Posted on August 23, 2011 by Colleen Lynn

2011 Dog Bite Fatality: Tucson Man Succumbs to Injuries After Attack by Pet Pit Bull

Michael Cook, 61-years old, died after being attacked by his pet pit bull.

Dog Attack Victim Dies
UPDATE 08/23/11: Twenty days after suffering catastrophic injuries from his pet pit bull, Michael Cook succumbed to his condition this morning and died. Since the August 3 mauling, Cook required over 100 pints of blood and doctors removed both of his arms. The amount of blood Cook needed depleted area blood banks causing his family to issue a plea to the public to "replenish the blood site for the City of Tucson." The family provided a vintage photo of Cook.

08/15/11: Doctors Amputate Both Arms
Over the past few days, doctors have amputated both arms of Michael Cook. Thus far, the victim has required over 100 pints of blood. His sister Toni Sweet told reporters that the bleeding has finally stopped. Cook is still in critical condition, suffering from liver failure and kidney problems in addition to the catastrophic injuries inflicted by his pit bull. Cook is the third pit bull owner we have recorded who has become a double arm amputee after an attack.

Others include: Annette Williams of Greensburg, Indiana, and Vicky Jeffries of Abilene, Texas.

08/06/11: Mauling Victim Identified
The victim who was nearly killed by his pet pit bull, named Butch, has been identified as Michael Cook. As expected, his family is calling the horrific attack a freak accident and blaming the dog’s actions on a bad dose of medicine given to it after it was neutered. Cook’s son Nicholas admitted that Butch, who he called a big baby, had fought with other dogs in the past and that in this case, "He just happened to flip at the wrong time, you know?"

Thus far the victim has required over 60 pints of blood depleting area blood banks. The victim's family is calling on community members for blood donations to the Red Cross to help replenish area blood banks. The victim's sister Toni Sweet said, "donate what you can when you can to replenish the blood site for the City of Tucson because if another situation arise or God forbid another type of trauma, they won't have enough blood so we as a family are asking."

Dangerous dog breeds, primarily pit bulls, are a threat to public health for many reasons. This is why DogsBite.org -- a resource of over 2,000 pages -- was created. We can now add to this threat the "depletion of area blood banks" after a serious mauling. Lawmakers, media members and citizens of Tucson cannot ignore the seriousness of this issue. Area residents can contact Red Cross Blood Drives by visiting their website or calling 1-800-RED CROSS.

08/05/11: Victim Left "Unrecognizable"
Tucson, AZ – A 61-year old man who was violently attacked by his pet pit bull1 Wednesday remains in critical care. The incident happened at the victim's home on Paseo De Las Aguilas, near Valencia and Camino De La Tierra. Initial reports indicated that the victim suffered "very serious" injuries, specifically bite injuries to his neck. According to Drexel Heights Fire, the man went outside to break up a fight between his two dogs when the pit bull turned on him.

Mauling threads with local voices have sprung up questioning if an improper dose of medicine by a veterinarian – the pit bull had been neutered that morning – caused the animal's ferocious attack. In one thread, user maghair wrote, "The family has spent every waking moment at the hospital since this tragedy and … We don't think he will make it ... the dog chewed thru every artery in his body, legs arms, hands, torso, neck and face and he is unrecognizable."2

Neighbor Fernando Lozano, 21, and his stepfather where doing yard work when they heard screams from a nearby home. They ran down the alley and looked over the fence. "It literally looked like he was eating him," Lozano said. "I just felt helpless." Lozano then described degloving injury commonly carried out by pit bulls. "You could actually see where the skin had peeled back on his arms," Lozano said. "You could kind of see the muscles coming out.”

Jayne Cundy of Pima Animal Care Center was quick to point out, "Every situation is unique ... we don't know what triggered it"3 and "[The pit bull] can't express itself like a human,4 so let's find out what happened. It's not just another pit bull attack," Cundy said. DogsBite.org and many witnesses to these attacks disagree. There is not a thing about Lozano’s account that differs in anyway from countless deadly attacks carried out by pit bulls over the past 30-years.

1Pit bull owners recently killed by their pet include: David Haigler, 38-years old (Spotsylvania County, VA), Justin Lane, 25-years old (Latta, SC) and Carter Delaney, 20 years old (Leesburg, VA). This does not include mothers and fathers killed by their adult child's pit bull or an adult killed by a parent's pit bull or the many instances in which pet pit bulls horrifically maul their owners who live to tell about it.
2The term "unrecognizable" and pit bull attack have been operating in unison for decades. "The attack rendered the child 'unrecognizable as a human being,'" ("The Pit Bull Friend And Killer," Sports Illustrated, 1987).
3The trigger required for a pit bull to launch an attack can be as simple as dropping a glass, or holding a stuffed animal. Expect to see professional whitewasher James Crosby show up on scene soon.
4The egregious anthropomorphism by pro-pit bull groups in defense of the breed -- all dogs are individuals, canine profiling and more -- typically snap back "Cundy style" after a serious or fatal mauling to, "Your animal is an animal. It's not human ... it doesn't have human values," Cundy said.

Posted on August 18, 2011 by Colleen Lynn

After $2.2 Million Award, Dog Bite Victim Sue Gorman Says System is Still Flawed

Safety Issues Persist
Gig Harbor, WA - On August 21, 2007, two pit bulls entered a residential home through a side sliding door and attacked a disabled woman while she slept. The victim, 59-year-old Sue Gorman, suffered serious injuries to her face, forearms and hands. Prior to the incident, animal control had made over a dozen visits to the home of the dogs' owners due to complaints by area residents. Gorman alone had called 911 at least ten times leading up to the attack.

There were four specific times Pierce County officials could have declared the pit bulls "potentially dangerous." That never happened.

Victim Successfully Sues County

Last week, a Pierce County jury awarded Gorman $2.2 million in damages. Jurors assigned 52% of the blame to the dogs' owners and 42% to Pierce County, leaving the county on the hook for $924,000. Gorman's attorneys -- Michael McKasy and Shelly Speir -- successfully argued that county animal control was negligent for not taking action against the dogs' owners despite numerous complaints about their pit bulls "running loose and terrorizing people."

In the King 5 video,1 Gorman said she believes safety issues still persist in the county. She said the crux of the problem in her case was a failure of communication between the Pierce County Auditor, who handles animal control issues, but does not share these complaints with the Sheriff's Department (and vise versa). Four years after her ordeal, Gorman believes little has been done to change the system that allowed the dangerous dogs to nearly kill her.2

"It's just real scary that it could happen again to anyone in any neighborhood," Gorman said.

Gorman's victory against Pierce County is yet another victory won by a dog bite victim against a county. Local governments who continue to sweep dangerous dog complaints under the rug and/or fail to properly penalize owners of these dogs must take notice. As recently as June, a potential lawsuit against a Florida county arose after the fatal mauling of Roy McSweeney. In that case, the pit bulls had viciously attacked two people prior to killing McSweeney.

Reflections on the Sue Gorman Attack

In the founder's recent piece about her own attack, she mentions the Sue Gorman attack, "This horrifying attack rocked the Puget Sound and left me nearly fully debilitated for three days."3 Many community members and groups were also greatly affected by what happened and mobilized to help. One of these efforts was carried out by Need-A-Break Services, who did an "extreme make over" of Gorman's home before she returned home from the hospital.

View Sue Gorman Project Video

A special thanks goes out to the outstanding lawyering by Michael McKasy and Shelly Speir and to all community members and groups who helped Gorman in the weeks, months and years following the attack. Sue Gorman is an unforgettable pit bull attack survivor who also became a leader. DogsBite.org will always hold Sue Gorman's courage, perseverance and loveliness close to our hearts.1Note the computer generated graphics that show Gorman being attacked by the pit bulls in her bedroom -- highly effective materials to place in front of a jury.
2At the time of the attack, Gorman had a therapy dog, named Misty, and had been caring for a neighbor's Jack Russell. The Jack Russell was killed during the attack.
3In 2007, the founder of DogsBite.org was living in King County, adjacent to Pierce County. This website launched two months after the attack upon Sue Gorman.

Posted on August 16, 2011 by Colleen Lynn

2011 Dog Bite Fatality: Pregnant Pacifica Woman Killed by Family Pit Bull

Darla Napora, 32-years old, and her unborn child were killed by her beloved pit bull.

Victim Bled to Death
UPDATE 08/15/11: According to a preliminary investigation by the San Mateo County coroner's office, Darla Napora died of blood loss and shock. Her husband Greg returned home at noon that day and found her unconscious with the couple's male pit bull, Gunner, standing over her body. Dog bite experts concluded that Gunner was the sole attacker. Presuming that a DNA test is not required for the female pit bull, Tazi, she will be returned home soon.

Comment Threads

Over the weekend, comment threads at the Mercury News, SFGate.com and a handful of other websites began spiraling downward. Pit bull advocates started spreading a rumor that Darla fell from a ladder and the dog was "trying to wake her up." This is true despite clearly communicated information by the Pacifica Police Department and major news publications that Darla and her unborn child were killed by her pet pit bull. One comment, left Friday, is notable:

Many citizens and dog owners might not appreciate its full meaning. Pit bull owners, however, do. The comment in part reflects the great amount of due diligence required to keep a pit bull from attacking another dog or person (crate-and-rotate routine). The comment sadly sums up Darla's death and offers insight into the lunacy of the Pit Nutter mindset. Pit bull owners accept the disturbing reality of this comment, whereas normal dog owners would never accept it.

A Class of His Own

Having researched several hundred fatal dog maulings, DogsBite has seen some of the most disingenuous statements imaginable from pit bull owners after a fatal attack. But Greg Napora's comments to the Mercury News on Friday -- just 24 hours after Darla's grisly death -- places Napora in a class of his own. The only thing he failed to add, where pit bull owner Wally Roberts did not, is: "I met with a priest. He told me to feel the pain but not the guilt."

A day after the family's pit bull fatally attacked his pregnant wife, Greg Napora said Friday he doesn't blame the dog. He even plans to bury his spouse, Darla, with their pet's cremated remains in her casket.

"They are the most loving animals I have ever had in my life. Whatever happened right now was not the breed's fault," said Napora, who found his wife dead when he returned to the couple's Pacifica home from his construction job with plans to take her to lunch Thursday. "It was just a freak accident." (Joshua Melvin and Lisa Fernandez, Mercury News)

What About Gunner?

Craven Desires blog offers compelling commentary about Gunner and how little the public knows about the dog. In paragraph three, the writer states: "If it were a person who killed this woman, by now we would know everything about them, even where they went to kindergarten. Reporters would be interviewing the murderer's parents and family. But because its a dog, the authorities are just sitting around, hoping to find out if the dog had rabies or a brain tumor."

08/13/11: Woman to be Buried with Dog's Ashes
Friends of DogsBite have been talking behind the scenes about where Greg Napora lies on the Pit Nutter scale. A piece from the Mercury News brings vivid clarification: "Greg Napora said Friday he doesn't blame the dog. He even plans to bury his spouse, Darla, with their pet's cremated remains in her casket." Napora added that the attack that killed his wife and unborn child is "not the breed's fault" and that it was a "freak accident."

According to Napora and Darla's mother, Sandy Robinson, Darla was an avid supporter of Bad Rap (Bay Area Doglovers Responsible About Pit Bulls). The group is best known for being a recipient of nearly a dozen Michael Vick dogs. Their website offers resources to help owners be more responsible and uses adorable titles such as: "Pit Bulls can be Butt Heads!" On the Tips for Being a Responsible Dog Owner, Bad Rap lists altering your dog as number two.

Both Napora and Robison are eager to get the surviving pit bull, Tazi, back home. We imagine Tazi will also be present at Darla's funeral.

08/11/11: Pet Pit Bull Kills Pregnant Woman
Pacifica, CA - A pregnant woman1 was killed Thursday by a family pit bull inside her Pacifica home. The victim, 32-year old Darla Napora, was discovered by her husband when he returned home from work about noon. Greg Napora told police that he arrived home to find "one of the couple's two pit bulls" standing over his wife's body. He got the dog into the backyard before police arrived, according to Capt. Dave Bertini of Pacifica Police Department.

Attempts to revive Darla were unsuccessful. She was pronounced dead at the scene, along with her unborn child. While the investigation was still underway, the 2-year old, unaltered male pit bull got loose from the backyard -- police fired three shots at the dog killing it. The husband withstanding, this is the end of the Napora family who likely believed that if they raised their pit bulls properly, the dogs would serve as perfect Nanny dogs for their coming new child.

To help prevent horrific maulings by pit bulls, San Francisco enacted a mandatory pit bull sterilization law in 2005. Pacifica may soon follow suit as have other California municipalities.

Recent Californians Killed by Pit Bulls

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

1Does this count as one fatal dog mauling or two?

Posted on August 13, 2011 by Colleen Lynn

2011 Dog Bite Fatality: 4-Year Old Boy Killed by Grandfather's Rottweiler in Ozark

James Dowling, 4-years old of Hot Springs, was killed by his grandfather's rottweiler.

Funeral Planned
UPDATE 08/13/11: On Saturday, the family of the little boy killed by his grandfather's rottweiler planned a funeral in Hot Springs. James Dowling had been visiting his grandfather's home in Ozark when the attack occurred. Police said the boy was playing in the backyard of the home. The rottweiler was also in the yard, but separated by a four-foot-high chain link pen. The dog jumped out and brutally attacked the boy. When responders arrived, the child was barely breathing.

"We can't have dogs like this in our neighborhood. It's too dangerous. They get out and they attack like a wild animal" -- neighbor Ray Baugus.

Ozark Police Chief Cory Tedford said he does not foresee criminal charges.

08/12/11: Jumps 4-Foot Fence to Attack
Ozark, AR - In a developing story, a 4-year old boy was killed by a rottweiler on Friday. At the time of the attack, the boy had been visiting his grandfather's home in Ozark. Police say the boy was outside playing in a fenced backyard when the dog jumped out of its four-foot-high chain link pen and attacked. The boy was airlifted to a Little Rock hospital, but was diverted after his condition worsened. He died shortly after reaching Johnson Region Medical Center in Clarksville.

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

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