Posted on February 2, 2024 by Colleen Lynn

2024 Dog Bite Fatality: Man Sustains Devastating Injuries in Detroit Pit Bull Mauling; Dies While Hospitalized

Detroit Dog Owners Charged with Felony After Deadly Pit Bull Mauling

Harold Phillips, 35, died Friday after sustaining devastating injuries by pit bulls.

Dog Owners Sentenced
UPDATE 01/03/25: The owners of three pit bull-mixes that attacked Harold Phillips on January 29, 2024, causing critical injuries and death, were sentenced on January 3, 2025. The male defendant, Roy Goodman, will serve between 30 months and 15 years in prison in connection to the dog mauling. The female defendant, Goodman's wife, was only sentence to probation. Trevina Goodman received 3 years probation, which includes conditions of community service and no possession of animals.

Phillips had been walking home from a bus stop, when the couple's three dogs escaped through an unlatched gate in the 9400 block of Longacre and attacked him. Phillips sustained catastrophic injuries. "The dogs bit a pretty big hole out of his arm and tore his artery, so he lost a lot of blood ... He has to keep getting transfusions. They cut off his right arm," his wife, Shauntaye Phillips said. Phillips died on February 2. Shauntaye later sued multiple parties, including Detroit Animal Care and Control.

05/14/24: City, Animal Control Sued
Three months after Harold Phillips sustained life-threatening injuries in a dog mauling and died, his wife Shauntaye Phillips is suing the dogs’ owners, Detroit Animal Care and Control (DACC), former Animal Control Director Mark Kumpf, interim Director Lori Sowle, two investigators, and a nonprofit that works with DACC, Friends of Detroit Animal Care and Control. The Complaint contends the city allowed the nonprofit to "exert extensive influence" over the enforcement of the city's dangerous animal code.

The lawsuit contends that the no-kill model adopted by the nonprofit and the city to avoid euthanasia, created a dangerous environment. “While animal lives were being spared, dangerous animals remained an unaddressed and ever-present threat to the safety and lives of people within the City of Detroit," states the Complaint. The no-kill model is "utterly ineffective, reckless and deadly." Even though DACC had previously declared one of the dogs dangerous, the city returned the canine to its owners.

Follow the civil lawsuit: Phillips, PR for Est. Of Harold Phillips, Shauntaye a. V City of Detroit , et al., Third Judicial Circuit of Michigan, Case No. 24-004825-NO at Odyssey Public Access

02/28/24 Dog Owners Charged
The owners of three dogs that attacked Harold Phillips have been charged with a felony in connection to his death. Roy Eric Goodman, 40, and Trevina Quiche Goodman, 38, are each charged with one count of owning a dangerous animal that caused a person's death. On January 29, the couple's three pit bull-mixes escaped their property and attacked Phillips after he exited a bus. Phillips sustained critical injuries, including an amputation, and died on February 2. The dogs had a history of violence.

"This is heartbreaking," Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said in a statement. "I just do not understand why we continue to see unleashed and unsecured dangerous dogs running loose and killing our citizenry. With pet ownership comes responsibility, pure and simple. I do not see what is hard to understand about that." Roy was arraigned Wednesday in the 36th District Court. A preliminary examination is scheduled for March 13. Trevina's arraignment date has not yet been announced.

02/02/24: Medically Induced Coma
Detroit, MI - A 35-year old man, who was viciously attacked by three pit bulls on Monday, died Friday evening. A GoFundMe for Harold Phillips stated yesterday that his "condition at this time isn't improving. his organs are shutting down." The attack occurred at 8:15 pm Monday on West Chicago and Longacre Street, after Phillips exited a bus and started to walk home. According to Detroit Animal Care and Control (DACC), three pit bull-mix dogs got out of a fenced yard and attacked him.

"Friday Evening Update: It's with my deepest regret to inform you that Harold has passed away this evening. I appreciate every prayer donation and message. thank you all for the love and care you've shown my husband. my children and I are forever grateful."

From the start of his hospitalization on Monday, his family was bracing for the worst. "He is not expected to make it," his wife, Shauntaye Phillips, wrote on the GoFundMe. "I don't wanna say funeral but that's the road we are on." Doctors have amputated his right arm, he’s on dialysis, has had several blood transfusions, and he's in a medically induced coma, she told WDIV. The couple has six children together. So far, the fund has raised $31,800. The Phillips family hired Southfield-based Fieger Law.

All three dogs were euthanized. A fourth dog was also seized from the home. The owners, a husband and wife, received five citations each: failure to license, failure to vaccinate, dogs running at large, over the legal limit of dogs on property (two maximum), and failure to prevent menacing/dangerous behavior. Roy Goodman, one of owners, admitted that his dogs have been involved in three previous biting incidents. Goodman also told WXYZ that he should have gotten rid of the dogs sooner.

In 2021, Goodman was charged with failing to prevent menacing/dangerous behavior for a separate incident. He pleaded guilty, but the case was dismissed. Also that year, his wife was charged with harboring dogs over the city's limit. She was a no-show in court and has a warrant out for her arrest. Harold blamed his wife for not putting down the child-biter. A sign hanging on their front door states, "No Entry. 1.) No humans of any king 2. Must have four paws to enter 3. Must speak dog-Latin."

Family Speaks Out

On Tuesday, Fox 2 Detroit interviewed Phillips' wife and children. "The dogs bit his groin, his head, his back, his legs -- they mauled him," Shauntaye said. The couple has five children under the age of 18. They are 8, 11, 12, 13 and 17-years old. The youngest daughter said, "I'm heartbroken because I don't have a father that can take care of me." Her brother told the news crew, "(There) should be justice -- I don’t know what to say. It’s my dad, it's him, he’s not supposed to die like this. He’s too strong."

On February 1, CBS Detroit reported that the Phillips family is suing the dogs' owners and the city of Detroit. James Harrington is the attorney from Fieger Law who is representing the family. It was his investigation that revealed the bite histories of the dogs. He believes DACC knew how dangerous the dogs were. "We've already started our investigation, and our investigation has been very thorough in a short period of time, and some of the things we've begun to uncover is shocking," Harrington said.

The former director of Detroit Animal Care and Control, Mark Kumpf, may have dodged another bullet. He left the agency late last fall. For once, Kumpf was not the director when "another" fatal dog mauling occurred. Under his leadership in Montgomery County, Ohio, four people were killed by dogs from 2012 to 2017, including Klonda Richey. In September 2019, Kumpf became the director of DACC. Between then and late 2023, at least three people were killed by dogs under his watch in Detroit.

devastating injuries detroit pit bull mauling

The suspected pit bulls belonging to Roy Goodman that viciously attacked Harold Phillips.

Graphic Medical study: Pitbull Mauling Deaths in Detroit, by Cheryl L. Loewe MD et al., The American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology, Vol 28, December 2007.

View the DogsBite.org Google State Map: Michigan Fatal Pit Bull Attacks.

Baseline reporting requirements:
Law enforcement departments across the United States should release consistent "baseline" information to the media and the public after each fatal dog mauling, including these items.

Posted on February 1, 2024 by Colleen Lynn

2024 Dog Bite Fatality: Teenager, 19, Killed by Dogs on Fort Hall Reservation; Few Details Released

Carlon Galloway, 19, was killed by dogs on the Fort Hall Indian Reservation.

Victim's Parents Speak Out
UPDATE 02/07/24: On Monday, Carlon Galloway's family spoke to East Idaho News to clear Carlon's name and provide more details about the violent dogs that took his life on January 31. Carlon was on a walk that morning when he was attacked and killed by a pack of 12 dogs, his father, Daniel De La Cruz and his step-mother, Linna De La Cruz, said. His sudden and horrific death came two days after Blackfoot police issued a news release that Carlon was wanted for an outstanding felony warrant.

Carlon attended Shoshone-Bannock Jr./Sr. High School in Fort Hall. He also worked for his father, who owns a roofing company. "He wasn't a dangerous, mean criminal," Linna said. He also wasn't a troublemaker. "He wasn't a kid that was going to start trouble," Daniel said. He was a good brother, and an amazing son. He wasn't perfect either. When he was 16, he crashed his truck and fled the scene. He was charged with felony alluding, which resulted in the outstanding warrant, his parents said.

The reason why he ran from police on January 29, is because he was visiting a home on Rice Street in Blackfoot, when police showed up to serve a warrant for another person at the house. Fearing for his outstanding warrant, when questioned by law enforcement, Carlon told them his name was "George" then took off running, Daniel explained. Neither of the two boys that fled the scene that day were in the possession of a firearm, according to his mother. "Carlon didn't carry guns," she said.

He ended up at his dead grandfather's home in Fort Hall. He ate breakfast at about 8:00 am then went for a walk. A few hours later, Daniel said, a family member who lived nearby saw a dog pack attacking something. She then realized they were attacking a person on the ground. She called Fort Hall police and the FBI. Carlon's biological mother called Daniel to share the awful news. "'He’s dead. He got attacked by the neighbor’s dogs -- a bunch of them. He’s dead,'" Daniel recalled through tears.

As in most fatal pack attacks, the dogs destroyed him and, in the process, stripped him naked. “I didn’t even recognize him. He was naked, and his body was just laid out face forward all muddy. I couldn’t even tell it was a body -- my son’s body,” Daniel told East Idaho News. Shoshone Bannock Tribes Fish and Game Department euthanized all 12 dogs. No information was provided about the "neighbor" who "owned" the dog pack. "Nobody deserves to die the way that he did," Linna said. "We loved him."

02/02/24: Teenager Killed by Dogs
Fort Hall, ID - The Idaho State Journal, reports that a man died after being attacked by dogs on the Fort Hall Reservation on January 31. The attack occurred around noon at a residence on Jim Road, two miles south of Blackfoot, the Bingham County Sheriff's Office said. The man died at the scene due to an apparent dog attack, Bingham County Coroner Jimmy Roberts said. His death remains under investigation. Several dogs were euthanized by authorities while Roberts was at the scene.

For Immediate Release - January 31, 2024

Investigation Underway Involving a Deceased Male Located on the Fort Hall Reservation

Fort Hall – The Fort Hall Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) are investigating a case involving a male individual found deceased in the Gibson District of the Fort Hall Indian Reservation today.

The FBI is the lead agency on the case. The individual has been identified, and the family has been notified. This is an isolated incident and there is currently no danger to the public.

No further information is being provided at this time. Any questions should be directed to the FBI. - Shoshone-Bannock Tribes

GoFundMe Identifies Victim

A GoFundMe identifies the Fort Hall dog attack victim as 19-year old Carlon Delacruz, who "passed away due to a sudden dog attack" on January 31, 2024. The fund links to the Idaho State Journal article. His sudden loss has "left our entire family in shock," states the fund. "Losing a son, is a parents worst fear and something that no one should have to endure, especially in this way." The fund asks for help in paying his funeral expenses. This victim is known on Facebook as Carlon Galloway.

A 19-year old male killed by dogs is so rare that we have no record of this occurring in the 19-year period of January 1, 2005 to December 31, 2023. Of the 734 total dog bite fatalities recorded during this period, 0% were 19-year old males. When including both genders and all teenage years (13-19 years), there have only been 9 victims, 1.2% of all victims. One of them was 13-year old Lyssa Rose, who was killed by a pack of vicious dogs on the Navajo Nation in Fort Defiance on May 16, 2021.

Fled Crime Scene Day Earlier

Two days before the deadly dog mauling, a felony arrest warrant was issued for Galloway after he was identified as a "subject of interest" regarding an incident that occurred around 10:50 am, where Idaho State Probation and Parole officers observed "several subjects fleeing the on foot of an active crime scene in the 300 block of Rice Street in Blackfoot," according to a Monday news release from the Blackfoot Police Department. Police did not say what crime Galloway is accused of committing.

One of those subjects may have been in possession of a firearm. Blackfoot police notified School District 55 administration of the situation and a decision was made for multiple schools to enact "shelter in place" protocols. One of the subjects, who was not armed with a firearm, was located on Monday at 12:00 pm. Galloway was found dead on Tuesday around 12:00 pm being mauled by dogs at a home on Jim Road. Police have not released any details about the crime scene on Rice Street.

Gibson District of the Fort Hall

The last capture of Jim Road by Google Maps was 2011. The capture only shows the 300 block of Jim Road at the intersection of Diggie Road. Two loose pit bulls are seen, apparently checking out the Google Street View vehicle. The dogs appear to be purebred, not pit bull-mixes. Thus, as far back as 13 years ago, full-blooded pit bulls were roaming the area. No other dogs are seen anywhere up and down Diggie Road. We hope the Google Street View driver did not exit the vehicle at that time.

Last January, 7-year old Kellan Boner was killed by four dogs on the Fort Hall Reservation. Those were pet dogs, not stray roaming dogs, and belonged to non-tribal members, Benjamin Dominick Wolfchild and Juliana Wolfchild. Kellan and his mother, also non-tribal members, lived in an RV behind the Wolfchild home. The four dogs, two rottweilers and two mixed-breed dogs, attacked Kellan on the front porch of the Wolfchild home. Kellan's mother sustained severe injuries trying to save her son.

Man killed by dogs Fort hall reservation

A man was apparently killed by dogs on Jim Road on the Fort Hall Indian Reservation.

Google Maps only has a view of Jim Road from 2011. Nonetheless, full-blooded pit bulls are seen roaming the 300 block of Jim Road. No other dogs are seen in the area.

View the DogsBite.org Google Map: Fatal Dog Attacks on American Indian Reservations.

Learn about breed-specific laws on Indian reservations in our Breed Safety Laws section.

Posted on January 31, 2024 by Colleen Lynn

2024 Dog Bite Fatality: Elderly Pastor Dies After Violent Dog Attack in East Indianapolis

Willie Mundine, a pastor at the Faith Tabernacle Apostolic Church, died after a violent dog attack.

Another Victim Emerges
UPDATE 02/03/24: While Indianapolis Animal Care Services continues to search for the second dog involved in the attack that killed Willie Mundine on January 30, a new victim has emerged who was attacked by two dogs "just yards away" from where Mundine was attacked a day earlier and remains hospitalized from his injuries. After seeing the picture of one of the dogs released by police, 64-year old Richard Hayes believes the dogs that attacked him are the same ones that attacked Mundine.

Hayes taking a morning walk when the dogs attacked. "He was bitten down to his bones. He's going to have a long recovery, as if his disabilities already weren't enough," his sister Joyce told WTHR. People driving by in a van stopped to help him. "I believe he is alive today because they stopped and got involved and got him the help he needed," Joyce said. Hayes, who has special needs, is preparing for his second surgery. His family anticipates he will need to use a wheelchair and undergo therapy.

01/31/24: Man Dies After Dog Attack
Indianapolis, IN - An 85-year old man is dead after a string of attacks by the same two dogs, described as pit bulls, on the east side of Indianapolis. On Tuesday, IMPD officers were dispatched to the 2300 block of North Kenyon Street around 9:55 am for a report of an aggressive dog attacking a man. An arriving officer fired his weapon, hitting one dog, to stop the attack. The victim, identified as Willie Mundine, 85, was transported to a nearby hospital with critical injuries, where he later died.

Indianapolis Animal Care Services (IACS) impounded the dog shot by police, which was injured but "alert," according to news reports. As of Tuesday night, authorities continue to search for the second dog, a brown pit bull. A day before the attack, IACS had received a complaint about two loose dogs, a black pit bull and a brown pit bull attacking people and other dogs on Indianapolis' near northeast side, according to a news release by the city. Officers were unable to locate those dogs on Monday.

Indianapolis Animal Care Services (IACS) Animal Control Officers (ACOs) did receive a complaint yesterday and investigated reports of what was described as one brown and one black pitbull-type dog attacking people and dogs on the city’s near northeast side. Officers were unable to locate the dogs in question at that time. According to procedure, IACS established a “sweep” schedule wherein officers would be dispatched to the area those animals were last seen between three to four times a day for the next 10 days.

An ACO was in the area searching for those dogs today before a new report came in that two dogs were attacking a person in the 2300 block of North Kenyon Street. After an ACO and EMS arrived on-scene, they requested IMPD and additional ACOs to assist. IMPD officers arrived and located a victim with injuries consistent with multiple dog bites. The victim was transported to an area hospital in critical condition. An IMPD officer discharged their firearm at the aggressive dog, and an ACO did locate the wounded black dog to impound it.

ACOs are still working to locate and impound the other dog. If individuals in the area see a loose brown dog, they are instructed to call the Mayor’s Action Center at 317- 327-4622 or file a report through RequestIndy. - Kurt Christian, Chief Communications Officer, Indianapolis Animal Care Services

Mundine was a pastor at the Faith Tabernacle Apostolic Church along with his wife. The dogs attacked him while he was in his own yard. His granddaughter, Hollie Watkins, said, "It was just horrifying, scary. I've never seen him like that. I will never forget those cries." When the dogs approached family members, they ran inside, but Mundine stayed outside to try to get the dogs off the property. "We just heard him screaming and we went back there and they were attacking him," Watkins said.

An IMPD officer fired on one of the dogs after arriving on scene. IACS later took over the investigation. At the time of the attack, IACS had already established a "sweep" schedule one block away "wherein officers would be dispatched to the area those animals were last seen between three to four times a day for the next 10 days," due to the complaints on Monday. After Mundine was attacked Tuesday morning, IACS officers spent several hours patrolling the area looking for additional loose dogs.

WTHR interviewed Mundine's wife. Betty said when they arrived home, there were three dogs in their yard. The dogs ran toward them. Betty was able to get inside, but the dogs attacked Mundine. "He saved my life. He was a hero," Betty said. Conflicting media reports state the second pit bull involved in the attack has been captured and others state the dog remains at large. On Wednesday, IMPD released a photo of a dark brown/black pit bull, asking for the public to help identify its owner.

Second Dog Still Loose

An update from the Indianapolis Star clarifies that authorities are still searching for the second dog. IACS officers continue to patrol the North Kenyon Street area where Mundine was attacked by two pit bulls on Tuesday. He was transported to Sidney & Lois Eskenazi Hospital, where he died shortly after arriving. The Marion County Coroner's Office ruled that multiple dog bites caused Mundine's death. The manner of death was an accident. The owners of the dogs involved have not been identified.

WIXN spoke to Mark Lowe who said the same dogs attacked him and his dog last week. "They came and attacked us from the back. We didn't see them coming," Lowe said. One of the dogs bit his arm. WIXN showed him footage of a black pit bull with a white chest, which has been evading capture. Lowe said it was the same dog. After his attack, he reported the dogs to IACS. He wished the dogs had been captured before the deadly attack on Tuesday. "I wish I could have done more," Lowe said.

Lowe also spoke to WTHR. He said he was walking his dog "Dante" last week when they were ambushed by the two pit bulls. "They just grabbed him, first of all, the pit did and started taking him to the ground, fighting him," Lowe said. He started punching the dogs, and that's when the black pit bull started attacking him. A neighbor came to his rescue and scareed off the dogs. Afterward, Lowe reported the attack to IACS. "I told the Animal Control that these dogs are going to kill somebody."

Willie Mundine, 85-years old, was a pastor at the Faith Tabernacle Apostolic Church. On Wednesday, IMPD released an image of one of the dogs involved in the deadly attack

The second dog involved, a black and white pit bull, continues to evade being captured.

View the DogsBite.org Google State Map: Indiana Fatal Pit Bull Attacks.

Posted on January 30, 2024 by Colleen Lynn

2023 Fatal Dog Attack Breed Identification Photographs

Nonprofit Captured 76% of Breed Identification Images in 2023

Photographs of six fatally attacking dogs in 2023 obtained from multiple sources.

Jump down to view all 2023 breed identification photographs or read our analysis first.

DogsBite.org - In 2013, we began the tradition of publishing breed identification photographs of fatally attacking dogs when available through news reports, animal control agencies, police departments, social media and public information requests. Of the 58 dog bite fatalities recorded in 2023, 64% (37) had some form of a breed identification photograph. Our nonprofit was responsible for capturing 76% of them. Pit bulls and their mixes represent 65% of the identification images collected in 2023.

Of the 37 cases with breed identification photographs, 27% (10) comprised images captured or republished by news media; 76% (28) comprised images located on social media pages of the dog's owner or family members; and 76% (28) comprised images that were the result of our research and otherwise may have gone unpublished. Police and animal control agencies released dog identification images after only 3 deaths, yet 71% of all deaths (41 of 58) involved dogs taken into quarantine.

(Percentages are higher than 100% due to a single death containing multiple dog images, each attributed to a different source, as well as images that fall into overlapping publishing categories.)

Identification Photographs (2013-2023)

From 2013 to 2023, images captured by our nonprofit have risen from 26% to 76%. Images captured by media have fallen from 79% to 27%.

Chart shows 11 years of breed identification photographs collected between 2013 and 2023.

2023 Unreleased Breed Data

Of the total recorded 58 dog bite fatalities in 2023, 7 cases had no breed information (12%). A FOIA by our nonprofit lowered that number to 6. Our research of Facebook pages belonging to the dog owners -- to locate the suspected dogs -- lowered that number to only 3 cases (5%) when breed information was fully unknown. In 2022, the landscape was far worse, when 33% of all recorded fatal dog maulings fully lacked breed information until we brought forth multiple time-consuming FOIAs.

In 2023, 31% of deaths involved 1 or more dogs shot at the scene, which often diminishes the ability to collect breed identification images.

Characteristics of the 7 cases in 2023 where authorities did not release breed data include: 100% of victims are adults ≥ 39 years old (when age known 6/6); 100% of victims are classified as marginalized (when known 6/6); 86% of attacks occurred in the Southern United States (6/7) and 71% involved a pack of 4 or more dogs (5/7). In the 4 cases where breed information was discovered, 75% involved pit bulls (3/4), half involved Belgian malinois' (2/2) and half involved mixed-breed dogs (2/2).1

Pack Attacks, Off Property Attacks Rise

Pack attacks and off-property attacks rose sharply in 2023. Pack attacks accounted for 29% of fatal dog bites in 2023, which is a 93% rise from the pre-Covid combined year average of 15% (2005 to 2019). Off-property attacks accounted for 43% of fatal dog attacks in 2023, which is a 65% rise from the pre-Covid years of 26%. Of the 21 deaths where breed images were not captured in 2023, most attacks, 57% (12), occurred off the owner's property and 76% (16) involved 1 or more pit bulls.

Despite the high number of off-property attacks, it was more common to obtain a breed identification photograph when the attack occurred on property. Of the 33 on property attacks, 73% (24) had an identification image versus 52% (13/25) for off-property attacks. When property data is known, the dog owner's Facebook page is more easily located. For off-property attacks -- unless police name the dogs' owner -- it's harder to obtain the information required to run searches on social media.2

Breed Misidentification Conflicts

Two breed identification conflicts arose in 2023. They began with the death of a baby in Waterloo, Iowa. The grandmother, who was babysitting and called 911, identified the dog as a "pit bull" to the 911 dispatcher. In a 2018 Facebook post, the baby's father hashtagged "Echo" as a pit bull. The dog has the distinct "rose ears" of a pit bull, identified in the 1977 American Pit Bull conformation standard. Nonetheless, Waterloo officials stated the dog was a 9-year old "neutered male boxer-hound mix."

"334 for an animal attack on an infant ... The animal control, PD ... received a report that a 9-month old child possibly killed by a pit bull. Our reporting party was also injured as well ... Scott Avenue ... 10-4, send a truck ... Respond 334 for an animal attack ... for a pit bull that's attacked a 9-month old child, possibly killed it. We do have animal control and PD in route as well. Our reporting party was also injured. I don't know the extent. It does sound like the pit bull might be in the backyard, in a fenced-in backyard." - Black Hawk County Fire and EMS Dispatch

The other identification conflict arose after a 6-year old boy was killed by a pair of "very large and heavy great dane-mastiff mixes" in Portland, Oregon. The boy was routinely dropped off at the woman's home, who owns the dogs, before school. That day, the boy followed her into the garage where the dogs were kept, and the dogs attacked him. The woman operates a business called "K9 Protection" and had images of two cane corso-mixes on her Facebook page, one from February 2023.

While not technically a conflict, because no breed data was released, the dog pack that killed Sau Nguyen, 79, is unusual. Multiple photographs of the dogs were published by media. Some speculated a Kangal was involved. A woman whose chihuahua had been killed by the dog pack described them as, "akita shepherd-mix and a pit bull-akita mix." Media did not even follow up with Nguyen's cause of death, which was "multiple sharp force and blunt force injuries." The manner of death was accident.

Summary

In 2023, 64% of dog bite fatalities had some form of a breed identification photograph, just above the 10-year average of 62% (2013 to 2022). Our nonprofit captured over three quarters of them, 76%, in 2023. Pit bulls and their mixes represent 65% of the identification images collected in 2023, below the 10-year average of 74%. Breed identification photographs captured by media declined to 27% in 2023. The only worse year, 2020, was the peak of Covid when images captured by news media fell to 25%.

At 64%, 2023 marks the first increase in capturing these images since the pandemic. However, in 2019, 84% of deaths had a breed identity photo.

Finally, of the total recorded 58 dog bite fatalities in 2023, 7 cases lacked all breed information (12%). Through our nonprofit's research and FOIAs, we lowered that number to only 3 cases, 5%. We were able to capture breed identification images for 4 of these deaths, where otherwise the breeds involved would have been unknown.3 This is a better result than last year, when 33% of all recorded fatal dog maulings lacked breed information until we brought forth multiple time-consuming FOIAs.

2023 Fatal Dog Attack Breed Identification Photographs

Sadie Davila - East Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Photos of fatally attacking pit bull (news media)

DogsBite blog ::

Detroit Dog Owners Charged with Felony After Deadly Pit Bull Mauling

Nonprofit Captured 76% of Breed Identification Images in 2023

2023 Fatal Dog Attack Breed Identification Photographs

Sadie Davila - East Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Kellan Boner - Fort Hall Reservation, Idaho

Doris McBurse - Pitts, Georgia

Stanley Hartt - Tucumcari, New Mexico

Duane Osadchuk - Warren, Texas

Bonnie Varnes - Toledo, Ohio

Ramon Najera Jr. - San Antonio, Texas

Joe Scott - Jefferson County, Alabama

Kristen Potter - Perry County, Pennsylvania

Donald Gibson - Tulsa, Oklahoma

Blake Bettis - Brunswick, Maryland

Daniel Bonacorsi - Detroit, Michigan

Glennaroy Blackwelder - Tulsa, Oklahoma

Navy Smith - Waterloo, Iowa

Infant Jane Doe - Madison Charter Township, Michigan

Lewis Flores - Rockport, Texas

Anthony Bastardi - Johnston County, North Carolina

Daylan Guillen - North Port, Florida

Adult Jane Doe - Suwannee County, Florida

Joseph Keeton - Deschutes County, Oregon

Chanthy Philavong Maetu - Modesto, California

Billene Cameron - Kennewick, Washington

Brenda Witt - Miller County, Arkansas

Diane Knepper - Toledo, Ohio

Donovan Brooks - Ringgold, Louisiana

Paul Striegl - San Antonio, Texas

Jessica Wauters - Tomball, Texas

Lovell Anderson - Detroit, Michigan

James McCool

Colton Kline - Spokane, Washington

Makai Williams

Sau Nguyen - Houston, Texas

Leo Caddel - Chelsea, Alabama

Loyalty Scott - Portland, Oregon

Beverly Hayden - Cass County, Indiana

Adult John Doe - Yuma County, Arizona

Alexander Torres - Miami, Florida

Post Publication Identification Photographs

Estela Manteca

Child John Doe - Hahira, Georgia

How We Track Photograph Sources