Posted on October 8, 2012 by Colleen Lynn

2012 Dog Bite Fatality: Pit Bull Kills 3-Week Old Girl in Detroit

Tarilyn Bowles, 3-weeks old, was mauled to death by a pit bull on Detroit's west side.

Insights from Behaviorist

The funeral for 3-week old Tarilyn Luciana Bowles, mauled to death by a family pit bull while strapped into a child safety seat, is scheduled for Wednesday. DogsBite.org along with commenters have been repelled by the statement by the owner of the dog blaming the deadly attack on the animal smelling "baby formula on the infant's clothes." The endless denialism by the owners of these dogs after a violent or fatal attack, as in the case of Tarilyn, is reprehensible.

DogsBite.org reaches out to animal behaviorist Alexandra Semyonova to learn more:

Alexandra Semyonova

The idea that a normal domestic dog will attack a human because that human smells of food is utterly ridiculous. If this were the case, shelter workers, dog trainers and dog behavior therapists would be taking their life in their hands every time they interacted with a dog while carrying treats in their pockets. If you have food and a dog wants it, the dog will try various begging behaviors. They won't attack you to take the food. If you have food on your clothing, a dog might lick the spot on your clothes where the food was spilled. A normal dog will not therefore suddenly confuse you with kibble in its bowl and try to eat your face. Even a pit bull doesn't attack a human because it's hungry.

As I pointed out here only a week ago, the pit bull type dog has a highly breed-specific behavior pattern, created by more than four hundred years of intensive human selection. This genetically determined, breed-specific behavior pattern is inherent in the pit bull. It feels good to the pit bull when this pattern is set in motion. Because it feels good to do what it was bred for, the pit bull doesn't need much stimulus to start executing its innate behavior program. In fact, any excuse will do. In this sense, the pit bull is no different from any other working breed. If a pointer had suddenly seen the baby on the floor, it likely would have pointed at the baby (feels good to point to the thing the human should be attending to). If a border collie had come into the room, it likely would have circled and stared at the baby, trying to 'eye' it back close to the mother where babies belong (feels good to keep the herd together by circling and eyeing). The pit bull is different from other working breeds only in that it's inbred behavior pattern isn't harmless.

However, the issue raised here with the 'formula' theory isn't only the issue of a working breed doing what it was bred for. It's also the issue of how even highly educated dog 'experts' acknowledge that working behavior is inherent in every working breed dog, but deny that this is also true of the pit bull. It's the issue of these dog 'experts' trying to redefine the domestic dog in such a way that the genetically engineered attack behavior of the pit bull becomes a normal trait in the domestic dog. It's the issue of various dog 'experts' now even starting to mouth some of the myths and lies that were originally thought up by uneducated pit-bull fans: when a pit bull suddenly kills, it’s predatory behavior; the pit bull is, of all breeds, especially good with children; if a pit bull kills a child, it’s due to egregious parental incompetence and negligence; since parents also kill children, we needn’t be alarmed that pit bulls do; socialization and training can get rid of genetically determined pit bull behavior.[1]

In the face of this in fact egregious 'expert' behavior, I'd like to repeat the biological and ethological facts here. The domestic dog is not a hunting species. Even if it were a hunter, it would only kill when hungry and it wouldn't confuse social partners with food. (Please note that the pit bull that killed this baby had just been fed.) The domestic dog prefers to avoid conflict and danger. Pit bulls had to be specially selected and bred, because a normal dog will flee if it sees a threat (such as a bull or a bear), and because a normal dog won't attack unless it is cornered and fearing for its life. Even then, the normal dog will use exactly as much aggression as it needs to open up a flight route (not a bit more). A full-fledged attack is extremely rare in the normal domestic dog. This normal behavior is what has always kept us safe with dogs. Children and dogs wandered villages and neighborhoods together for thousands of years without children being routinely killed by the dogs. The types of dogs that routinely kill children do this not because they are dogs, but because they have been highly bred to be different from all other dogs.

The 'formula' theory is only one in a long series of inane fictions people are inventing to excuse a pit bull when it does what it was bred to do. The inanity becomes clear if you look at the list of excuses: stormy weather, calm hot weather, calm icy weather, not being neutered, being neutered, being fed, not being fed, and now the very smell of food. You have to admit, the 'formula' theory does open up great possibilities for also excusing pit bull attacks on adults. 'I got some spaghetti sauce on my shirt at dinner, so the pit bull must've thought it was attacking a plate of spaghetti.'

The only valid explanation for the attack on this child is: the dog was a pit bull. If your pit bull kills your child, it's not because it confused your child with a bottle of formula. It's because it's a pit bull, because the pit bull is a working breed, and because killing is what the pit bull has been genetically engineered to do.

[1]This is just one example of a highly educated dog guru letting the pit fans instruct him rather than the other way round.1

Alexandra Semyonova is an internationally acclaimed animal behaviorist and author of The 100 Silliest Things People Say About Dogs. Academically educated in behavioral science and specialized in animal behavior, she provided a major breakthrough for the field in her paper, The Social Organization of the Domestic Dog. She has worked with dogs and their owners on a daily basis for more than 30 years. Visit her website at Nonlinear Dogs. View additional DogsBite.org posts that Semyonova has provided commentary for in the past.

10/04/12: Pit Bull Kills Child
Detroit, MI - In an unmatched fatal dog attack streak since 2005 -- and possibly in all modern times -- a dog has killed a human being again in the past 4.5 weeks. Detroit police say a 3-week old girl was mauled to death by a pit bull Thursday afternoon. Sgt. Eren Stephens said the child's mother took her inside a home on Staheilin Avenue in a car seat. Not knowing there was a dog in the home, the mother placed the infant on the floor still strapped in and briefly stepped away.

That was the last time this mother saw her baby "unmauled to death."

The Detroit News adds that a "phalanx of officers" removed the pit bull from the home as neighbors stood by. Some neighbors were angry and shouted that they would have stabbed the dog if they had witnessed the attack. Predictably the dog's owner, who has allegedly owned the animal for several years, quickly shut the door after police removed the dog. Neighbors also said the 24-year old mother of the baby had been living temporarily with a friend at the home.

View Related video 1 | Related video 22

National Killing Streak

Nine U.S. citizens have been killed by canines in the past 34 days.3 Given that on average since 2005 there are 30.4 fatal dog attacks annually, this 34-day period (essentially the month of September) has racked up nearly a third of this annual amount and there are still three months to go before the end of the year. Traditionally, November and December are often high fatal dog attack months. The U.S. is on track to surpass 40 fatal dog attacks for the year of 2012.

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

1Highlights and links added by DogsBite.org.
2Testicals do not appear to be present on this dog.
3Dates represent the date of death, not the date of the published post.

Posted on October 4, 2012 by Colleen Lynn

2012 Dog Bite Fatality: Pembroke 'Dog Rescuer' Killed by Rescued Pit Bulls

Mary Jo Hunt was mauled to death by a pack of her own rescue dogs in Pembroke.

Claws and Paws Rescue
UPDATE 10/04/12: Several issues are clarified in the FayObserver.com article today. Mary Jo Hunt of 17 Sharon Lane in Pembroke lived with her sister Deborah Jacobs, according to a neighbor who would not provide his name. Both women worked for the Robeson County Claws and Paws Rescue. Glenna Hicks, the chairwoman of the rescue's board, said all of the seized dogs had been up for adoption through the rescue. Hicks expects the dogs to be put down.

A neighbor, who would not give his name, said Hunt lived at the home with her sister, Deborah Jacobs.

Both were animal lovers and worked for the Robeson County Claws and Paws Rescue, said Glenna Hicks, chairwoman of the rescue's board.

Hicks said she did not know Hunt well, but "she was a good person."
Hicks said about nine dogs, mostly pit bulls, were taken from the home.
The dogs were seized by Robeson County Animal Control, whose officers were assisted by Maxton,

Pembroke and Lumberton animal control officers, Sealey said.
The dogs had been up for adoption through the rescue, Hicks said. - Fay Observer, October 4, 2012

10/03/12: Rescue Pit Bulls Killed
Nine dogs were seized from the victim's home on Sharon Lane, according to Robeson County Sheriff Kenneth Sealey. He identified the victim as Mary Jo Hunt, a mother of three who worked with a rescue group called Claws and Paws Rescue. Hunt had about 10-15 dogs in the fenced-in backyard of her home, all of which were rescued, Sheriff Sealey said. "Some of the dogs were ones she rescued off the street," he said. "She had been rescuing dogs for a number of years."

Sealey said a neighbor called 911 at about 12:30 p.m. concerning the attack. When deputies arrived, Hunt was still being attacked. The deputies were able to remove the dogs from the woman, but she was already dead, according to Sealey.

“The deputies were the first ones on the scene,” he said.
Hunt lived with a sister, but she was at work at the time, Sealey said. Hunt had worked with attorney Hugh Rogers at his law firm on and off for about 15 years.

“She was a good-hearted person and a hardworking employee,” Rogers said. “I think it’s a terrible, tragic thing.”

Hunt was a widow and had two sons and a daughter.

Sealey said that Hunt was trying to protect a small dog from the larger dogs by using a rake. She was then attacked and knocked down by the larger dogs and mauled. - The Robesonian

Bill Smith, Director of the Robeson County Health Department, said the seven pit bulls that attacked Hunt are being held at the Robeson County Animal Shelter. Two terriers believed to have been attacked by the pit bulls are at the shelter as well. Another pit bull, also attacked, was taken to a veterinarian. Smith does not believe any of the dogs that were part of the fatal pack attack came from the county shelter. The shelter is holding the dogs until the investigation is complete.

10/02/12: Woman Killed by Own Dogs
Pembroke, NC - In a developing story, another woman who "rescues" dogs1 has been attacked and killed by her own dogs. Robeson County Sheriff Ken Sealey said they responded to a home on Sharon Lane after they received a 911 call about a woman being attacked. Sealey said the victim was "mangled and her clothes torn off" after attempting to stop a fight between her dogs. Police found the victim lying dead on the ground near the gate of her fenced-in backyard.

Sealey said it appeared the dogs were in the yard when "several large dogs attacked a smaller one." The woman apparently tried to stop the fight using a rake, but the animals overpowered her. Sealey did not provide information about the number of dogs involved or the breed-types. It is also unclear who called 911 and who witnessed the attack. Animal control officials from four jurisdictions responded, including: Robeson County, Maxton, Lumberton and Pembroke.

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

1There are conflicting reports about the victim being a dog rescuer and "staying at the home" of a dog rescuer.

Posted on September 30, 2012 by Colleen Lynn

2012 Dog Bite Fatality: Oklahoma Woman Killed by Pit Bull in Her Home

Nellie Davis, 61-years old, was killed by her granddaughter's pet pit bull.

Insights from Behaviorists

DogsBite.org along with commenters have become alarmed at the misleading rationale that a "normal" response by a "noise-sensitive" dog is to attack and kill a family member when under the duress of loud sounds, like the crack of thunder. It is even more disconcerting that a police captain is echoing this false rationale provided by the dog's owner. One wonders if the dog had busted through the front door and killed a neighboring child, if police would be so easily misled?

DogsBite.org reaches out to animal behaviorists Gary Wilkes and Alexandra Semyonova:

Gary Wilkes

The most common reaction of a noise-sensitive dog in the presence of loud noises is to run from the sound or "hole up." If the noise does not go away, they may frantically bite and claw through sheet-rock or sheet metal to try to escape…whether an exit beyond the obstacle would lead to safety or not. Once free of its cage, a normal dog would likely maintain its panicked attempts at flight or solicit comfort from a known human. The behavior of this dog is the opposite of what one would expect. Instead of becoming fearfully aroused it apparently became violently aroused. It has been suggested that the noise caused this dog to attack a human being. If true, I cannot understand why that would extenuate its behavior. It would seem to me that this explanation makes pit bulls many times more dangerous than any other type of dog. "Occam’s Razor" is a logical test of assumptions. It states that if there are two explanations for something, pick the more simple of the two. In this case, adding the thunder aspect seems to be an attempt to mask the dog's history of violence and breed type. If an English pointer stands fixated at a parakeet perched in a cage, the simplest explanation is that the dog is a pointer. The simplest conclusion in this case is that the dog is a Pit Bull Terrier with a history of breed-specific behavior and unchecked violence.1

Gary Wilkes is an internationally acclaimed animal behaviorist, trainer, author, columnist and lecturer. View additional posts by Gary Wilkes.

Alexandra Semyonova

A normal dog who is afraid of thunder, fireworks, marching bands, or other loud noises will panic and try to flee or hide. The normal dog in this state of panic becomes deaf and blind to things in its surroundings, interested only in escaping the noise. It won't take treats, won't be comforted, won't engage in any social interactions (including fighting). All it wants to do is get away from the noise. Every fiber of its being is concentrated on that and only that. People who own normal dogs don't need to worry that their dog will suddenly attack and kill them because there's stormy weather outside.

Pit bulls are different. Deathly fear or total panic is a state of high arousal. It's well known that the pit bull doesn't compose a socially appropriate response to various kinds of arousal. They often react to any type of arousal by starting to unfold their genetically determined, breed-specific, sustained attack behavior. They often do this if they get excited during what started as play with another dog, during attempts to mate, or even during a petting session if the pit bull gets too excited about the human affection it's receiving. Startle is also known to trigger the genetic program the pit bull carries -- for example, an owner slipping on the ice. If this pit bull's reaction was related to hearing thunder, then it can only be in the sense that the thunder, like any startle or arousal, triggered a highly breed-specific reaction that only the pit-bull type dog will show.

This pit bull already had a history of aggression. It had already shown it reacted to various triggers by executing its breed-specific behavior. I'm not sure why Captain Nelson would feel so sure that this time the trigger was hearing thunder. It's not clear why that would -- even if accurate -- somehow excuse not only the behavior of this pit bull, but also of all the others that attack in response to a stimulus that would cause any other dog to flee, to mate, or to bring its owner a favorite toy. The key to understanding this case isn't in pinpointing what the trigger for the pit bull was this time. We'll never know. It could just as well have been that this woman sneezed. The key to understanding this case lies in acknowledging that any kind of arousal in a pit bull can be fatal.

The idea that this woman's stay in the hospital played some role is also ridiculous. When a known person comes home after an absence, even carrying unusual scents from a strange place, a dog still recognizes that person. The normal reaction is to be glad to see a friend who was gone for awhile. Normal dogs will show interest in the new smells, a kind of 'hey, where ya been?' interest. If one of the new smells makes a dog anxious (for example, it reminds him of how the vet's office smells), the normal dog will move away or hide ('you're not taking me to the vet today if you can't find me!'). People change their clothes, that kind of smell subsides quickly But it is in any case not a normal reaction to become highly aggressive and execute a sustained, killing attack just because someone has been gone for awhile or smells a bit odd.

The only baffling thing about this case is why so many people, even a police captain, are so anxious to blame pit bull behavior on anything and everything except hundreds of years of selecting for highly breed-specific sudden killing behavior. The problem here wasn't thunder, and it wasn't that this woman had been in the hospital. The problem here was that the dog was a pit bull.2

Alexandra Semyonova is an internationally acclaimed animal behaviorist, behavioral biologist, anthropologist and author. View additional posts by Alexandra Semyonova.

09/27/12: Dogs Known to be Violent
KFOR.com reports that Nellie Davis recently moved in with her granddaughter after undergoing a heart transplant and long-term illness. According to neighbor Kenny Reeves, the two pit bulls the family kept in the apartment had a history of violence. "I can tell you it's not uncommon, issues with the dogs. The cops had been called before for the dogs fighting," Reeves said. "A week ago the dogs were fighting," April Reeves added. "You could hear people yelling at 'em."

The victim's husband, Cleveland Davis, Sr., told reporters that he hopes his wife of over 30-years is remembered for more than how she died. "I really want everyone to know she was a strong lady and a proud lady," Cleveland said. "She never complained although she went through so much." Police Captain Dexter Nelson described the scene as "gruesome" and that the victim "died a horrific death." Homicide detectives continue to investigate the woman's death.

View Related video

09/27/12: Attack Blamed on Thunder
The San Francisco Chronicle offers more details, including that the residence was an apartment; the victim lived with her granddaughter who owned two large pit bulls; one of the pit bulls broke out of its crate and attacked; police shot that dog because it was threatening emergency responders; and last but not least, police Captain Dexter Nelson is blaming the fatal attack on stormy weather, as was done after Deborah Roberts was killed by her pet pit bulls earlier this month.

This particular dog had problems with thunderstorms and lightning and that type of thing, so the dog became quite unstable and upset. - Dexter Nelson

Explosive Aggression

After 85-year old Mattie Daughtery was relentlessly attacked and killed by her daughter's pet pit bull, the family blamed the attack on "noise" from construction work being done on the house.3 After 56-year old Johnny Wilson was mauled to death by his daughter's six pit bulls, the daughter blamed the attack on his "loud" voice. Instead, what these fatal pit bull attacks represent over and over again is the unpredictable explosive aggression consistently carried out by pit bulls.

Pit bulls -- The Living IED: Designed for death, awaiting detonation.4

09/27/12: Woman Killed by Pit Bull
Oklahoma City, OK - In a developing story, Oklahoma City Police say a woman was attacked and killed by a pit bull in her home last night. Police received a 911 call just after 11 pm on Wednesday from a woman who said she found her grandmother, 60-year old Nellie Davis, dead in the home and the pit bull out of its crate. Responding officers tried to contain the pit bull, but were unsuccessful. An officer was forced to shoot the dog to death after it continued to act aggressively.

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

1,2Highlights and links added by DogsBite.org.
3After a neighbor shot the attacking pit bull -- and the dog offered little response -- "It took two police officers and many rounds to finally kill the animal." Again, the attack was allegedly set off by construction "noises." Though Mattie lived at the home, she apparently was "unfamiliar" with her daughter's pit bull that was kept at the home.
4This phrase was first used in the 2010 blog post after the mauling death of Johnny Wilson. It is time to use it again.

Posted on September 26, 2012 by Colleen Lynn

2012 Dog Bite Fatality: Domestic Dispute Call Ends in Fatal Dog Mauling of Baby

The father's 4-year old pit bull, Brody, off leash at Burleson High School.1

Mother Feared Dog
09/26/12: The CBS DFW video posted yesterday briefly interviewed neighbor Jessica Hale who has young children of her own. Parts of Hale's statement are also quoted in a WFAA news report. Quite literally -- just minutes before the deadly attack -- the baby's mother Jessica Oxner had been speaking with Hale, expressing concern to her about the baby being in the house with the dog:

[CBS] Police were at the house investigating a domestic disturbance when witnesses say the child's mother began screaming for help.

"Someone call 911! My baby is not breathing, my baby is not breathing. So I just called 911, but at that time the ambulances were already coming down the street."

[CBS] Neighbor Jessica Hale says the baby's mother was concerned about the presence of not one but two pit bulls in the father's home.

"That day she told me her concern was the dog, and that was before it even happened. She said her main concern was the dog, and the baby being in the house with the dog. Then -- not minutes later -- he came running out with the baby," Hale said.

09/25/12: Baby's Parents Named
FoxNews.com reports the baby's father, Barnett Bruce, began arguing with the baby's mother, Jessica Oxford, just after Oxford brought the child over for a visit. While the two parents argued, the baby's grandfather was holding him. Someone called police after the argument escalated into pushing. Arriving officers separated the two parents -- one officer taking a statement from the father inside the home and the other taking a statement from the mother outside.

During the hour-long period of police questioning the parents and witnesses, the baby fell asleep in the grandfather's arms. He took the baby into the home and placed it on a bed and came back to talk to his son (who was likely still inside the home). Not long after, the grandfather heard noises from the bedroom and went to investigate. This is when he discovered the pit bull had attacked the baby. The baby's father grabbed the child and ran outside alerting police.

NBC 5 Dallas reports the unaltered male pit bull responsible for the deadly attack was one of two pit bulls in the father's home. The Star-Telegram reported earlier today that Kim Peckler, supervisor of Burleson's Animal Services, said the same pit bull had previously been involved in a minor biting incident in 2011. The dog was quarantined then returned to its owner, Barnett Bruce. Peckler added that the dog had also been picked up by animal services in 2010 for being at-large.

09/25/12: Father's Pet Pit Bull
The Star-Telegram has updated its earlier article. The newspaper now reports that 3-month old Rayden Bruce had been asleep on a bed inside the home when he was mauled by his father's pit bull. Burleson police officers were present at the home in connection with a domestic dispute between the baby's parents when the mauling took place. Officers administered emergency aid to the baby boy until paramedics arrived. The infant did not survive his injuries.

Officers responded to the area after a 911 hang-up call was received from a cell phone at 6:48 pm. Officers were searching for the source of the call when they found the family disturbance at the home on Linda. Officers separated the couple, documented reported injuries and checked the welfare of the baby, which at that time was fine. Two officers were still on the scene an hour later taking statements from witnesses outside the house when the mauling occurred.

Burleson Animal Control officers euthanized the animal Tuesday.2

09/25/12: Child Killed by Dog
Burleson, TX - In a developing story, newspapers confirm reports of a suspected fatal dog attack that began circulating last night in social media channels. Police were called to a domestic disturbance on Linda Drive at 6:45 pm. While family members were speaking with police officers, someone sat the baby down and the family dog attacked. The child was taken to Cook Children's Hospital. The Tarrant County Medical Examiner confirmed the baby's death Tuesday morning.

The child has been identified as 3-month-old Rayden Bruce.

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

1A hot tipper sent in the information about Burleson High School. Parents of children who attend Burleson High School should be thrilled to learn the dog's owner had been letting the animal run loose on school property.
2MailOnline reports that police officers were unaware there were two dogs in the home.

Related articles:
So far there aren't any as this child was attacked while police were on the scene.

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