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.

Posted on September 20, 2012 by Colleen Lynn

2012 Dog Bite Fatality: Man Mauled to Death by Rottweilers in Leeds, Alabama

Undated photo of William Donald Thomas and his wife.

Indicted for Manslaughter
UPDATE 12/11/12: Both Jerry Lenton 56, and his wife Jacqueline Lenton, 56, of Leeds turned themselves into local police authorities after a grand jury indicted the couple for manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide in connection to the September 20 mauling death of William Donald Thomas. The indictments state that the Lentons "did recklessly cause the death of William Donald Thomas," and "…did with criminal negligence cause the death of another person…"

Separately, St. Clair County District Judge Alan Furr initially ordered the 33 dogs confiscated from the Lenton's property to be put down. He later changed his mind allowing Birmingham-Jefferson County Animal Control to decide the fate of each dog. Of the 33 rottweilers seized, 5 failed temperament testing and were euthanized. The remaining 28 rottweilers and rottweiler-mixes were released to local and out-of-state animal clinics to be adopted back out into the community.

10/02/12: Dogs to Be Put Down
St. Clair County District Judge Alan Furr today ordered the destruction of all 33 rottweilers and rottweiler-mixes seized from the property of Jerry Lenton and his wife after the fatal dog mauling of William Donald Thomas. Gwendolyn Connelly, a prosecutor with the St. Clair County District Attorney's office, asked Judge Furr to order that the dogs be put down. "They were raised in an environment that created basically a murder weapon," Connelly said. Judge Furr agreed.

Leeds police Detective A. R. Holman was the only witness at the hearing. In addition to testifying about the aggressive behavior of the seized dogs, Holman also answered questions about the victim's injuries. "From about the knee area down his jeans were shredded and both legs were shredded down to the bone," Holman said. Thomas also had bite wounds on his right arm. Prosecutors are still determining whether to bring charges or to present the case to a grand jury.

09/21/12: https://archive.is/7q9uC
In a devastating update, the victim's wife, Frances "Sally" Thomas describes where she found her dying husband when she arrived. She said Donald "Don" Thomas was lying in the yard of her neighbor Jerry Lenton and his wife. "The mail was just scattered everywhere and I saw his walking stick and his glasses," she said. She screamed and hollered out for help, but no one in the neighborhood was around. She was forced to leave her severely injured husband to call police.

Jerry Lenton and his wife ran the breeding operation in their backyard. It is unknown if anyone else in the area, including Frances and Donald Thomas, had any idea how many rottweilers the Lentons kept on their property -- 35 including the two that were shot and killed on scene. Frances added that the two dogs that attacked her husband were "smart" and often escaped from the Lenton's property. "They'd know just when (the Lentons) left and they would get out."

09/20/12: Dog Mauling Victim Identified
St. Clair County Coroner Dennis Russell has identified the victim in the most recent U.S. fatal rottweiler attack as 82-year old Donald Thomas.1 Leeds Police Chief Byron Jackson confirmed that Thomas had been checking his mail when the two dogs attacked. The man's wife was unable to fight off the large dogs, which Jackson said weighed over 100 lbs each. Three law enforcement agencies helped remove over two dozen additional rottweilers from the dog owner's home.

View Related video

09/20/12: Senior Citizen Killed by Dogs
Leeds, AL - In a developing story, an elderly man was killed by at least two rottweilers in Leeds. The victim had been attempting to get his mail when the dogs came from a neighbor's yard and attacked, according to the WAFF article. A responding officer shot both dogs dead. Officers later discovered 26 other dogs2 -- identified as rottweilers and their mixes -- behind a home on the same street. The dogs' owners are currently answering questions at police headquarters.

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

1One neighbor interviewed said that Thomas was a military veteran that fought in the Korean war. The victim's full name is also being reported as William Donald Thomas, 83-years old.
2Police Chief Byron Jackson refers to it as a "breeding operation" in the Fox6 article and that there were 33 dogs.

Photo: MyFoxAl.com

Posted on September 14, 2012 by Colleen Lynn

2012 Dog Bite Fatality: 10-Month Old Hertford Boy Killed by Family Pit Bull-Mix

James Hudson, 10-months old, was mauled to death by a family pit bull-mix.

Dog Euthanized
UPDATE 09/14/12: The dog that attacked and killed 10-month old James Hudson has been euthanized. Hertford Police Chief Douglas Freeman Jr. told The Virginian-Pilot on Friday that he has concluded an investigation into the boy's death and plans to meet with District Attorney Frank Parrish on Monday to determine whether to press charges. Freeman also added that despite conflicting reports, he and others he has consulted believe the dog was a pit bull-mix.

Hertford Police Chief Douglas Freeman Jr. said Friday that he has concluded an investigation into the incident and plans to meet with District Attorney Frank Parrish on Monday to determine whether to press charges.

The dog, believed to be a pit bull mix, attacked James Hudson just after 6 p.m. in his home on West Railroad Avenue. The family owned the dog. The baby's grandmother Terry Atkinsson was at the home with other children at the time of the attack. - Virginian-Pilot

09/12/12: More Information
WAVY.com reports that Hertford police officers were dispatched to the home on West Railroad Street Tuesday evening after a report of a child not breathing due to an animal bite. 10-month old James Hudson was taken to Albemarle Hospital in Elizabeth City where he later died from his injuries. According to Hertford Police Chief Douglas Freeman, Jr., the initial investigation shows the family's pit bull-mix attacked the child while under the care of the baby's grandmother.

The family dog, named Copper, attacked the baby while he was playing on the bed, according to the child's grandfather who was outside at the time of the incident. He said his wife tried to restrain the dog, but could not. The dog is currently being held at the Tri-County Animal Shelter. Employees at the shelter told WAVY.com that the dog was not a pit bull, but a "labrador-American bulldog mix" -- It is unclear where the original source of the breed mislabeling stems.1

An article from the Virginian-Pilot identifies the grandmother as Terry Atkinsson. The dog had previously bitten an older boy in the home in a separate incident. James Thatch who lives and works in the neighborhood said he knows the family and the dog. No long ago, Thatch was mowing the grass at a house next door when the dog pulled at its leash aggressively trying to get at him. "The woman [the child's mother] was barely able to hold him back," Thatch said.

View Related video

09/12/12: Confirmation of Death
WVEC.com confirms that a 10-month old child was attacked and killed by a family pit bull-mix dog while under the care of his grandmother at her home on West Railroad Street. The grandmother was also bitten during the attack trying to save the child. Local and county authorities continue their investigation. Findings of the investigation will be turned over to the Perquimans County Department of Social Services and the District Attorney's office for possible further action.

09/12/12: Child Killed by Dog
Hertford, NC - In a developing story, The Daily Advance, a "walled off" newspaper, reports that a 10-month old boy was killed Tuesday when a pit bull attacked him while under the care of his grandmother. DogsBite.org will be watching for additional new stories, as sending users to this type publication lies outside of our mission of a public education website. Persons with additional information in the Hertford area, please send email to info --at-- dogsbite.org.

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

1Though it seems to be Tri-County Animal Shelter Director Dana Goheen. The Daily Advance reports that Goheen became the director in June of this year.

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Insights from Behaviorists