2012 Dog Bite Fatality: Newborn Dies After Severe Dog Bites in McKeesport

Nikko - husky that killed howard nicholson
Nikko, a recently adopted husky, fatally attacked 2-day old Howard Nicholson.

Baby Killer Gets Reprieve
UPDATE 03/08/12: In a not so unsurprising update, the husky named Nikko that mauled a 2-day old baby to death has been granted a temporary reprieve by Judge Borkowski. The dog will remain in custody in its current holding facility and be evaluated again after a magical 21-day period. Prior to killing the newborn, the dog killed the family cat and jumped a fence (or out of a window, depending upon news reports) in order to attack other animals in the neighborhood.1

02/29/12: Judge's Life Threatened
Shortly after Common Pleas Judge Edward Borkowski ordered the dog's seizure, a person inflicted with Nikko-Nutter Syndrome threatened Borkowski's life in a letter.2 Allegheny County authorities are taking the threat seriously. District Attorney Stephen Zappala tactfully addressed the threat in recent statements. Meanwhile, the dog's new owner, William Uhring, has filed an appeal. A date and time for the dangerous dog hearing has not been determined.

"You know that people are passionate about these issues. I just don’t think they understand all the facts.

"They don’t understand how horrific the crime scene was, but if anybody has something they want to say, they want to communicate with the judge, I’m sure Judge Borkowski will be glad to hear what they have to say." (District Attorney Stephen Zappala)

02/23/12: Authorities Seize Husky
Days after a husky that killed a McKeesport infant was adopted to a new family, Allegheny County authorities seized the dog. Common Pleas Judge Edward Borkowski ordered police officials to confiscate the animal and to quarantine it, according to the latest Pittsburgh Tribune-Review article. The husky was released to the new family before the end of its 10-day rabies quarantine period by Ken Ferree, who contracts to provide animal control services for McKeesport.

Earlier today, the same newspaper released an article covering the story about the husky's new owner, William Uhring of Churchill, who paid $650 in kennel and veterinary fees for the dog's release. Uhring's neighbors were not too happy to learn that a dog responsible for a fatal human attack was living close by. "This is shocking to me," said Alan Hernandez, who lives across the street. "I can't believe someone adopted that dog. That dog should have been euthanized."

Nearby school officials were also concerned about the dog's adoption. Uhring's home is located on a street where schools and several bus stops are located. Assistant superintendent of the Woodland Hills School District, Alan Johnson, told the Tribune-Review that he plans to contact the district's solicitor to explore legal options. "This is an animal that we'd like to not have anywhere near any of our students, and now we're very concerned for their safety," Johnson said.

02/22/12: Officials Drop Citations
In another ethereal update, authorities dropped all summary offenses against the McKeesport mother pertaining to the death of her newborn -- including harboring a vicious dog and failure to vaccinate it against rabies. The cast-legged Nico was also adopted out to a new family today without even fulfilling a "standard protocol" 10-day quarantine, notably after an attack that resulted in a human death and after the mother was initially cited for failure to vaccinate.

02/22/12: Dog Killed Family Cat
WPXI reports that the husky blamed in the death of a 2-day McKeesport old boy had recently killed the family's cat and tried to jump out a window to get to other animals in the neighborhood. Also, a Pittsburgh Tribune-Review article offers new information about the two dogs that had been locked in the basement at the time of the fatal mauling: two pit bulls. Authorities are citing the 21-year old mother with summary offenses, including harboring a dangerous dog.

02/17/12: Images of Dog Released
In an "otherworldly" update, images of the dog involved in the fatal mauling of a 2-day old boy in McKeesport have been released. The images clearly show the "homemade" contraption created to support the dog's broken right foreleg. According to Dog Law Enforcement Officer Ken Ferree, "Apparently they rescued this dog from the Craigslist website from Murrysville about two-and-a-half weeks ago." Ferree correctly describes this adoption as a "ticking time bomb."

A separate article from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review also interviewed Ferree, who is responsible for holding the confiscated husky and pit bull at White Oak Animal Safe Haven. He clarified the husky's broken leg -- the dog had been trying to jump a fence -- and said that the couple of the deceased child has already called and "demanded" to have the husky and pit bull returned to them.3 The article goes onto describe the couple as "animal collectors" who rescue dogs.

02/17/12: No Charges Expected
The Allegheny County District Attorney's Office said Friday its initial investigation has found that no crimes were committed in the dog mauling death of Howard Nicholson. Police removed the suspected culprit, an 18-month old husky named Niko, as well as a pit bull from the home on Thursday. Niko had only been living with the family for about a month, according to a neighbor. At the time of the attack, Niko was wearing a type of "homemade" cast due to a broken leg.

Animal Control in McKeesport said the baby's mother, Brandy Furlong, has been cited in the past for having an excessive number of dogs in her house -- the local ordinance limits each household to two dogs -- and was also cited for the condition of the dogs. At the time of the fatal mauling, Niko and the pit bull were loose in the house and the other two dogs were locked in the basement. Furlong's other two children, ages 6 and 3, were not home at the time of the incident.

02/16/12: Dog Kills 2-Day Old Baby
McKeesport, PA - In a developing story, a newborn died today after being bitten in the head by a family dog. Howard Nicholson, 2-days old, was airlifted to UPMC Children's Hospital in Lawrenceville, but did not survive his injuries. According to Police Chief Bryan Washowich, the boy's mother said that she was in another room when she heard the baby screaming. She returned to find the family's husky, which had a cast on one leg, standing over the injured baby.4

Animal Control officers removed the husky and a pit bull from the family's home. There was apparently another dog in the household as well. Authorities do not know what happened to that dog or if any other dogs in addition to the husky were involved in the attack. The 21-year old mother also has children ages 6 and 3. The father of the infant was not home at the time of the fatal incident. The medical examiner's office said that an autopsy is scheduled for Friday.

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1Meanwhile, in other parts of lopsided Pennsylvania, dog bite victims are being asked to "verify" that the dog is "in good health" and free of rabies after a bite. Even if this involves a victim having to peer through the unknown dog owner's "dirty garage window."
2Threats by pit bull advocates upon the lives of city council members and activists who support pit bull laws are not uncommon. Fanatical "No-Kill" (Nikko-Nutters) are guilty of harnessing similar illegal tactics.
3Crossing over into the Twilight Zone.
4The WPXI video indicates that the family adopted the husky as recently as one month ago. In one month's time, that dog broke a leg and killed an infant; hardly a specimen for adoption into this home.

Related articles:
07/13/11: 2011 Dog Bite Fatality: 'Loving Dog' Kills Visiting Baby in Chesterfield County
02/19/10: 2010 Dog Bite Fatality: 11-Day Old Baby Killed by Family Husky Dog in Independence
01/21/09: 2009 Fatality: Olivia Rozek, 3-Weeks Old, Killed by Family Husky

2012 Dog Bite Fatality: 'Visiting' Child Killed by PTSD Service Dog in Kentucky

fort campbel boy killed by service dog
Steven Robertson, 6-years old, was mauled to death by a PTSD service dog.

Stricter Requirements
UPDATE 07/31/12: A boy was killed by a service dog 6-months ago has been identified as Steven Robertson. His death prompted Ft. Campbell to adopt stricter policies pertaining to service dogs. "Many are not allowed inside the gates without very specific behavioral training. The new rules all stem from an incident that happened just outside Ft. Campbell last January; when a 6 year old Kentucky boy was mauled to death by a trained and certified PTSD dog," Sky 5 News reports.

Fort Campbell now requires "specific behavioral training" before service dogs are allowed inside their gates. "They are trying to make sure that not anyone can put a vest on a dog and call it trained. And that is reasonable," said Jodi McCullouh from the SAFE program that helps soldiers with mental illness. The new rules require the completion of a training course that can take up to six weeks. McCullouh believes the additional costs and training are worth the time and money.

02/11/12: Group Issued Warning
In a related development, Paws4People Foundation based in Wilmington, N.C. issued a news release February 9 calling to attention this fatal dog attack and that "it will happen again" unless the awareness of the "rampant problem of what we term Imposter Service Dogs," states the release, is acknowledged. The group specializes in training service dogs for veterans with PTSD and brain injury and children with physical and psychiatric challenges, according to their website.1

      [News release] Last week, at Ft. Campbell KY, a 6 year-old was tragically killed by a supposed "Service Dog." Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and all involved in this tragedy. Our goal is to use this tragic accident to create awareness for the rampant problem of what we term Imposter Service Dogs and suggest actions to help avoid repeats of these horrible events.

Paws4people TM warned of this happening over a year ago when we ceased work with clients at Camp LeJeune, NC due to multiple bites and aggressive incidents by Imposter Service Dogs who were -- and still are -- allowed free access to Camp LeJeune and many other bases. - Paws4People Foundation

The release points back to a July, 2011 blog post, "Knockoff" Imposter Psychiatric Service Dogs, which harshly criticizes the lack of service dog training standards required by military units. The post states, "Would the Commanding Officer, Wounded Warrior Battalion – East ALLOW any of his Marines to receive a non-FDA Approved, "Knock-off" prosthetic limb?" The post also notes that it takes "months, years" to properly train a mobility, psychiatric or seizure response service dog.

      [Blog post] There are hundreds, if not thousands, of pages of Requests for Proposals which detail thousands, if not millions, of details, specifications, requirements, measurements, materials, manufacturer’s standards, manufacturer’s competence requirements, management, engineering and accounting standards for all contractor personnel, contractor rules and regulations ...

All of this is done to ensure the Kevlar Vests, bullets and the prosthetic limbs work, that the hospital patients don’t get infections, and so the aircraft and their crews take-off, fly their missions, and land safely.
Then why do we ALLOW unqualified organizations to provide un-certified and untrained (in some cases – the dogs are dropped on base within hours of being obtained from a shelter, wearing pinch-collars) to some of our most seriously psychologically and/or emotionally diagnosed Marines, and then ALLOW these recipients to treat these dogs as fully-qualified, certified, public-access Service Dogs? ...

In many states, the laws do not allow certified and insured Service Dog trainers to begin training dogs in public places until the dog is six months old; yet a few weeks ago, there was a three month-old puppy, whose handler claimed it was a already a Service Dog inside the Camp LeJeune MCX. - Help Kyria, Paws4People

02/06/11: Both Parties Active Military
No new information is available about this fatal dog mauling, but some clarifications have been made. Both the dog's owner and the father of the boy were servicemen stationed at Fort Campbell. The dog had allegedly been trained to wake up its owner "in the event he was having a nightmare," according to Oak Grove Police. Three dogs were seized from the premises, including the "small" German shepherd -- another child also was at the scene, but was unharmed.

01/31/11: Trainer: "Anything Can Happen"
New information has been revealed about a 6-year old boy killed by a trained "medical service dog." One can thank the last and current presidential administrations for the failure to require any certified training for service dogs under the revised ADA requirements. This particular dog was allegedly trained to help its veteran owner who suffers from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. So the first thing this trained service dog should do in response to a human scream is to kill?

The basics of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD):

  • Re-experiencing symptoms - Vivid flashback episodes, where the event seems to be happening again and again; repeated nightmares and memories of the event
  • Avoidance symptoms - Being unable to remember important aspects of the trauma; feeling detached; avoiding places, people, or thoughts that remind you of the event
  • Hyper arousal symptoms - Having an exaggerated response to things that startle you; expressing hypervigilance; feeling irritable or having outbursts of anger

The explanation of this boy's death through the eyes of a service dog trainer:

"It's not that he wanted to brutally kill this child it's that he was confused on what was going on that screams were coming out and he wanted to fix it" ... "Dogs have teeth, what can you say? Anything can happen at a split moment. It could be anything from the little boy screaming at a split moment"2 ... "My initial thought was maybe he nipped, and the child began screaming and the dog panicked and he wanted to fix the scream so he went for the mouth and the face area which is why he went for the attack" - Leah Patterson, PTSD service dog trainer.

So when the dog's owner, who suffers from PTSD, wakes up screaming after reliving the horrific event in a nightmare, it's perfectly normal and acceptable for his trained medical service dog to attack and kill him? The entire "point" of a PTSD service dog is that it ought to be "bomb-proof." Due to the great failure of the ADA in recognizing the volume of huckster dog trainers, we can expect to see more "Pattersons," violent attacks and deaths by so-called trained service dogs.

01/31/12: PTSD Service Dog Kills Child
Oak Grove, KY - In a developing story, a dog trained to help a soldier with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder killed a 6-year old boy. The young boy and his family were visiting the Fort Campbell soldier's home Sunday afternoon when the mauling occurred. Police say the dog attacked the boy in the yard of the home. The child was LifeFlighted to Vanderbilt Medical Center where he died from his injuries early Monday morning. The dog is described as a "small" German shepherd.

      Police in Oak Grove, just over the Tennessee state line, said the boy was visiting friends at a home on Linda Drive when he was bitten in the face by a small German shepherd.

“We heard some hollering, so I looked out and a man had a little boy in the back of his truck,” neighbor Sandra Cardona said. “He pulled him out and all you saw was blood on his head, his hands were red and the mom came out. She was screaming.”
Cardona said the boy's father and mother performed CPR on their child as other neighbors called 911. - WKRN, January 30, 2012

1According to the Paws4people FAQ, the group primarily uses carefully selected lines of golden and Labrador retrievers in their program.
2Patterson added, "Hearing that the boy had a puncture on his hand and then was bit several times in the face fits the pattern of how these dogs can react to a playful child." We think Patterson should be fired quickly for her ethereal attempt to "explain away" the death of a child who should have been protected by a bomb proof dog.

Related articles:
09/27/10: 'Fully Vetted' Pit Nutters and Their Service Dogs
08/17/10: Department of Justice Axes Monkeys, Other Creatures From Service Animals

2012 Dog Bite Fatality: Baby Boy Killed by Family Pit Bull in Montgomery Co.


Jace Valdez, 16-months old, was killed by a pit bull while visiting his grandmother.

Father Issues Statement
UPDATE 01/19/12: The father of little boy killed by a pit bull last weekend, Jeremy Valdez, has issued a statement about his son's death. The child had been in his sole care and custody for over the past year. Baby Jace, however, had been visiting his mother for the week where she lives with her parents in Montgomery County. The child's grandmother, who was hospitalized for shock after the attack, is the owner of the pit bull and was the only adult present during the incident.

Portion of Jeremy's Statement

Jeremy Valdez is deeply saddened from the tragic loss of his 16 month old son, Jace Paul Valdez, from the pit bull attack which occurred Saturday evening. Baby Jace had been in Mr. Valdez’s sole care and custody for over the past year; however the child was visiting his mother for the week where she resides with her parents at their home in Montgomery County and where the attack occurred.

While Mr. Valdez has been informed that baby Jace was left alone and unsupervised in the presence of the pit bull, he is uncertain of many of the details surrounding the events. Detectives are still investigating the facts of that night and whether or not criminal charges will be brought, if any, against any of the residents of the household where the fatality occurred.

In the honor of the life of his son, Mr. Valdez, with the assistance of Wells Fargo Bank, has created a Memorial Fund to help with costs associated with the burial and funeral of Baby Jace. Proceeds from the fund will also go to help support the raising of awareness of the risks associated with leaving small children alone in the presence of large animals. Donations of any amount can be made to the Jace Paul Valdez Memorial Fund at any Wells Fargo banking branch. Existing customers of Wells Fargo can make donations via online by logging-on and donating to account number #1815588239 under the charitable contributions section on the website.

01/15/12: Mauling Investigation Continues
Magnolia, TX - On Saturday evening, Montgomery County Sheriff's Office responded to a fatal pit bull mauling in the 27000 block of Medina Circle. Lt. Dan Norris told reporter Scott Engle, "When deputies arrived, they found that a one-year old male child had been mauled to death inside the home by a male family pit bull. When deputies tried to control the dog, the dog turned and lunged at one of the deputies. The deputies had to shoot and kill the dog inside the home."1

The west Montgomery County home where the incident occurred belonged to the deceased baby's grandparents. At the time of the attack, the grandmother had been in the home with the child. The 45-year old grandmother was not injured by the dog, but due to emotional trauma, she was taken away by ambulance to a local hospital. Authorities have not yet located the mother of the baby and it is still unknown, which adults -- the parents or grandparents -- owned the dog.

The mother and child, Jace Valdez, had reportedly recently moved in with the grandparents.

map iconView the DogsBite.org Google Map: Texas Fatal Pit Bull Maulings.
1In addition to Montgomery County experiencing its share of brutal pit bull maulings and deaths, the 1984 Magnolia fatal pit bull attack of 4-year old James Miller is remembered upon this attack. The population of Magnolia is just over 1,000, according to 2000 census data from Wikipedia.

Related articles:
10/05/11: 2011 Dog Bite Fatality: Amarillo Newborn Killed by Family Pit Bull-Mix
09/05/11: 2011 Dog Bite Fatality: Two-Week Old Baby Killed by Family Pit Bull-Mix
01/15/10: Grandmother Charged in Fatal Pit Bull Mauling Dies Before Trial
09/02/09: Grandmother and Mother Charged in 2007 Death of Seth Lovitt

30-Year Summary: Dog Attack Deaths and Maimings, U.S. & Canada

September 1982 to December 26, 2011

DogsBite.org - Merritt Clifton, editor of Animal People, has released a 30-year summary of his report, Dog Attack Deaths and Maimings, U.S. & Canada, September 1982 to December 26, 2011, highlighting trends involving pit bulls. The data shows that fatal and serious maulings by pit bulls have greatly escalated in the past 10 years. Furthermore, 39% of the total number of pit bull attacks and 42% of the fatalities have occurred since the 2007 Michael Vick case alone.

See: Full news release.

DogsBite.org has reproduced the 30-year summary by Clifton in full below.

Summary

2011 brought the most total pit bull attacks, second most pit bull attacks on children, most pit bull attacks on adults, third most pit bull fatalities, and most pit bull disfigurements in the 30 years that I have kept track of the data.

This is the data from the past 20 years, with the 1992 data representing the first 10 years of data collection:

Summary of Pit Bull Incidents
YEAR ATTACKS CHILDREN ADULTS KILLED MAIMED
.. Total Year Total Year Total Year Total Year Total Year
1992 103 .. 43 .. 60 .. 18 .. 35 ..
2002 729 86 345 45 247 22 62 6 392 54
2003 857 128 395 50 303 56 75 13 463 71
2004 936 79 433 38 329 26 83 8 501 38
2005 1080 144 494 61 369 40 97 14 582 81
2006 1194 114 523 29 416 47 111 14 645 63
2007 1268 74 553 30 438 22 123 12 682 37
2008 1392 124 593 40 473 35 137 14 734 52
2009 1553 161 665 72 524 51 161 24 825 91
2010 1797 244 774 109 604 80 190 29 966 141
2011 2092 295 876 102 715 111 213 23 1164 198

Discussion

I don't like to make much of the year-to-year fluctuations, since the differences between any given year and the years before and after are well within the possibilities of chance.

The cumulative trends, though, are another matter.

Note, first of all, that the first 10 years of data collection included fewer pit bull attacks than in seven of the past 10 years, and barely a third as many as in 2011 alone. All of the numbers from the first 10 years of data collection look like a single year's worth of data from recent years.

  • 65% of the pit bull attacks resulting in someone being killed or maimed during the past 30 years have occurred during the past 10 years.
  • 39% of the pit bull attacks resulting in someone being killed or maimed during the past 30 years have occurred during the past four years alone. This corresponds with the time frame within which the Best Friends Animal Society and the American Humane Association ramped up their pit bull advocacy, in the wake of the Michael Vick case.
  • 14% of the total attacks occurred in the last year alone, and 26% in the past two years.
  • 61% of the pit bull attacks on children have occurred in the past 10 years; 37% in the past four years; 24% in the past two years.
  • 65% of the pit bull attacks on adults have occurred in the past 10 years; 39% in the past four years; 27% in the past two years.
  • 71% of the pit bull fatalities have occurred in the past 10 years; 42% in the past four years; 24% in the past two years.
  • 66% of the pit bull disfigurements have occurred in the past 10 years; 41% in the past four years; 29% in the past two years.

These cumulative trends are not within the possibilities of chance. They show a situation which has slipped out of any semblance of control, even compared to the situation of 10 years ago.

- Merritt Clifton, editor Animal People

Download 30-Year Report | Download 30-Year Summary

Related statistics:

Related articles:
07/26/11: ANIMAL PEOPLE Editor Responds to Fact Cooker Article by Mark Robison