2010 Dog Bite Fatality: Pack of Dogs Kills 5-Year Old East Alabama Boy

boy killed by pack of dogs in Russell County
Cason Bryant, 5-years old, was killed by a pack of mixed-breed dogs.

Funeral Arrangements Set
UPDATE 11/17/10: Russell County Sheriff-Elect Heath Taylor says his office determined that five of the 12 mixed-breed dogs attacked the child. All of the dogs were euthanized. All but one of the dogs belonged to the victim's neighbor; the other belonged to the victim's family. “We’re not going to charge anybody at this point,” Sheriff-Elect Taylor said, who did not identify the owner of the dog pack. “What I feel like has happened is that the dogs got into a fight and the child was in the middle of it.”

"Taylor said an investigation revealed that 11 dogs “slipped under” a fence behind the house at 84 McElvey Road in rural Russell County and got into a fight next door with a dog owned by Cason’s family. All 12 dogs were euthanized, and Taylor said investigators have since determined that only five of the dogs were involved in the fatal attack." - The Ledger-Enquirer

Sheriff-Elect Taylor said the evidence suggests that Bryant's dog got into a fight with the neighbor's dogs and the child was in the wrong place at the wrong time. "Somehow in that fight the child was either in the middle of them when they started fighting or had tried to get his dog off of them and that's how eventually the dogs turned on the child," Taylor said. The autopsy determined that Bryant died from Hypobolemic Shock due to the severity of injuries including loss of blood and swelling.

11/16/10: Boy Killed by Dog Pack
Phenix City, AL - A 5-year old East Alabama boy was killed by a pack of dogs, authorities said. Russell County Coroner Arthur Sumbry identified the child as Cason Bryant, who may have been killed by as many as 12 mixed-breed dogs. The attack occurred after 1:00 pm in the family's yard on McElvey Road, Russell County Sheriff-Elect Health Taylor said. The boy was pronounced dead at 2:32 pm. Bryant's body will be sent to the Alabama Department of Forensic Science for an autopsy.

"Taylor said investigators still are considering whether to file charges in the case. He said the boy’s family owns an outside dog, but that several of the dogs involved in the attack belong to a neighbor. “Technically, you’re responsible for your dogs, but if they break under your fence, is that your fault?” Taylor said, adding the case will likely be handed over to the district attorney’s office." - The Ledger-Enquirer

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12/14/09: 1996 Fatality: 4-Year Old Wheeler Boy Killed by Loose Chow-Mix Dogs
08/19/09: 2009 Fatality: Senior Couple Killed by Pack of Dogs in Oglethorpe County
07/01/09: Pack of Wild Dogs May Have Killed Elderly Man in Alabama

2010 Dog Bite Fatality: Moreno Valley Woman Killed by Neighbor's Two Dogs

woman mauled to death by pit bulls
53-years old, was savagely killed by her neighbor's two pit bull-mixes.

Criminal Charges Sought
UPDATE 11/17/10: Police said today that they are seeking charges against the owners of the two pit bull-mix dogs that killed a woman who had been in the midst of moving out after the dogs repeatedly broke through her fence. Police Sgt. Jaime Briones said investigators intend to present the case to the Riverside County district attorney's office seeking involuntary manslaughter or neglect charges against the dogs' owner.

11/16/10: Police Confirm Dog Mauling Death
SWRNN.com reports that Sgt. Jaime Briones confirmed the victim's death was due to canine bites in a press release issued today. Briones also stated that a forensic dentist confirmed that the two dogs, described as pit bull-weimaraner mixes, owned by neighbors are the culprits. In addition, the specialist concluded that the victim’s small collie did not cause any of the injuries. The owners of the dogs are not being identified at this time.

11/16/10: Mauling Victim Identified
Moreno Valley, CA - It was reported Monday that Christina Casey, 53, was found dead November 2 at her house in Riverside County. The victim's brother, Bill Casey, said she had complained in the past of two dogs, a pit bull-mix and the other described as "part akita," repeatedly breaking through two fences into her yard. The victim was in the process of moving partly due to the dogs. "In two more days, she'd have been completely out of there," Bill said.

"The detective told us that apparently, sometime during the night, the (neighbor) dogs dug a hole under the fence and got into her yard ... attacked her and killed her," Casey said. "I got the impression from speaking to the detective that they were going to chalk this up to a tragic accident."
His sister had once reported the dogs to city animal-control authorities because they had broken into her yard, Bill Casey recalled. And she had repeatedly phoned the dogs' owner to retrieve the dogs from her yard and to repair the fence, Casey said. (Richard Brooks, The Press-Enterprise)

Another American dead due to horribly insufficient and inept dangerous dog laws.

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

Related articles:
09/17/10: 2010 Fatality: Mountain Ranch Man Mauled to Death by Two Pit Bulls
08/05/10: 2010 Fatality: Concord Child Killed by Step-Grandfather's Pit Bulls

2010 Dog Bite Fatality: East Texas Child Killed by Grandfather's Pet Pit Bull

Kaden Muckleroy killed by grandfather's pit bull
Kaden Muckleroy, 2-years old, was mauled to death by his grandfather's pit bull.

Compounded Pain
UPDATE 11/11/10: TylerPaper.com reports painful news about Kaden Muckleroy's family, including that the boy's father was murdered last year. "Please Lord, we can't take no more. We just can't take it," Rosie Jordan, a cousin of Kaden, shouted out Wednesday night at the home on Rusk County Road 421 where the incident occurred. Family members said the child had been playing on a swing set when the pit bull freed itself from its chain and attacked the boy.

Sheriff Danny Pirtle said nearly 40 dogs were taken from the home. He said he did not know why the Muckleroys had so many dogs. Pirtle said that the dogs do not appear to have been used in dogfighting. There were several pit bulls at the location. The other dogs seemed to be a variety of mixed breeds. When asked about his thoughts on pit bulls, Pirtle grimaced and said, "This is the second attack that ended in death in just two years. I think something needs to be done."

Family members said the dog that attacked Kaden belonged to Muckleroy's son Calvin, who was murdered in Longview last year. Kaden's aunt, Mary Candie, said, "He (Muckleroy) wanted the dog as a living memory to his son. He went to the pound and paid for this dog that did this." Candie said that Muckleroy took in dogs that no one else wanted. Moments later, Muckleroy climbed into his pickup and plowed through the many dog pens in his backyard.

Moments after saying that, Muckleroy climbed into his pickup and rammed into the numerous dog houses and dog pens in his backyard.
The crashing sound of wood being hit mixed with the grating sounds of metal as the truck lurched forward eating the pens that had been holding his beloved animals.

Ms. Candie said the family was set to go to court Monday in relation to her brother's murder and added two weeks before his murder, her niece also was murdered.

"It has been a difficult year, a real difficult year, and it just keeps coming," she said. "If not for the grace of God, I wouldn't be standing, because He is holding me up."

Moments later, the family's faith would be tested again.

"Oh no. Oh no," Ms. Jordan shouted. "It can't be true."

As family members rushed to the crying woman, they learned a cousin hanged herself after hearing about Kaden's death. - Kenneth Dean, Tyler Morning Telegraph, November 11, 2010

11/10/10: Victim: 2-Year Old Kaden Muckleroy
Rusk County, TX - In a developing story, a 2-year old boy was killed by a pit bull today in the same county where Justin Clinton was killed by two pit bulls last year. The dog's owner, Kelvin Muckleroy, was the victim's grandfather. The dog was chained to a tree in the yard of the home where the attack occurred. Authorities removed the offending pit bull as well as 29 additional "kennel kept" dogs at the residence. The breed(s) of these dogs was not stated in the release:

On Wednesday November 10, 2010 at about 11:03 am the Rusk County Sheriff Office received a call from East Texas Medical Center (Henderson) emergency room requesting an officer to respond to the hospital in regard to a two year old child being deceased as the result of a dog attack. Upon arrival deputies learned that Helen Muckleroy B/F 2-10-75 transported her two year old son Kaden Muckleroy to the hospital from her residence (1950 Rusk County road 421 N. Henderson Texas) for treatment of dog bites from a pit bull dog attack. Further investigation indicates that the dog's owner, Kelvin Muckleroy B/M who is the victim's grandfather had the dog chained to a tree in the yard of the residence where the attack occurred. Muckleroy has consented to the release of the animal as well as about twenty nine additional kennel kept dogs to the Rusk County Sheriff Office. At this time the Sheriff Office is currently conducting an investigation and will release information as is appropriate. (Ron Duncan, Rusk County Sheriff's Office)

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

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04/01/09: 2009 Fatality: 7-Month Old Boy Killed by Grandmother's Pit Bulls
11/08/08: Fatal Dog Mauling Trial of Tanner Joshua Monk, 7 Years Old

2010 Dog Bite Fatality: 'Very Loving' Pit Bull Kills Baby in Jacksonville Home

Justin Valentin killed by loving pit bull
At left, the"very loving" family pit bull, at right, the now deceased infant.

Parents Release Photo
UPDATE 10/26/10: Perhaps trying to avoid child neglect charges, the baby's parents released a propaganda photo showing their "loving pit bull," Briggs, near their newborn. The baby's father, Mark Valentin, said the dog attacked the baby on the bed while the mother took a shower. "I don't know what happened," Valentin said. "My wife went to the restroom and the dog got to the baby. We're not neglectful parents." DogsBite.org hopes authorities beg to differ.

Pit bulls and babies do not mix. This baby is dead because his parents are arrogant and willfully opted into irresponsible pit bull propaganda.1

What will the baby's parents say next? That it was a freak or tragic accident, despite the breed's 30-year horrific safety record? Pit bulls were selectively bred for unpredictable and unbridled aggression for the purposes of dogfighting. The public is not shocked -- though they should be outraged -- when another fatal pit bull mauling occurs. Pit bull owners, who know far more about the breed than the public, certainly cannot feign, "not neglectful" after an attack.

10/26/10: Grieving Parent Speaks Out
New information published by News4Jax.com says that the parents had only "left their baby for just a few seconds"2 when the pit bull attacked. The father said that the family "raised the pit bull since it was a puppy" and that the dog "never showed any signs of aggression" towards anyone in their family. The day that police and child protection agencies stop honoring these cliche excuses from pit bull owners, is the day that children will championed instead of buried.3

      The baby's father told Channel 4's news director, Maureen Baker, that he and his wife left their baby for just a few seconds to use the bathroom. The father said that is when the dog attacked the baby.
The father said he and his family are grieving over the tremendous loss of their child. The father said the family raised the pit bull since it was a puppy and that the dog never showed any signs of aggression toward anyone in their family. - News 4 Jax, October 25, 2010

10/25/10: Pit Bull Kills Newborn in Home
Jacksonville, FL - In a developing story, WOKV.com reports that a local family is planning a funeral for their newborn child after it was attacked and killed by a pit bull in their home. The child was fatally bitten Sunday night about 10 pm off Dixon Road and University Boulevard. The newborn was rushed to Shands Hospital, but did not survive the injuries it suffered. According to WJXT TV-4, animal control workers euthanized the offending red pit bull.

family pit bull kills baby

1Google pit bull and baby to locate examples of this propaganda.
2"Stepped away" is another commonly used term.
3In a related video, Leona Sheddan, Executive Director of the Jacksonville Human Society, states an incredulous falsehood about 2008 dog bite fatalities. Sheddan said there were only 8 fatalities -- as opposed to the documented 23 -- and that the deaths "primarily" affected the elderly and babies. So, 24-year old Kellie Chapman (killed by her own pit bulls), 34-year old Robert Howard (killed by a stray pit bull), 62-year old Chester Jordan (killed by his daughters pit bulls) and 60-year old Gerald Adelmund (killed by his family's pit bulls) never happened? Sheddan also claimed that one of the victims was killed by a Chihuahua, another falsehood.

Related articles:
04/15/10: 2010 Fatality: Pit Bull Kills 7-Day Old New Port Richey Boy
02/24/10: 2010 Fatality: 5-Day Old Infant Killed by Family Pit Bull
08/18/09: 2009 Fatality: Infant Killed by Pet Pit Bull in Hardy County

Photo: News4jax.com