2024 Dog Bite Fatality: Family Rottweilers Kill 5-Year Old Girl in Backyard of Mansion in Covina

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On Sunday, a pair of family rottweilers killed a 5-year old girl in the backyard of a mansion in Covina.

Dogs Kill Child
Covina, CA - A 5-year old girl is dead after being attacked by two rottweilers. Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to a residence in the 2500 block of Palomino Drive in the gated community of Les Maisons around noon on Sunday. Deputies discovered the child had been attacked by the dogs in the backyard. Footage from KABC show a pair of shoes and bits of clothing strewn in the yard. Paramedics transported the child to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead at 1:23 pm.

Authorities said she sustained injuries to her head and torso while her father tried to protect her from the dogs. Four dogs resided at the home. Investigators said that two dogs -- a 10-year old rottweiler and a 6-year old rottweiler-weimaraner mix -- were responsible for the attack. All four dogs were confiscated by county animal control officers. Investigators said the child had lived with the dogs in the home all of her life with no prior incidents. One other family member sustained minor injuries.

Child Fell Before Attack

The Press-Telegram reports the girl's father, divorced from her mother, lives at the home. Police said the girl and the father were in the backyard, along with four family dogs, which includes a 10-year old weimaraner and a 4-year old doberman. "She fell. They (the rottweiler and rottweiler-weimaraner mix) immediately started attacking her," sheriff’s Lt. Steve De Jong said. The father dove on top of her, "trying to protect her and shield her from the dogs," he said. The other two dogs were not involved.

The child was transported to Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center with life-threatening injuries, where she died. The medical examiner's office has since identified the child as Amelia Yu. Christopher Valles, a spokesperson for Los Angeles County Animal Care and Control, said his agency had never been to the property on Palomino Drive prior to the fatal attack. All four dogs will be held in quarantine for 10 days. Afterward, a hearing may be held if the owner wants any of the dogs back, Valles said.

Fund & Clarifications

A GoFundMe for the child's funeral costs has raised over $24,000. "This is Amelia Yu, 5 years old, and the last photos taken before her accident," states a note from her father. The beautiful child is seen holding a cat in her arms. "She was a kind and lovely girl who loves animals, dancing, music, and snowboarding," her father wrote. We became aware of the GoFundMe when two media sources began reporting different facts about her death, primarily, that her father did not own the four dogs.

At the time of the fatal mauling, her father was renting a room at the property. The dogs were owned by a different family, according to Christopher Valles, a spokesperson for Los Angeles County Animal Care and Control. During the attack, all four dogs were in the backyard. It is now reported that three dogs were involved, not two. The added dog was a female Doberman. The other two dogs involved were male: a rottweiler and a rottweiler-weimaraner mix. All four dogs are spayed or neutered.

Reportedly, the child visited her father every other weekend. She had previous interactions with the dogs and was known by them. But that is quite different than what police initially reported, which was, "The child had been around the dogs her entire life," sheriff's Lt. Steven De Jong said. Further, Ann Evans, a neighbor, told KABC that her husband encountered the dogs on their property. He informed the homeowner, who leases the property. Evans said the dog owners had moved in over the summer.

rottweiler kill child mansion in Covina

Two large dogs seen being taken away from a mansion in Covina after the fatal dog attack.

map iconView the DogsBite.org Google Map: U.S. Fatal Rottweiler Attacks By State

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07/30/24: 2024 Dog Bite Fatality: 2-Year Old Killed by Three Rottweilers Inside Babysitter's Home...
07/29/24: Fatal Rottweiler Attacks - The Archival Record - DogsBite.org

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 Dog Bite Fatality: Family Dogs Kill 8-Year Old Boy Over the Holiday Weekend in Onslow County, North Carolina

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family dogs kill 8-year old onslow county, north carolina
Family dogs killed an 8-year old boy in Onslow County over the holiday weekend.

Suffered Neck Bites
Jacksonville, NC - On Monday, the Onslow County Sheriff's Office issued a press release about a child killed by two family dogs over the holiday weekend. On November 29, 2024, at 2:54 pm, deputies responded to a 911 call to Harris Creek Road regarding a dog attacking a minor, states the release. Arriving deputies found the boy, who had sustained "bite marks on the neck." Life-saving measures were performed before transporting the boy to Naval Medical Center Camp Lejeune, where he died.

Investigators said the child and a sibling were letting the dogs out of the home to use the bathroom when the attack occurred. The two dogs were identified as pit bull-great dane mixes. "Family members of the victim stated the dogs did not show signs of aggressive behaviors prior to the attack," states the release. The dogs were not known to Onslow County Animal Control or area law enforcement prior to the fatal mauling. Both canines were secured by animal control and are being held in quarantine.

FATAL DOG ATTACK TRAGICALLY CLAIMS LIFE OF MINOR
Onslow County – It is with profound sadness that the Onslow County Sheriff’s Office reports the death of a minor following a fatal dog attack in Jacksonville last week.
On Friday, November 29, 2024, at 2:54 p.m., deputies responded to a 911 call to Harris Creek Road in Jacksonville regarding a dog attacking a minor.

When deputies arrived, they found an 8-year-old boy suffering from bite marks on the neck. Emergency Medical Services performed life-saving measures on the scene before transferring the child to Naval Medical Center Camp Lejeune. Despite swift actions by first responders, the child succumbed to his injuries shortly after arrival.

Investigators determined the child and a sibling were letting the dogs out of the residence to use the bathroom when the attack occurred. Family members of the victim stated the dogs did not show signs of aggressive behaviors prior to the attack. Neither law enforcement nor Onslow County Animal Control has experienced interactions with the dogs prior to the incident.

The dogs were identified as a Pit Bull/Great Dane mix. Both dogs were secured and have been quarantined by animal control.

“This is an unimaginable tragedy for the family and our community. Our thoughts and prayers are with them during this incredibly difficult time,” said Sheriff Chris Thomas.

The case remains an open investigation and additional information will be released as the investigation allows.

We urge residents to remain vigilant and ensure the safety of their families and pets. - Onslow County Sheriff's Office, Dec. 2, 2024

GoFundMe Created for "Caleb"

We were notified over the weekend about two GoFundMe campaigns created for the child victim identified as Caleb. One does not mention the dog attack, "Caleb (8) was a son, brother, grandson, cousin, nephew and the sweetest friend. He was a light in this world, and if you knew him, you were lucky." This fund has raised over $15,000 as of Sunday. The other campaign, created by the boy's uncle, states that Caleb died "unexpectedly to a dog attack." This fund has raised under $1,000.

The funds helped us identify the child's parents on social media. We were able to obtain an image of one of the "pit bull-great dane" mixes. On September 26, 2024, the child's stepmother posted to the Jacksonville NC, Lost and Found Pets Facebook group that her "pit bull Xena" (she did not identify the dog as a "pit bull-great dane" mix) had "run off" again. One commenter even asked, "Is this an old post or did she get loose again?" Xena had gotten loose again. The sex of the other dog is unknown.

family dogs kill boy onslow county, north carolina

One of the family's pit bulls had bolted from the home multiple times before the fatal attack.

family dogs kill 8-year old boy onslow county

The day after Thanksgiving Day, two family dogs killed 8-year old Caleb Brown outside of a residence on Harris Creek Road in Jacksonville, Onslow County, North Carolina.

map iconView the DogsBite.org Google State Map: North Carolina Fatal Pit Bull Attacks.

Related articles:
07/04/23: 2023 Dog Bite Fatality: Man Killed by Daughter's Dogs While Dog Sitting in North Carolina

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.

Dog Bite Fatality Suspected: Woman Killed by Dog in the 16th Police District of Philadelphia

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16th police district - killed by dog
A 51-year old woman was found dead in the 16th Police District of Philadelphia.

Citizen App
Philadelphia, PA - Earlier today, Citizen App announced on X, formerly known as Twitter, a fatal dog attack in the 4100 block of Parrish Street in the Mantua section of West Philadelphia. Audio dispatch log files from Philadelphia Police Dispatch - West, the 16th District, add more information. "4115 Parrish Street ... for a female attacked by a dog," the dispatcher states. "The female was pronounced at 12:15 by Medic 26. The dog is contained. They have one male in custody ... There is a [scene] inside."

We were first alerted to this attack by a retired Philadelphia police officer, who now writes the Gorman Growl blog, according to his Facebook page. He heard the same audio dispatch log file as us. The last fatal dog attack in the city also occurred in West Philadelphia, about three miles away. Antonio Shaw, 63, died two months after being attacked by two pit bulls on North 62nd Street. While being treated at Lankenau Hospital, he underwent 15 surgeries and doctors had to amputate one of his legs.

CBS News Philadelphia was the first mainstream media outlet to report this attack. The victim is 51-years old. Police said she was often at the West Philadelphia home. Four pit bulls are seen being led from the Parrish Street residence in red leashes. Sources told CBS that the victim had a good relationship with the dogs. The number of dog bites she sustained is unknown. Her death is being characterized as a death investigation. The medical examiner will determine the cause of death.

NBC reports the victim is a mother of five. She lives at the home on Parrish Street with her five dogs. After family members had not heard from her for a day or so, one of her sons stopped by the home to check on her and found her unresponsive. Family members believe their mother was killed and that this is a homicide investigation. During this news report, police stood outside of the front door that remained open, waiting for the medical examiner to arrive. The attack occurred inside the home.

16th police district - killed by dog

Four pit bulls seen being led from the home on Parrish Street, where a woman died.

map iconView the DogsBite.org Google State Map: Pennsylvania Fatal Pit Bull Attacks.

Related articles:
12/09/23: 2023 Dog Bite Fatality: 63-Year Old Man Dies 2 Months After Pit Bull Attack in West...
08/03/18: 2018 Dog Bite Fatality: Pit Bulls Kill Toddler, Injure Babysitter in Philadelphia's Port...

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 Dog Bite Fatality: Family Pit Bull Attacks Owners, Killing One, Injures Two Police Officers in Boston

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Jeriline McGinnis, 73-years old, died late Monday after being attacked by her own pit bull.

Multi-Victim Attack
Boston, MA - A woman is dead after being mauled by a family pit bull. The dog also attacked her husband and two police officers. First responders were dispatched to a multi-family home on Dennison Street around 4:50 pm Monday after reports that an aggressive dog attacked its owners -- a man and woman -- inside the home. The dog then attacked two officers who arrived at the scene. Officers fired on the vicious dog, injuring it. The woman, Jeriline Brady McGinnis, 73-years old, died late Monday.

"Obviously the dog, given what he did to the two victims, the owners of the dogs, the officers made the decision to discharge and put the dog down," Boston Police Deputy Superintendent Paul McLaughlin said. After the multi-victim attack, animal control removed three other dogs -- all pit bulls -- from the home. McGinnis had owned pit bulls for over 10 years, according to her multiple Facebook pages. In August, she posted a video of her three pit bulls playing in the snow in her front yard.

Surveillance video obtained by news stations captured the dog confronting the officers. One neighbor, who was not identified, said he heard three shots fired. "I heard two shots, and I saw that the dog was down. About a minute or so later, less than that, I heard a third shot," he said. A source told WBZ-TV the dog latched onto McGinnis' arm, nearly taking it off. When her husband jumped into save her, he also attacked. Last night at the scene, police said the husband sustained "very serious injuries."

The multi-family home is owned by civil rights leader Jean McGuire. She was walking her own dog in a nearby park when a pit bull named "Deuce" attacked McGinnis and her husband in their first-floor unit. "She’s a wonderful person. A very generous, a very loving person. Loved animals," McGuire said of McGuire. "I’ve lost my sister. She’s a sister." McGuire also said the couple "put them in cages" to keep the dogs from fighting, indicating the other three pit bulls may have been kenneled during the attack.

Had Dogs for 6 Years

NBC Boston reports that McGinnis was living in the home with four pit bulls that her son allegedly brought home about six years ago. McGinnis had owned a similar pit bull, "Buddha," since 2014. McGuire, who lives upstairs, had concerns about the dogs. "They had too many dogs," she said, shaking her head. Neighbors said the dogs "bark all night" and did not seem socialized. McGinnis' husband remains in the ICU at an area hospital. The city euthanized Deuce,1 the attacking dog.

An updated report identified her husband as Leon McGinnis. McGuire said that she has been renting to the couple for decades, who live downstairs with one of their three sons. In a telephone interview with the Boston Globe, McGuire said she doesn't know what unfolded. "I don’t know what happened, and until I find out from Leon, I won’t know," she said. McGuire also described the couple of having "a pit bull family." She added that the McGinnis’s would breed the dogs and sell the pit bull puppies.

put bull attacks owners killing one in Boston

McGinnis often posted her dogs to Facebook groups like Staffordshire Bull Terrier Lovers and Tiggers Outlaw Bullies. The dog in the right panel column could be "Deuce."

put bull attacks owners killing one in Boston

The multi-family home on Dennison St. where a pit bull killed its owner, Jeriline McGinnis

map iconView the DogsBite.org Google State Map: Massachusetts Fatal Pit Bull Attacks.
1CBS News states that Buddha is the killer. That would mean the dog is at least 10-years old. However, McGinnis also called this dog "Buddha" (who is possibly Buddha Junior) in a Facebook reel.

Related articles:
02/16/24: 2024 Dog Bite Fatality: Man Killed by Pack of Breeding Pit Bulls in Compton, California
04/26/24: 2024 Dog Bite Fatality: Pit Bull Kills Male Owner in Bronx Apartment Building; Cops...

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.