Posted on June 15, 2011 by Colleen Lynn

2011 Dog Bite Fatality: Spotsylvania County Man Killed by Pet Pit Bull

David Haigler, 38-years old, was killed by one of his pet pit bulls.

Dog Caused Death archived
Spotsylvania County, VA - In an incident we were alerted to yesterday, The Free Lance-Star reports that an autopsy has confirmed that one of David Quyon Haigler’s two pit bulls was responsible for his death. Haigler, 38-years old, was discovered dead in his home Saturday by his 18-year old son. The 6-year old pit bull accused in his death was loose in the home and initially would not allow responding deputies in, according to Sheriff’s Lt. Col. Michael Timm.

Haigler was found dead on the living room floor with wounds to his upper body. Authorities noted that a wooden baseball bat was on a sofa near the body and that the room was in disarray. Court records stated that blood was seen on the floor, walls and several pieces of furniture. Haigler's other pit bull was found chained in different area of the home. Timm said the investigation is nearly over, except for the pending results of a toxicology screening.

Haigler was "already under medical care for a dog bite" that occurred a week earlier, according to yesterday's article. The victim also had a felonious past.

      Sheriff's deputies responded to the call but were met by two "very aggressive" pit bulls, Timm said.
      The deputies waited until animal control removed the dogs before starting their investigation.
      "Currently, the belief is that they could have been involved," Timm said of the dogs. "We're just sideline speculating at this point."
      As of yesterday, Timm could not confirm how Haigler died.
      A medical examiner has ruled the death "unusually suspicious" and said Haigler, 38, suffered "upper-body trauma." The body has been sent to Richmond for an autopsy. Spotsylvania officials hope to know more about the cause of death today.
      Timm could not confirm whether the dogs had a history of violence, but said Haigler "was already under medical care for a dog bite" that happened about a week ago. - Free Lance-Star, Jonas Beals, June 13, 2011

Posted on June 8, 2011 by Colleen Lynn

Part I: The Story of Harry Acklam, Murdered by Two Pit Bulls in 1896

Harry Acklam, 7-years old, was mauled to death by two pit bulls in 1896.

An Awful Death
Racine, MI - While researching historical fatal pit bull attacks in April, we discovered the 1896 death of Harry Acklam. The 7-year old boy had been gathering flowers with a friend when the attack unfolded. The case captivated our attention as it involved Racine manufacturing companies, teamsters and a self-appointed fatal dog attack investigator1 who concluded that the two bloody pit bulls found near the boy's body were not responsible for his death.

When we expanded our search outside of news archives, we learned that radio host Louis Rugani had recently created a memorial website for Harry and that his niece, Cindy Bitto, had a left a comment at the page. We spoke with Bitto on the phone about Harry's death. Though over 100 years ago, Bitto is still shaken by the event and the injustice that followed. Two wealthy Racine families allegedly owned the dogs and dishonored promises to help his family.

At one point in our conversation, Bitto relayed a story of calling Oprah in the mid 1980s, who was airing a show about pit bulls (the mid 1980s is when pit bull attacks skyrocketed). Bitto said the call screener told her, "NO ONE IS INTERESTED IN A 100 YEAR OLD DOG ATTACK." Bitto told us that she had called to explain to Oprah that pit bulls had been killing children for far longer than just a few years. Oprah's screeners didn't get it, but we certainly do.

Historical Backdrop

At the turn of the 19th century, Racine was a major manufacturing city, dominated by the J.I. Case Company, a maker of agriculture equipment. The company grew into a global enterprise and still is today. A historical 1883 map shows how the city appeared 15 years before Harry's death. The incident occurred on the south side of town, in a field east of the future Mitchell Motor Car Company and about a block from Harry's home on 1637 Hamilton Avenue.

An Awful Death

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Harry Acklam Killed by Two Ferocious Bull Dogs.

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Ears Bitten Off, Scalp Torn Off and Throat Torn Away.

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The Little Boy Was Gathering Flowers With a Companion When Attacked by the Dogs -- The Companion Ran Away

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A Human Ear First Found and Then the Horribly Mutilated Body -- How the Boy Disappeared and Was Found by the Police -- The Inquest.

[June 4] That a little boy could be literally torn to pieces and killed by two ferocious bull dogs, almost within a stone's throw of a large factory where a hundred or more persons are employed and no person witness or know of the fact, seems incredulous, but such a horrible thing occurred last night and today Harry Acklam, No. 1637 Hamilton avenue, lies upon a [block], a pitiful and terrible sight to gaze upon. Both his ears are torn off and face horribly [bitten] close to the head, the hair and scalp torn from the head, throat partially torn out, arm torn and lacerated, eye torn out and face horribly chewed, besides there are marks of the dogs' fangs upon the body as far down as the waist. ("An Awful Death," The Racine Daily, June 4, 1896)

Harry was a student at the Howell School. On the day of his death, he left the school at 3:30 pm with the rest of his classmates. When dusk came and he still had not arrived home, his parents, William and Katherine, alerted neighbors and the police. Officers soon learned that Harry and a friend had been out in a field near the Beebe & Company's factory, located on the south side of the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul railroad tracks, when the dogs attacked.

[Cindy Bitto] Clarence Nelson, the little boy that was with him, ran home and told his parents but no one believed him. After it got dark, my grandparents called the police. The police first had to wake up Harry's schoolteacher, Miss Crane, to find out which classmate he had left school with. Then they woke up Clarence, took up lanterns and went looking for him. It was Harry's father who found his cap lying on the ground. When he picked it up, Harry's ear fell out.

Officers Bassinger and Wood took Clarence into the field where the dogs attacked Harry. They were guided to the scene by the sound of barking dogs. Just after finding Harry's ear, they found his body. It was a gruesome sight and the trampled grass showed that the dogs had drug him around in a large area while killing him. The officers cried when they lifted Harry's mutilated body. It was taken by police patrol wagon to the Porter Furniture Company morgue.2

[Cindy Bitto] Clarence jumped a fence to get away. He could hear Harry crying, "Mama, mama." My grandmother had a bad foot from scarlet fever and used a cane. My grandfather was one of the first teamsters3 and worked for J. I. Case; he drove a team of horses back and forth to Missouri. The day after Harry's death, the police found the bouquet of flowers that he had gathered and took them to his mother. She must have kept them for a long time.

The next day, Coroner S. F. Stripple empaneled a jury to determine who owned the pit bulls. James Pickup initially told police that Belle City Manufacturing owned the dogs, but the company denied this and said that Pickup, who was an employee of the company, owned them personally. Bell City also said the dogs were only 6-8 months old and were not known to be vicious. People living nearby, however, said the dogs were ugly and had attacked before.

[Cindy Bitto] The pit bulls were kept tied up behind the factory and it was believed by everyone that they were used for fighting entertainment for the workers. The killing occurred on Wednesday night; they pitted them on Saturday. There were rumors they hadn't fed the dogs to make them meaner for the fight. Most people in my family are still afraid of dogs in general, and all of us are afraid of pit bulls. They need to stop breeding those dogs; they ought to be eliminated.

Identifying the Dogs

The pit bulls were captured and locked in a tramp house.4 Clarence identified the dogs as the attackers. Officers Bassinger and Wood said they had evidence too, including that both animals had blood on their breasts and jaws when they were found. Yet, the dispute over the ownership of the dogs continued. If determined, the owner faced charges of murder in the third degree, according to state law. The ownership question was to be settled the following day.

Boy Killed and Eaten by Dogs

[June 4] The dogs were afterwards found in their owner's barn with their jaws and breasts covered with blood. An inquest will be held tomorrow and the question of who is the owner of the dogs will be settled.

James Pickup, an employee of the Belle City Manufacturing company, claims that he owns the dogs, but the Coroner and officers claim that Emery Jones, a wealthy manufacturer, owns them. Pickup works for Jones, and has told conflicting stories. According to the State law the owner of the dogs is liable to be convicted of murder in the third degree. ("Boy Killed and Eaten by Dogs," Chicago Daily Tribune, June 4, 1896)

Killed by By Bull Dogs

[June 4] At 11 o'clock last night Peter Acklam, 1637 Hamilton Avenue, reported that his son Harry, [7] years old, was missing. The Police began an investigation and an hour later found the remains of the lad in a field east of the Beebe Manufacturing company's plant. A further search revealed that it was the work of two bulldogs, owned by Frank Bull and Emery Jones.

The lad's head and arms were virtually torn into threads. The scalp was torn from the frontal bone clean back to the neck, both ears off, and the arms bitten through and through. [Clarence] Nelson, a schoolmate of the unfortunate lad was the only eye-witness to the boy's terrible death. The two were gathering wild flowers in the field when the dogs approached and attacked young Acklam. ("Killed by By Bull Dogs: Harry Acklam, A Racine Boy, Literally Torn to Pieces," The Milwaukee Journal, June 4, 1896)

Part II will cover the inquest and the wealthy manufactures.

Harry Acklam was born April 22, 1889 in Racine County and was the oldest of 11 children. Cindy Bitto's mother was Harry's sister who was the second youngest. Bitto is also the youngest and was born 23 years after her previous sibling. Bitto did not know either of her grandparents, both died prior to reaching their mid 50s. The small Acklam home at 1637 Hamilton Avenue (now Memorial Drive) still stands.

1Initially we thought that the self-appointed fatal dog attack investigator wrote a memoir and that James Crosby read it. But a member of the DogsBite community suggested that the two might even be ancestors.
2The Porter Furniture Company is now closed.
3Labor unions began forming in the U.S. in the mid-19th century. The Teamster Union was formed in 1903. Harry's father was a teamster in the original sense, driving a team of horses to deliver parts and goods.
4The tramp house may have looked something like this.

Posted on May 30, 2011 by Colleen Lynn

2011 Dog Bite Fatality: 'Monster Dog' Kills 4-Year Old Brooklyn Boy

Jayelin Graham, 4, was killed by a "monster dog" belonging to his mother's boyfriend.

Missing Bodies
UPDATE 05/29/11: Parts of this story continue to raise questions, such as: Where is the third dog, and where is Dread? Might the two be in the same place? On Friday, after one of Dread's dogs ripped the throat out of Jayelin killing him, news media outlets reported that there were three dogs at the family's home: a cane corso, pit bull and shepherd-mix. By Saturday night, news reports merged the cane corso and pit bull into one dog, the latter having vanished.

The alleged killer dog, which appears to be a cane corso-pit bull mix, is depicted on Dread's Facebook page, as well as in many news articles.

Today, the New York Post reported that the dog shown on the Facebook page is not the attacker. What we know is true, is that of the 200 fatal dog attacks DogsBite.org has reviewed, it is not unheard of for a dog -- especially a fighting dog or one of high breeding value -- to vanish after a fatal attack. Such dogs are capital goods and too valuable to be euthanized. So where is that third dog? And, if the Facebook dog is not the attacker than which dog is?1

According to the same Post article, the last anyone heard from Dread was Friday night: "Neighbors said Jones, who belongs to the motorcycle club Ruff Ryders, rode up to the scene at one point Friday, but peeled away at 11 p.m., and has not been seen since." So after Dread trained his dogs to kill, as he allegedly told a neighbor, and one of those dogs killed his step-son, Dread flees Dodge while the boy's mother undergoes hours of questioning by police?

Another area that raises questions is Dread's breeding activities and the time frame of the dogs being in the home. Robin Parkinson, 56, told The Daily News that the first time she saw Dread with "three of the scariest dogs in Brooklyn" was four years ago. At this time, Dread told her, "I breed monster dogs." This does not negate statements made by the mother who said the dogs had only been living in the home for three months, but where were the dogs before?

Suggested Hypothetical

Initially, we were concerned that the ASPCA -- a Manhattan-based pro-pit bull group -- would try to pull a fast one by mislabeling the breed. Our concern now is Dread, who has no "cane corso" friends on Facebook, but plenty of pit bull friends, primarily bully breeders. Craven Desires' aptly theorizes that Dread's corso-cross was used in bully kennel breeding operations. So where is that third dog? Where is Dread? Will any local news group investigate this further?

(It must also be noted that DogsBite is not used to the "flair and drama" of the mentioned New York daily newspapers. Operating in the Northwest and South, this style is new to us.)

05/29/11: Mother Speaks Out After Attack
In a new video, the mother of the dead child, Saquina Jubeark, said the family only had the 7-year old dog for 3-months (She did not say who sold her the mutant dog and told her, "It was good with kids" and "not aggressive.") She also said that there were only two dogs in the household. She said her husband was a "trainer" and that he wouldn't have taken the dog, named Machete, had he known it would have harmed someone in the home.

Clearly her husband to be, Damien "Dread" Jones, idolized the mutant; he used it for his Facebook profile image. In contrast, Saquina used one of her children for her profile image.

View Related video

05/28/11: The Breed Mislabeling Game
The ASPCA (or another pro-pit bull group) appears hard at work defending the pit bull breed. The attacking dog, once labeled as a pit bull, has transformed into a cane corso in a matter of hours. The old title, "Brooklyn boy mauled to death inside his apartment by 'violent' pit bull..." has shifted to "Brooklyn boy mauled to death inside his apartment by 'violent' mastiff..." The profile features of this dog appear strongly pit bull; its visual variances due to a mix.2

We expect the debate about this dog's breed to heat up. Given that the family also owned a pit bull, one cannot exclude the possibility that the wrong dog was photographed or that the family was sold a pit bull under the cane corso name. What is true is that both of these dogs, along with a shepherd-mix and a large snake in a home with three toddlers is like playing Russian Roulette. Molosserdogs.com offers more information on the Italian cane corso:3

Italian Cane Corso

The present-day Cane Corso exists in decent numbers, but because of reckless breeding and crosses with some bull-breeds, it is getting difficult to find a true representative of the breed. Although the initial efforts were focused on preserving the original farm dogs from Puglia and surrounding areas, a fair amount of English Bullmastiff and German Boxer blood was introduced in the early years of the revival programme to help expand the Cane Corso gene pool, but the use of these breeds unfortunately resulted in the appearance of certain physical traits which weren't associated with the Cane Corso Italiano in the past, creating some controversy concerning the proper breed type.
--snip--

The unrelated breed known as the American Corso Dog is a modern creation, developed in the United States by crossing the Neapolitan Mastiff with the Rottweiler and various Bandogges. Even though this American breed is often times presented as the Cane Corso, it has no real ties with the Italian breed. Most American and Canadian fanciers of the Cane Corso Mastiff regularly import dogs from Italy and are committed to the preservation and promotion of the true type and purity of the breed, but some western lines have been enriched with the blood of other working dogs, namely the Presa Canario, American Pit Bull Terrier, Neapolitan Mastiff, Bullmastiff, Rottweiler, Boxer and the aforementioned American Corso Dog, resulting in a great variety within the breed in the United States, bluring the lines between the American-bred Cane Corso Italiano and the American Corso Dog breeds even more. (Molosserdogs.com)

05/28/11: Mother Says Dog "Ate My Baby"
Brooklyn, NY - In a developing story, NBC New York reports that Jayelin Graham, 4-years old, was mauled to death by a pit bull inside his home Friday night. The Daily News reported that the boy's mother screamed, "Help! He ate my baby! He ate my baby!" Neighbors attempted to storm the home, but police held them back. Kenny Rishar, a superintendent at the building, said, "People were scared of those dogs." This was a tragedy waiting to happen, he said.4

1Hopefully one local news group will go to NYC Animal Care and Control where this dog is being held under quarantine and photograph the animal.
2The reported 100 lb weight of this dog does not remove it from being a pit bull. The class of 100 lb pit bulls is indeed 100% American pit bull terrier.
3The alleged cane corso appears too tight skinned beneath its neck to be a full corso. But as Molosserdogs.com states, the variances and out-crosses of the American corso run the gamut. The ear cropping style is more distinct to corsos.
4Expect the ASPCA, a New York-based pro-pit bull group, to run extreme damage control. Recently, they were accused of unfair and deceptive fundraising practices.

Photos: NYDaily.com

Posted on May 22, 2011 by Colleen Lynn

Texas Doctors Produce Study: Mortality, Mauling and Maiming by Vicious Dogs

April 2011 - Issue 4
San Antonio, TX - In April, the Annals of Surgery, a highly referenced international surgery journal established in 1885, published a study about severe and fatal injuries inflicted by pit bulls. The study, "Mortality, Mauling, and Maiming by Vicious Dogs," examined the medical records of patients admitted to the level I trauma center of San Antonio University Hospital with dog bite injuries over a 15-year period. The results bore the grim reality of pit bull injuries.

Objective: Maiming and death due to dog bites are uncommon but preventable tragedies. We postulated that patients admitted to a level I trauma center with dog bites would have severe injuries and that the gravest injuries would be those caused by pit bulls.

Design: We reviewed the medical records of patients admitted to our level I trauma center with dog bites during a 15-year period. We determined the demographic characteristics of the patients, their outcomes, and the breed and characteristics of the dogs that caused the injuries.

Results: Our Trauma and Emergency Surgery Services treated 228 patients with dog bite injuries; for 82 of those patients, the breed of dog involved was recorded (29 were injured by pit bulls). Compared with attacks by other breeds of dogs, attacks by pit bulls were associated with a higher median Injury Severity Scale score, a higher risk of an admission Glasgow Coma Scale score of 8 or lower, higher median hospital charges, and a higher risk of death.

Conclusions: Attacks by pit bulls are associated with higher morbidity rates, higher hospital charges, and a higher risk of death than are attacks by other breeds of dogs. Strict regulation of pit bulls may substantially reduce the US mortality rates related to dog bites.

The very first pit bull injury study, Pit Bull Attack: Case Report and Literature Review (Texas Medicine, Vol. 84, November 1988), was also published by a group of Texas doctors. This study helped provide critical evidence for the City and County of Denver after it enacted its pit bull ban in 1989. Just as its authors deduced in 1988 -- that the continued development of the pit bull breed would lead to more severe injuries and deaths -- has indeed manifested.

Authors of the New Study

The authors of the University Hospital study are an impressive group of seventeen. The primaries include: John K. Bini, MD, Stephen M. Cohn, MD, Shirley M. Acosta, RN, Marilyn J. McFarland, RN, MS, Mark T. Muir, MD and Joel E. Michalek, PhD. The TRISAT Clinical Trials Group include trauma faculty members: D. Dent, M. Corneille, S. Wolf. D. Mueller, B. Eastridge, G. Goodwiler, J. Gourlas, J. Oh; M. Bohnenblust, K. McBride and C. Lounden.

Howling Critics of the Study

Predictably, the pit bull community is in a state of alarm regarding the University Hospital study. A new Craven Desires' post tackles the fanatical No-Kill and hired gun pit bull lobbyists (dog nuts) who are claiming that they should determine Public Health policy concerning dangerous dogs, instead of the exceptional group above who are committed to the safety and welfare of human beings, as well as performing and advancing sophisticated surgical procedures.1

Methods of the Texas Study

The study was a retrospective review of cases of dog bites admitted to the hospital's level I trauma center between January 1, 1994 and April 30, 2009. To locate subjects, study members reviewed the hospital's medical records and Trauma Registry. Members also queried databases for ICD-9 codes indicating the diagnosis of a dog bite. Dog breed information was obtained by reviewing animal injury reports at the city's Animal Care Services department.2

Portions of the Texas Study

In addition to the portions we've quoted below from the Discussion area of the study, in the Introduction, the authors throw a wrench into the so-called pre-pit bull killing period between 1966 to 1980.3 They note that "although 16 deaths were attributed to German Shepherd Dogs and only 6 were attributable to pit bulls" during that period, the registration numbers of pit bulls was so low that they were still killing at a rate 33 times higher than German shepherds.

Discussion Section

"The main findings of this study are that, in comparison to victims attacked by other breeds of dogs, victims attacked by pit bulls have a higher ISS score, a higher risk of an admission GCS score of 8 or lower, fewer hospital-free ad ICU-free days, higher hospital charges, and a higher risk of death."
"These fighting dogs were bred and trained not to display behavioral signals of their intentions so that they would have an advantage in the ring. For this reason, pit bulls are frequently known to attack 'without warning.'"
"The attack pattern of pit bulls is different from that of other dogs. With other dogs, children are usually at the highest risk of being bitten. In contrast, pit bulls seem to attack adults almost as frequently as they attack children."
"Pit bulls not only are notorious for their indiscriminate attack pattern but also as well known for the tenacity with which they continue to attack.
"The inbred tenacity of pit bulls, the unrelenting manner in which they initiate and continue their attacks, and the damage they cause are the result of both genetics and environment. Therefore, this breed of dog is inherently dangerous."
"As stated by one author, 'Temperament is not the issue, nor is it even relevant. What is relevant is actuarial risk. If almost any other dog has a bad moment, someone may get bitten, but will not be maimed for life or killed, and the actuarial risk is accordingly reasonable. If a Pit Bull Terrier or a Rottweiler has a bad moment, often someone is maimed or killed, and that has now created off-the-chart actuarial risk, for which the dogs and their victims are paying the price.'"
"If the risk of a fatal attack is normalized to Labrador Retrievers and Labrador-mix breeds (the most common registered dog in the United States), the relative risk of death related to pit bull attacks is more than 2500 times higher."

Cost of Dog Bites

The authors delve into the cost of dog bites in several areas of the study. In one part, they note that in 1995, the charges for hospitalizations that resulted from 469 dog bites totaled $3.4 million in Pennsylvania. "Notably, government payment sources were responsible for 48% of the total costs," states the report. Insurance estimates for 2007 placed an annual cost of dog bites for U.S. home insurers at $356.2 million and total losses may exceed $1 billion annually.

The authors also touch on dog bite ordinances. They note that 17 U.S. states have "one bite" laws, where the dog is allowed one free bite (or in the case of pit bulls, one free mauling) prior to triggering ramifications. They also note that 12 states have laws that prohibit breed-specific laws (BSL). To emphasize the dismal results of these laws, the authors point out that Texas, which leads all states in fatal dog attacks, is governed by both "one bite" and anti-BSL laws.

"These breeds should be regulated in the same way in which other dangerous species, such as leopards, are regulated."
- study authors

"In Texas, the laws regarding dogs that have been deemed dangerous are quite strict; these laws are similar to those regarding dangerous wild animals. The dangerous-dogs law in Texas requires special registration and containment of the animal and imposes strict insurance liability requirements on owners. Similar requirements exist with regard to the ownership of dangerous wild animals, such as lions, tigers and bears. The difference between the approach to wild animals and the approach to dogs is that wild animals are defined as dangerous on the basis of their species, whereas dogs must cause bodily injury before they can be determined to be dangerous."

Conclusions of the Study

The authors conclude that while fatal dog attacks are rare, there appears a distinct relationship between the "severity and lethality" of an attack and the breed of dog involved. The "actuarial risk" associated with certain breeds of dogs, specifically pit bulls, is unacceptable. The study adds that municipalities must be able to enact ordinances that protect citizens from this risk, and that to do so, local, county and state legislative bodies must address this issue.

Thank You - DogsBite.org and all of our readers, many of whom have suffered a devastating dog attack, greatly thank the authors of this study, not only for creating such a substantial and lasting research contribution in this area, but that these authors stepped further and recommended the regulation of a dog breed that has been mauling and killing innocent people indiscriminately and disproportionately for over 30 years. The number of human lives that will be saved due to this team's work cannot be quantified -- not ever.

Yellow highlights courtesy of DogsBite.org.1Policy conversations pertaining to the safety and welfare of human beings from dangerous dogs should be led by doctors, public health officials and public safety organizations. Animal welfare groups, whose primary concern is animal welfare over the welfare of human beings, have little to no role in this conversation. Such groups clearly play a crucial role in developing tougher animal cruelty laws.
2This is the critical missing link readers. Hospitals track dog bite injuries through ICD-9 codes. But breed information stays stuck in an animal control database. The only way to determine severity of injury by dog breed is for a hospital to review animal control records. This is exactly what members of the University Hospital study did (Kudos to the Department of Surgery at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio!).
3The period from 1966 to 1980 is often used by pro-pit bull groups to argue, "a new decade equals a new killer dog breed." For instance, German shepherds were the killers of the 1960s, Dobermans were the killers of the 1970s, pit bulls took over the role in the 1980s and the 1990s mark the decade of the killer rottweiler. This false argument is designed to make persons believe that every new decade brings a new killer dog breed. We encourage readers to review Fatal Pit Bull Attacks - The Archival record to see just how long pit bulls have been indiscriminately killing human beings (since 1858).

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