Posted on June 21, 2011 by Colleen Lynn

Attack Date: June 17, 2007

DogsBite.org - It's not easy to write about your own violent dog attack. Who could know this better than I do, the voice of DogsBite.org? Usually, I write in third person, but not today. Four years ago today, an event forever altered my life, including all of the environments, activities and personal and business relationships within it. The event was an unprovoked assault by a leashed pit bull on a public street. At the time, I was just a few blocks away from my home.

I've chosen to share several passages from a piece that I wrote in the summer of 2009 on behalf of my dog bite claim. It was the hardest material I have ever had to write. Not only did it require that I relive every moment of the attack, but that I relive the many painful experiences that occurred in the weeks, months and years following it. Most dog bite victims must complete a similar claim document, assuming that a path of civil recourse is available to them.

My attorney, Paul Ayan of Ayan Law Office, hinted for weeks at my necessity to complete the piece. Still though, I put it off as long as possible. Then one day, it erupted onto 18 pages. My core themes included the loss of identity and trust. In one section I write, "It struck me that I will never be able to reach the former Colleen, she will always be just beyond my reach and at times, turning to peer at me." Other dog bite victims have shared similar reflections with me.

We all miss the person we were prior to the attack.1

The trauma of a violent dog attack, along with the subsequent minimization of it by social forces, forever removes parts of a person. These missing parts are often aspects of an individual's identity and trust systems. The process of rebuilding them takes time. Four years later, I think I am about half way there. A settlement agreement was reached shortly after I completed the claim document. I share some of its portions with DogsBite readers today.

Portions of the Claim Document

On June 17, 2007, I was attacked by a leashed pit bull named "Bull." At the time, I had been jogging down 15th Avenue in my Beacon Hill neighborhood. The day of the attack is Father's Day. My father was not a happy father on this day. My Birthday is June 16th. Do you know how many times you are asked your Birthday while being treated in a trauma facility? About a dozen times per hour if not more. Each time I was asked this question, the emergency worker said, "Happy Birthday!"

There are two phrases I hope to never hear again, one, "Happy Birthday," and the other, "Are you right handed?"

* * *

On March 2, 2009, I moved over 1,000 miles away from the City of Seattle. The day I drove into this tiny town (population 8,000), its newspaper reported that a pit bull had attacked and killed a goat. In May of 2009, two pit bulls severely mauled a woman who had gone to visit a friend's home. A deputy shot one of the pit bulls, but the bullet bounced off the dog's head. The attack occurred on Road 29, I live on Road 23. Earlier that same day, I had ridden my bike out to Road 28. This was the second outing I had taken on a bike since the attack, the first being the day before. Why I thought a country road would be safe from a pit bull is beyond me.

There is no escaping the pit bull problem.

* * *

By June 17, the day of the attack, my life was truly at an illuminating peak. I had developed a massive commitment to social activism and was about to meet for the first time, a favorite person who I had been closely corresponding with for months. There was the added urgency that I may not meet Jonathan as well. For each day, while traveling the deadly Iraqi roads, he stood the risk of being maimed or killed and forever lost to me.

As I wrote earlier, by the time we do meet, I am a different Colleen. We do spend two weeks together, but I am in frozen "shock" so to speak from the attack. It will be after Jonathan leaves in early September that I am finally confronted by the reality of the attack. Once confronted, I realize that I must start DogsBite.org.

* * *

This is the same realization I have while being attacked by the pit bull. I believe I am being "eaten" by the jaws of a large wild animal. It was not a dog clamped onto my arm, dragging me across the cement; it was an untamed, ferocious beast and I was its prey. Just inches from my face, I could see my forearm inside the jaws of the pit bull. Its teeth were coming in and out of my skin as he chomped and shook his jaws, like he was trying to tear off a hunk of meat, stubbornly attached to bone.

After I manage to escape and sprint down the street, I hold that part of my arm with my left hand tightly. I scream, "CALL 911!" repeatedly, and as loudly as possible, so that every person living on the block will come outside. I see one man running toward me, he is saying something as I continue to shout, "CALL 911!"

"I am an ER doctor," He said. "It's okay, I am an ER doctor."

He approaches me with his hands out in front of him, like the gesture, "I am not going to hurt you."

"I need to see your arm," He said. "You need to let go of your arm so that I can examine it."

"NO!" I shout at him. "NOOOOOOOO!"

At this time, I am terrified of releasing my hand that is covering the wound. I fear that I will see bones and ligaments popping out. Worse, I fear that the ONLY thing that is keeping my right forearm connected to my body is my left hand. To let go would force me to see that the dog had actually bitten my arm into two pieces.

* * *

On August 21, the terrifying attack on Sue Gorman occurs in a neighboring county. The woman had been sleeping in her own bed when two pit bulls snuck into her home and attacked her and her two dogs. This horrifying attack rocked the Puget Sound and left me nearly fully debilitated for three days. This is the first time that I will wholly relive my attack and all of the emotions that come with it. At this time, DogsBite.org is still several months away from launching. After it does launch, I will have several other experiences that match this one.

* * *

Within days of launching DogsBite.org, pit bull lobbying groups (some of which I believe are fronts for dogfighters and breeders of fighting dogs) had me pegged. These groups immediately threatened me with lawsuits. They turned my name into the FBI as a domestic terrorist as well. The onslaught of destroying Colleen's personal and professional reputation began. In fact, it was due to one of these groups that my identity as the author of DogsBite.org was exposed at all. An attorney who worked for one of these lobbying groups wrote to me as a personal injury lawyer asking, "Who is behind this website?" I fired back:

"Given that you are a personal injury lawyer, we presume you are on the side of the victim?
Given that we receive death threats and mountains of hate mail, you can understand why we do not place our names on this website -- each of us after all are victims of dog attacks.
Victims once, not victims twice, particularly from zealous, hate mongering pit bull advocates.
We get lots of emails like yours as well. Emails that appear legitimate but are in fact not."

After I wrote this, I verified that his law firm was real through Google searches. At that time, I was desperate for help, trusted that he was a victim's advocate and felt remorse about my initial reply. I wrote him back and apologized and also provided him with my personal and business contact information. He did not write back.
Two days later, most of the information from that email was cross-posted to many pit bull forum boards. Prior to my telling this attorney my real name on January 15, 2008, no one knew who was behind DogsBite.org except close friends.
Sure enough, after doing deeper Google searches, I learned that he was an attorney for one the most aggressive pit bull lobbying groups of all.2

* * *

After reading this document, now you know why there was no website prior to DogsBite.org. The harassment factor is too high. Victims give up and move on. In my case though, the harassment made building out the website even more important. Owners of aggressive dogs and lobbying groups for these breeds have been harassing victims of attacks for decades. Someone needs to stand up for these victims. That someone is me, through the website DogsBite.org.

I did not ask for this job. But once exposed to these injustices, I also could not turn away. When you get emails like the below, how could anyone turn away?

"Each time I receive your emails I am amazed at how clearly you are able to communicate the reality of the problem Pit Bulls are in our society. I really believe that you have been chosen by God to bring this problem to light and make a difference..."

For the purposes of this blog post, one segment of the claim document was slightly modified for clarification. Names of persons and organizations were also changed and/or removed. Originally published, June 17, 2011.

1No amount of money can ever compensate a person for this "loss of self."
2I submitted a formal complaint to the State Bar of Texas about this attorney. The Bar quickly denied it.

Posted on June 16, 2011 by Colleen Lynn

2011 Dog Bite Fatality: 74-Year Old Man Dies After Catastrophic Pit Bull Injury

Roy McSweeney, 74, died after being attacked by pit bulls belonging to Deanna Blitch.

Victim Dies of Injuries
UPDATE 06/15/11: Multiple news groups reported this evening that Roy McSweeney succumbed to the catastrophic injuries inflicted by his neighbor's pit bulls and died Wednesday afternoon. McSweeney's family has retained the Gainesville law firm of Avera & Smith, which is also representing Robert Floyd, who was attacked by the same dogs last year. Meanwhile, Putnam County authorities are working hard to "bring this matter to a logical conclusion."1

06/15/11: Authorities Investigate
The Palatka Daily News reports that the same dogs that nearly killed Roy McSweeney were involved in both previous biting incidents. Major Dwight Parker of the Putnam County Sheriff's Office said his office is working closely with the state attorney's office. "We are evaluating this to determine what, if any, charges can be brought," he said. Regrettably, it appears that neither previous incident qualified as "severe," thus hindering a dangerous dog designation.

This is the third time dogs from Blitch's residence have attacked a person, according to reports from the Putnam County Sheriff's Office.

On Jan. 13, 2010, two pit bulls ran from Blitch's yard and attacked a caretaker, Robert Floyd, at McSweeney's residence, reports stated.

Floyd was hospitalized with injuries to his mouth, left leg and stomach.

Court records show that Floyd has filed a civil suit against Blitch and Scurrey for negligence and premises liability.

Two dogs bit another man, Edward Cormier, on the arms when he entered the back door of Blitch's home on May 13.

Cormier told detectives that he was a friend of Blitch's son and the family had given him permission to come over and left the door unlocked for him.

According to Blitch, Cormier entered the house uninvited, reports stated.

The same two dogs were involved in all three attacks, Greenwood said.
- Julie Martin, Palatka Daily News

06/12/11: Previous Biting Incidents
Jacksonville.com reports that pit bulls from the Blitch home previously mauled two other men prior to nearly killing a 74-year old man on Friday. In both cases, the dogs were returned to their owners after a 10-day quarantine. It's unclear if these attacks were inflicted by the same pit bulls that left Roy McSweeney on life support. Police reports show that those pit bulls were involved in at least one previous biting incident documented by county police authorities.

After the attack on McSweeny, Blitch initially told deputies she no longer owned the pit bulls after "getting rid of them due to a previous attack." But Blitch's son, William, told deputies that the dogs were in the home and they were brought outside for authorities. William was the first to discover McSweeney after taking a different household dog outside to urinate. He said he found one of the pit bulls near the back door and the other in its kennel with an open door.2

06/12/11: Victim's Survival in Doubt
News4Jax.com reports that family members gathered Sunday at Shands Hospital in Gainesville where Roy McSweeney is struggling to survive. On Friday, two pit bulls owned by Deanna Blitch attacked McSweeney causing catastrophic injury, including the loss of one arm, partial loss of the other and severe facial injuries. Family friends told reporters that McSweeney is on life support. His family has asked for privacy during this difficult time.

Like other victims of savage and fatal pit bull maulings who have survived tours of war, such as Jerry Yates of Mountain Ranch, California and Henry Piotrowski, of Staten Island, New York, McSweeney is a veteran. Though war survivors, each victim in his later years faced an enemy as lethal as an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) while performing everyday tasks on his own property -- neighborhood pit bulls. Our hearts go out to McSweeney and his family.

06/11/11: Victim Faces Critical Hours
In a Saturday update, WTEV Action News spoke to the victim's daughter. She said the next 48 hours are critical. Other details emerged too, such as the dogs' owner, Deanna Blitch, is now claiming that the dogs "belong to a friend." Through Roderick Flynn, Chief of the West Putnam Volunteer Fire Department, we learn that McSweeney was a disabled veteran who often used a scooter and that animal control had been called multiple times about these dogs.

McSweeney's daughter told Action News Saturday night that doctors said his arm looked like a bomb went off next to it. He remains in a coma-like state, according to his daughter in an exclusive interview by phone. McSweeney is getting a large amount of blood. Doctors on Monday will decide if more surgery is necessary. According to the Putnam County Sheriff's Office, the dogs belonged to McSweeney's next-door neighbor who surrendered the animals to authorities.

That homeowner told Action News the dogs belong to a friend. She said she was not home at the time of the attack, and was not sure how the dogs escaped the kennel they are kept in.

06/10/11: Dogs Described as Pit Bulls
Gainesville.com has released an update. According to Sheriff's Capt. Johnny Greenwood, Roy McSweeney was in his yard doing yard work when the dogs jumped over the fence and attacked. The dogs are owned by Deanna Blitch, of 261 Old Hawthorne Road, and described as pit bulls or their mixes by Greenwood, a neighbor and Blitch's brother, Dan Dickerson. Blitch -- who lawyered up quick -- said she was advised by her attorney not to comment.

06/10/11: Victim: Roy McSweeney
Hawthorn, FL - Earlier today, the Putnam County Florida Sheriff's Office issued a news release about a life-threatening dog attack. The victim, 74-year old Roy McSweeney, is currently undergoing surgery at Shands Hospital in Gainesville. Additional information about his condition is not available. News4Jax.com reports that the attacking dogs were pit bulls. Both animals have been euthanized. Deputies are investigating. No further details were released.

2011-06-10 by: Captain Johnny Greenwood

On June 10, 2011, at approximately 11:00 a.m., deputies, rescue personnel, and animal control officers were summoned to 259 Old Hawthorne Road, in Hawthorne, regarding an individual who had been attacked by dogs.

When rescue personnel arrived on scene, they located 74 year-old, Roy McSweeney, who was suffering from severe injuries from the dog attack. The victim's right arm had been amputated; his left arm was partially amputated, and he was suffering from severe facial injuries. The victim was transported by rescue to Shand's Hospital in Gainesville for medical treatment. He is currently in surgery, and his condition is not available.

Due to the severity of the victim's injuries, Sheriff Hardy assigned Detectives from the Major Crimes Unit to the investigation. Investigators determined that the two dogs responsible for the attack belonged to McSweeney's neighbor, who resides at 261 Old Hawthorne Road, Hawthorne.

The owner of the two dogs subsequently relinquished both dogs to authorities. The dogs have been humanely euthanized and delivered to the Putnam County Health Department to be tested for rabies.

Due to the investigation being in its early stages, no further details can be released at this time. Further information will be provided when it becomes available.

1A "logical conclusion" likely means an At Large Dog ticket. Thumbs down to Putnam County authorities!
2With the help of Craven Desires, we were able to better analyze the June 12 Jacksonville.com article. We believe that Edward Cormier II was attacked last month by the same pit bulls as McSweeney.

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

--------------

Harry Acklam Killed by Two Ferocious Bull Dogs.

--------------

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

--------------

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

--------------

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.

DogsBite blog ::

Founder Colleen Lynn Reflects Upon Four Year Anniversary of Her Attack

Attack Date: June 17, 2007

2011 Dog Bite Fatality: 74-Year Old Man Dies After Catastrophic Pit Bull Injury

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

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