Posted on December 10, 2011 by Colleen Lynn

2011 Dog Bite Fatality: Lowndes County Woman Killed by Pit Bull

Misti Wyno, 40-years old, was attacked and killed by a pit bull in Valdosta, GA.

Neighbors Speak Out
UPDATE 12/09/11: WCTV reports that Misti and the neighbors who owned the pit bull were "close." Bobbie Joe Courson owns the pit bull that killed Misti, along with three other pit bulls. James Sharp, whose 5-year old son was bitten by one of Courson's pit bulls in September, said: "I've even told the district attorneys and everybody at the aggressive dog hearing, if these dogs get out somebody was going to get killed." That pit bull was later released back to Courson.

12/08/11: Woman Dies from Injuries
Valdosta, GA - In a developing story, a Lowndes County woman died this afternoon after being savagely attacked by a pit bull. Misti Wyno, 40-years old, was reportedly attacked as she walked to her neighbor's house to get some grits. A nearby male chained pit bull broke its chain and attacked. According to authorities, the dog repeatedly tore into the woman's legs and arms. The victim died about an hour later due to her injuries. Wyno's body is being sent for an autopsy.

Neighbor Jimmy Watkins told WALB, "I called animal control three times about this black dog, supposedly the one that attacked the lady, and they've been out here numerous times over the last three, four years about these pit bull dogs. There's three houses in a row, three of them have pit bull dogs." WALB knocked on the door at the property where the attack occurred, but no one answered. The sheriff's office did not return phone calls to WALB about the dog's owners.

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

Posted on December 8, 2011 by Colleen Lynn

2011 Dog Bite Fatality: White County Man Mauled to Death by Pet Pit Bull

Joseph Hines, 58-years old of Burnettsville, was killed by his pet pit bull.

Defensive Injuries
UPDATE 12/08/11: New details have been released in the fatal dog mauling of Joseph Hines. The coroner said the man died when his pit bull bit into his jugular vein. He had defensive bite wounds on his forearms too, showing that he had tried to fend off the animal. Neighbor Brad Holcomb said the victim was always friendly and that his dog was as well. Authorities have no idea why the "healthy and in good shape" pit bull suddenly attacked and killed its owner -- unpredictable.

12/07/11: Autopsy Confirmation
Burnettsville, IN - An autopsy performed Wednesday confirmed that a White County man died after being mauled by his pet pit bull. A family member discovered 58-year old Joseph D. Hines Monday night, according to Sgt. Kim Riley. Hines lived on the family member's farm in east Burnettsville. The person became concerned after not seeing Hines outside, as he normally would. Authorities believe Hines died on Saturday. The autopsy found no underlying medical condition.

Posted on December 8, 2011 by Colleen Lynn

2011 Dog Bite Fatality: Woman Dies Following Attack by Pet Pit Bull Last Month

Tonia Parks, 39-years old, died after being attacked by one of her pit bulls.

Pit Bull Blamed
UPDATE 12/07/11: The Star updated the original article clarifying several details. Tonia Parks was mauled to death by one of her two pit bulls, each 8-years old, as she underwent a seizure in her home November 18. Parks remained in critical care until she was pronounced dead Tuesday at Rockford Memorial Hospital. The other dog attacked the pit bull that was mauling Parks. Both dogs are scheduled to be euthanized tomorrow; no one came forward to claim the animals.1

12/07/11: Dog Owner Dies After Attack
Rockford, IL - In a developing story, the owner of two dogs died Tuesday following a combination of a serious dog attack and seizure that occurred in November. According to the coroner, 39-year old Tonia Parks suffered a seizure while trying to break up a fight between her dogs. She also sustained dog bite injuries to her head, neck and jugular vein. The dogs were initially described as pit bulls in the police report; some media outlets now are describing them as American bulldogs.

Interestingly, The Register Star quickly submitted a Freedom of Information Act request about Parks' death. The reason for this is unclear, but given that the newspaper seeks information about the "breed of the dogs," the "fate of the animals," and "details of the incident," it seems probable that the news group hopes to free the pit bull breed of yet another death attributed to them in 2011.2 Including the death of Parks, pit bulls are responsible for 68% of fatal dog attacks this year.

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

1The Freedom of Information Act request was removed from the updated article.
2Conversely, The Star may be trying to wade through false claims made by pit bull advocates, such as false breed claims and potentially false causes of death. Who can forget Darla Napora, whose beloved pit bull killed her and her unborn child back in August? Quickly after her death, members of the pit bull community began spreading a rumor that Darla died due to falling from a ladder.

Posted on November 17, 2011 by Colleen Lynn

2011 Dog Bite Fatality: Houston Woman Dies from Injuries After Pit Bull Mauling

Edna Dyson and her two daughters, Regina and Lawanda.

Edna Dyson
Houston, TX - A Houston woman severely mauled by two pit bulls last week died from her injuries Tuesday. Click2houston.com reports that 71-year old Edna Dyson died November 15 after police say two pit bulls attacked her last week. She was in ICU for nearly a week. Specifically, "Investigators say two pit bulls dug a hole under a fence and got out. They mauled Mrs. Edna. She crawled to her car and waited for help. Lawanda says her Mom was scared of those dogs."

Because the dogs' owner was "in the process" of putting up a fence and because they euthanized the dogs, Harris County District Attorney's Office says they will likely not file any charges. Edna's husband, Billy Dyson, and her two daughters, Regina Dyson and Lawanda Dyson Lindsey, called her death a "homicide" and are devastated that no one will be held accountable. Edna was a teacher for Houston Independent School District (HISD) for 33 years and a basketball coach.

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

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