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.

Posted on September 12, 2012 by Colleen Lynn

2012 Dog Bite Fatality: Jefferson County Woman Attacked by Own Pit Bulls Dies

One of two pet pit bulls that killed their owner, Deborah Wilson-Roberts.

Autopsy Results
UPDATE 09/11/12: Autopsy results confirm that Deborah Wilson-Roberts, 45-years old, died of extreme blood loss. Both pit bulls participated in the attack. Her husband, Brian Roberts, left the home for about 20 minutes to take a shower next door -- the Roberts home has "no running water." He returned to find his wife on the floor with one leg nearly "chewed off." The victim was pronounced dead on the scene. No criminal charges are expected against the husband.

09/10/12: Mother Speaks Out
The victim's mother, Patsy Cannon, told KARK 4 News that she had warned her daughter that pit bulls were not good dogs to have as pets. Cannon even told the reporter she felt the dogs would turn on her daughter one day. "I don't feel like she needed the dogs," Cannon said. She added, "I've heard a lot about [pit bulls] and I didn't particularly care for her having the dogs, but when you get to a certain age what are you gonna do?" Cannon now awaits the final autopsy report.

The victim's mother says she had warned her daughter that pit bulls were not good dogs to have as pets. She even told me she felt the dogs would turn on her daughter one day.

"I don't feel like she needed the dogs," said Patsy Cannon.

Cannon is talking about this pit bull which now sits in a Pine Bluff Animal Control cage. It's believed to have killed Patsy's daughter Debra Wilson-Roberts.

"They were protective of her at one time," said Cannon.

But last Friday night a 9-1-1 call came in with a different story. Deputies say they arrived to this home on NCTR Road and could see Debra's body inside, but couldn't get to her, they say the dogs were hovering over her body. A deputy shot and killed one of the dogs, the other was able to be taken in alive ...

Cannon says she tried to warn her only child about owning pit bulls. "I've heard a lot about them and I didn't particularly care for her having the dogs, but when you get to a certain age what are you gonna do." - Arkansas Matters

09/10/12: Dog Was "Real Playful"
New information suggests that only one of the victim's two pit bulls, named Zeus, attacked and killed Deborah Roberts, according to her husband. Thus, there may be an attempt by him to reclaim the other pit bull that was not shot to death on the scene. A friend of the deceased woman, Marla Glover, said the victim "really loved Zeus," and that the dog would "crawl up in her lap and was real playful." Glover blamed the deadly attack on a storm that blew in Friday night.

09/10/12: Previously Attacked Victim
In a story updated late Sunday night, Major Lafayette Woods Jr. told KATV News, "It was a gruesome scene. There was a substantial amount of blood at the scene, also damage to the body that we believe came as a result of the dogs attacking." Additionally, it was the victim who had been attacked by the dogs before, according to her husband. It was unclear to Woods Jr. how substantial her injuries were at that time, but was told she was taken to the ER.

09/09/12: Woman Dies After Dog Attack
Jefferson County, AR - In a developing story, deputies are investigating the death of a 45-year old woman found dead in her home and believe her own pit bulls are to blame. On Friday evening, Deborah Rene Wilson-Roberts was discovered by her husband lying on the floor with "extremely severe" bite injuries on both legs. Deputies believe the dogs may have severed one of the arteries in her legs causing her to bleed to death. The victim was pronounced dead on the scene.

Deputies tell KARK they were called to a home on US 365 around 11:00 p.m. Friday. Her husband, Brian Roberts, told deputies he had left the home for about 20 minutes1 and when he returned, he found his wife, lying on the floor of their home. He could not get to her, however, because their two pit bulls were acting very viciously and would not allow him entrance. (arkansasmatters.com)

The aggressive pet pit bulls also prevented deputies from reaching the victim. Responding deputies shot one dead; the other pit bull was captured by animal control. The victim's husband was quick to point out to deputies that his wife "had previous health problems." An autopsy will be performed to discover the exact cause of this woman's untimely death. Both pit bulls owned by the Roberts had been known to bite humans in the past. More information is expected soon.

1Another short departure by a husband or male friend, only to arrive back to a woman killed by pit bulls.

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