaints, allegedly, did not follow up to ensure his compliance of owning a vicious dog, such as proper confinement, signage and insurance. On a local or state-level, were such actions mandatory or discretionary by the city? On a federal level, is there is a civil right to law enforcement in the form of animal control? The answers to both may be dispiriting.


federal lawsuit three known vicious dogs

Three dogs identified in the federal lawsuit against the city of Pharr about known vicious dogs.

federal lawsuit two known vicious dogs

Two dogs identified in the federal lawsuit against the city of Pharr about known vicious dogs.

federal lawsuit known vicious dogs declarations

Four dogs declared vicious by the city of Pharr a year before the fatal dog mauling.

1It is unbelievable to us that even animal control officials cannot spell the word "shepherd" correctly ("herd" is in the spelling). Be it a German shepherd, Australian shepherd, Anatolian shepherd, Belgian shepherd, Dutch shepherd and more. There is no such thing as a herding breed or any dog breed or type named, "shephard" (sic).
2German shepherds have dolichocephalic skull shape (long-headed), the most elongated. Other shepherd herding breeds, such as the Australian cattle dog and Australian shepherd, have mesocephalic skull shape (medium-headed). Pit bulls and mastiff breeds have brachycephalic skull shape (short-headed) | Image of skull shapes and breeds.
3Property records show that "Estella M Aranda" was the sole name listed on the property, though records did specify "Aranda Lot 1." We could not locate records for "Aranda Lot 2." There is a second dwelling on the property. Animal control records state that Ringo and Casper were "secured in a secondary home on the property" after the fatal attack.

Related articles:
06/15/24: Lawsuit Filed After Los Angeles Animal Services Failed to Disclose a Dog's Bite History...
03/08/24: Man Charged After Vicious Dog Attack Left Woman with Life-Altering, Catastrophic...
03/03/20: Settlement Reached in Dog Mauling Death; Lawsuit Against Former Dog Warden...


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.

The Vicious and Dangerous Dog Hearing of Elijah, Attacks Dog Tied in Garage, and the Statement of Decision

Elijah was determined to be "vicious and dangerous" after the dangerous dog hearing.


Statement of Decision
San Francisco, CA - On November 25, 2024, a Vicious and Dangerous Dog Hearing was held to determine if "Elijah," a male, neutered pit bull met the definition of "vicious and dangerous" set forth in the San Francisco Health Code. DogsBite.org obtained the audio recording of the hearing and the surveillance video of the attack. After combining them, we embedded open caption subtitles. We also inserted red "Alert" notifications to highlight the "exhausted cliches" exhibited by vicious dog owners.

The involved parties include Thomas Newbury, the owner of the victim dog, "Ying Yang;" Elizabeth Jimenez, the dog owner's roommate, who was walking Elijah when he attacked Ying Yang; and Ciara Davis, the owner of Elijah, who did not witness the attack. The attack occurred on Friday, July 5 on Anza Street near George Washington High School. Newbury submitted a complaint to the SFPD Vicious and Dangerous Dog Unit on July 10. This hearing did not occur until nearly 5 months later.

Statement of Decision Description

"On July 10, 2024, Thomas Newbury submitted a complaint to SFPD VDDU regarding a dog bite that allegedly occurred on July 5, 2024. Newbury stated that on the date of the incident he was doing work in his garage while his dog, later identified as Ying Yang, was tied up in the garage as depicted in the video footage he submitted. (Ex. 5.) The attacking dog, later identified as Elijah, pulled the dog walker into Newbury’s garage. Elijah then bit Newbury’s dog’s face, locked on, and would not let go. Newbury ran outside and attempted to get Elijah to release by kicking and punching the dog.

Newbury alleged that the person walking Elijah did not try to pull Elijah off Newbury’s dog and just repeatedly said “I’m sorry.” When Elijah let go, Newbury wanted to call the police and obtain the dog walker’s information, but the dog walker insisted on going home. The dog walker left the scene stating she would return after returning Elijah back home. However, she did not return, and Newbury then took his dog to the hospital." - Statement of Decision - Complaint

The attack video is played at 7:00 minutes followed by Newbury's testimony, which calls out many exhausted cliches recycled by owners of vicious dogs after an attack. The video is harrowing. Newbury screams multiple times at the pit bull, "Let go!" The person walking the pit bull, Jimenez, who was not the owner, does little, except to repeat, "I'm sorry." Newbury testifies, the person "had no control" over the dog, and "no ability or strength to restrain" it, which is routine during pit bull attacks.

Not only do many owners of pit bulls deny the genetics of the breed -- the "bite, hold, and shake" attack style -- but when an attack does occur, they typically have no capacity or tool to get their dog to release. Newbury's dog, and every other non-gripper breed, are consistently at the mercy of pit bull owners who have "no ability or strength to restrain" the dog or force it to release, if it chooses to attack. The result is this video, which likely occurs over 10,000 times per year in the United States.1

"The pit bull Elijah had completely latched onto my dog's jaw," Newbury states. "My dog was helpless, like just struggling to survive."

Newbury testifies that he "repeatedly started hammering the dog" with his fist and "trying to kick it in the jaw to unlatch." As he was doing so, he was also in fear for his own life, asking himself, "What's next?" Was the pit bull going to maul him? "While it's being walked with a harness by a petite individual that was completely outmuscled ... completely incapable of controlling this dog?" he asked. But even for men, successfully "manhandling" a vicious pit bull with only a harness and leash is still difficult.

After the pit bull releases, Jimenez exhibits more exhausted cliches by owners of vicious dogs by refusing to supply her information to Newbury and by promising, she'll "come back" after she returns the dog to its owner. She does neither. "Obviously, they did not come back," Newbury states. After waiting for 10 minutes -- while his dog was "seriously bleeding out in the garage" --- he rushed Ying Yang to a vet on Fillmore Street where he received multiple staples in his chin. The vet bill was $680.

Six hours after the ordeal, Newbury is back home with his dog. He decides to take a spin around the block to see if he can learn more. "Unbelievably," he states, he sees "the same person who was walking the dog, now the owner" stepping outside of their apartment with the dog, which is wearing "the same exact harness, same exact leash, as if nothing had happened to them that day." Newbury just identified another exhausted cliche trait of vicious dog owners after an attack -- nonchalance.

Newbury jumps out of his truck and confronts them. Yet, he is met with another exhausted cliche response by vicious dog owners. Elijah's owner, Davis, who did not witness the attack, blames Newbury's dog. "It was your dog's fault, and your dog that attacked my dog," she said. The victim blaming occurs before Davis is aware that Newbury has footage of the attack. Now, after identifying multiple "exhausted cliche" traits of owners of vicious dogs, Newbury sees the larger picture.

"Then and there, I knew exactly who these people were and what was going on," Newbury states. "I just said, 'You have zero morals, zero anything.'"

After Newbury tells them, "Pit bulls, in my opinion, shouldn't be legal," he's hit with another exhausted cliche hurled by the owner of a vicious pit bull. She states, "That's a stigmatism. Pit bulls aren't bad." Newbury replies, "Well, if the pit bull, if that's a stigmatism, they say, then it's not bad dog, it's bad dog owners. Then you my friend are a horrible dog owner because your dog just mauled my dog." Then he bluntly asks, "So, which one is it? Are pit bulls bad or are you a bad dog owner? Unbelievable!"

Newbury next identifies another exhausted cliche exhibited by vicious dog owners. A few weeks later, he states, "another person is walking the dog -- again, not the owner, and it's not the same one who was walking the dog before." So, everyone walks this dog except for the actual owner, he said. Keen observation -- it's like isolating bites. If 3 dog walkers each have an incident and each walk different routes, it's more difficult for victims to identify the owner and to calculate cumulative bites.

If Newbury had not gotten into his truck and circled the neighborhood that day, it may have taken him weeks, if ever, to identify the dog's owner. (There can't be a legal hearing with an unidentified dog owner either.) It's exceptionally suspicious when multiple non-owners of a biting dog are seen walking the biting dog, but the owner is not. Recall what the dog walker told Newbury: "I'm not the owner of the dog. I didn't come back because I thought the owner of the dog should deal with it."

How convenient. It's the old adage, "Every dog has an identifiable owner -- until it bites someone." Then the owner becomes a game of musical chairs.

When confronted after the attack, Davis told Newbury she would be "more than willing to pay" the vet bill. By the time of the hearing, 4.5 months later, she had not. As Newbury states, "It just goes to show. No accountability. No responsibility. Tried to say it was my dog's fault. It's like, where does this end?" In a nutshell, it doesn't. Elijah will likely be seen in a future hearing after attacking another dog because one of the dog's "multiple walkers" failed to muzzle him. Again, it won't be the owner's fault.

Davis testifies next. She did not witness the attack and can only offer background. Elijah is about 7.5 years old, weighs 65 pounds and is neutered. The dog has been neutered, "since we adopted him," she said. She acquired the dog at the end of her freshman year in high school. Davis testifies that she and Jimenez did walk back to Newbury's home that day, rang his doorbell, but were unable to contact him. Davis did not leave a note. "My dog has never been in any type of fight, at all," Davis states.

Hearing Officer Janelle Caywood has an excellent response. "Generally, what this incident tells me. Often times people come in here and say it's an isolated incident, it's out of character for my dog. The reality is, all that says is that your dog is unpredictable. I'm very concerned. This was a prolonged attack." When Caywood asks what steps Davis put in place to prevent a future attack, her response is negligible. She alleges she would walk Elijah with "multiple people" and that she "ordered" a muzzle.

When Caywood asks, "When?" Davis replies, "The other day." So, for 4.5 months, dog-aggressive Elijah was being walked without a muzzle.

Jimenez, the dog walker, is last to testify. She claims that Ying Yang, who was tethered at the time, initiated the attack by running toward Elijah. "It was my visual understanding that [Ying Yang] was latched onto the top of Eli's face." And, "I had no idea how to separate that other dog clinging onto Eli's mouth." Caywood, however, disagrees with her assessment. "I've watched the video ... It's clear to me that Elijah was the initial aggressor and that any response of biting was done in self-defense."

Statement of Decision Findings

"Jimenez’s testimony differed from Newbury’s testimony regarding the July 5, 2024, incident. After reviewing the evidence and observing the demeanor of both people at the hearing, the undersigned determined that Newbury was the more credible witness because his account was corroborated by the video footage he presented as evidence which Jiminez had not observed at the time Jiminez submitted a written statement. In the written statement, Jimenez’s erroneously stated that Newbury’s dog, Ying Yang, was off-leash and the initial aggressor, neither of which were true. To that end, the undersigned makes the below factual finding in #1.

1. On July 5, 2024, Elizabeth Jimenez walked Ciara Davis’s leashed Pit Bull dog, Elijah, past Thomas Newbury’s residence on Anza Street. As Jimenez and Elijah walked past Newbury’s garage, Elijah lunged and dragged Jimenez toward the garage where Ying Yang, Newbury’s Australian Shepherd/Poodle mix dog was tied up. Elijah bit Ying Yang in the face in a prolonged attack leaving puncture wounds and requiring emergency medical treatment.

2. The dog, Elijah’s attack on Ying Yang, was unprovoked...
Based on the testimony at the hearing, the documents presented, and the above Findings, evidence presented is sufficient to prove, by a preponderance of evidence, that Elijah qualifies as vicious and dangerous under subdivision 1, of Section 42 because the attack (bites) to Ying Yang on July 5, 2024, was unprovoked. Notably, the footage that Newbury presented (Ex. 5) shows that this was a prolonged attack that only ended after Newbury struck the dog, Elijah, numerous times to save his own dog." - Statement of Decision - Findings

Summary & Discussion

During closing comments, Newbury has a chance to speak again. He rejects Davis' testimony that the pair returned to his house that day. He also states, "If there was no video, I would have no idea who these people were, where they went, if I didn't run into them later that day. It would have literally been my word against theirs. And the fact that just that day, they went back out like nothing had happened." It wasn't in their thought process to "buy a muzzle today." They still don't even have one, he said.

Interestingly, the dog walker/roommate, Jimenez, is as bad or worse than the actual dog owner in terms of exhibiting the "exhausted cliches" of owners of vicious dogs, as well as by making erroneous assessments in her written statement and hearing testimony. Officer Caywood writes in the Statement of Decision that when Jimenez submitted her written statement, alleging that "Ying Yang was off leash and the initial aggressor, neither of which were true," she had not observed the video evidence.

Davis, who testified that "nothing like this has ever happened before," lacks credibility since she's apparently never the person walking her own dog. Her solution to prevent a future attack is to walk her dog "with multiple people." How would she organize "team walking" events, since she's already unable to organize time to walk the dog herself? Davis admitted that she only ordered the muzzle from Amazon "the other day," nearly 5 months after the attack. As Newbury would say, "Unbelievable!"

Thankfully, Newbury's wife and his one-in-a-half year old daughter were out of town that weekend. "My daughter rides her bike right there on that sidewalk," where the attack occurred. "That easily could have been my daughter," he said. The stresses of "what if" scenarios, compounded by the pair's nonchalance, denial of accountability and blame shifting, increased the trauma Newbury sustained. The repeated -- and unnecessary -- exhausted cliche responses by the two exacerbated his suffering.

Sudden, explosive pit bull violence is traumatic enough. The video clearly shows this. Newbury's words expressed during the hearing illustrate the even more long-lasting effects. "I was just completely mind blown," he states, when he saw the pair out with the dog hours after the attack. "How are you guys outside with this dog right now with the same exact restraints, the same exact leash, and the same exact harness going for a stroll, down the same exact street, like nothing happened?"

Exhausted Cliches Exhibited by Vicious Dog Owners

  1. Owner of vicious pit bull denies the breed's genetic traits
  2. Owner of vicious dog fails to have any capacity or tool to stop the attack
  3. Owner of vicious dog refuses to give the victim contact information
  4. Owner of vicious dog promises to "come back," never does
  5. Owner of vicious dog acts like nothing happened -- total nonchalance
  6. Owner of vicious dog takes no action to protect against a future attack
  7. Owner of vicious dog blames the victim dog for starting the attack
  8. Owner of vicious pit bull cries "stigmatism" after damaging attack
  9. Everyone walks the vicious dog except for the actual owner
  10. Owner of vicious dog claims he/she will pay the vet bill, never does

Epilogue "Discrimination" and "Wheelbarrow"

At about 37:13, Officer Caywood addresses the issue of "breed discrimination." Apparently, this was in some of the letters attesting to the glowing temperament of Elijah. "We are not here because the city discriminates against a breed. We are here to protect the public, and we have a video of your dog attacking another dog. That's why we are here." When dog owner's make this claim during hearings, Caywood states, "What that tells me is that there's an inability to take accountability as a deflection."

Thus, it makes Caywood wonder if that person can be trusted with a potentially dangerous animal, to do the right thing and wear a muzzle. "If they're always blaming someone else instead of taking accountability, then I have concerns," she said. Several moments later, Caywood asks Captain Fenson of San Francisco Animal Care and Control if she has any recommendations for how to get a pit bull to release during a dog-on-dog attack, because "oftentimes, they lock and hold, as you know."

One of the methods she recommends that she characterizes as "pretty safe," is the "wheelbarrow" -- we disagree. The technique involves picking up the hind legs of a biting (and holding) pit bull. Thus, the victim dog owner is dependent on the pit bull owner undertaking this or a willing bystander. Worse, it may not stop the biting pit bull, as seen in the gruesome Berkeley, California dog-on-dog attack video. A male construction worker bystander performs the wheelbarrow and gets no results.

We recommend viewers watch dog trainer Robert Cabral's video, "Dog Fight Mistakes Breakdown" to see why this technique can be ineffective (it is outdated) and has more risks than what an "average" dog owner may assume. Cabral breaks down the Berkeley video and offers a more effective solution for a dog owner who is willing to accept some risks (6:15 to 28:30). Professionals like Cabral and Fenson can often quickly stop one of these attacks. But that doesn't help an "average" dog owner.

Chapters & Commentary Points

00:00: Introduction
07:00: Dog-on-dog attack video is played
07:55: Complainant testifies
11:49: Alert - Person walking attacking dog claims "I'll come back."
13:27: Alert - Vicious dog owner acts "as if nothing had happened that day"
14:24: Alert - Owner of vicious dog blames the victim dog's owner
15:00: Alert - Complainant contests the alleged "pit bull stigmatism"
15:44: Alert - Complainant: "Everyone walks the dog except for the actual owner?"
16:23: Alert - Vicious dog owner claims she will "pay the vet bill" but never does
19:28: Alert - Complainant states his dog is "scarred from pit bulls now"
20:08: Owner of vicious dog testifies, who was not present during attack
27:01: Dog walker of vicious dog testifies (the roommate of the dog owner)
28:35: Dog walker claims the victim dog latched onto to the pit bull's face
30:33: Alert - Hearing officer disagrees with dog walker's assessment
31:52: Closing commentary begins
32:27: Alert - Complainant reiterates the owner acted like "nothing had happened"
36:17: Alert - Vicious dog owner, again, claims she would pay his vet bill but did not!
37:14: Alert - Hearing officer addresses "issue of breed discrimination" in hearings
39:58: Alert - SFACC officer claims "wheelbarrow" method is "pretty safe"
43:18: Epilogue - DogsBite.org shows the ineffectiveness of the "wheelbarrow" technique

dangerous dog hearing Elijah san francisco

Newbury seen racing across his garage to save his dog Ying Yang from the jaws of a pit bull.

1Merritt Clifton, "Yes, there is data on how many dogs, especially pit bulls, kill other animals," Animals 24-7, January 5, 2024 (animals24-7.org)

Related articles:
08/30/24: The Vicious and Dangerous Dog Hearing of Max, a High Prey Drive Husky in San Francisco
06/13/24: San Francisco Man Scales Tall Fence to Escape Violent Pit Bulls Captured on Video
10/29/23: Ring Camera Video of Pit Bull Attacking Pomeranian in San Francisco Used in Hearing