Posted on March 1, 2024 by Colleen Lynn

2024 Dog Bite Fatality: 2-Year Old Killed by Dog in North Alabama Marking Second Child 'Death by Dog' in Region in 4 Days

Mark Allen Partain, 2-years old, was killed by a dog in north Alabama on Friday.

Dog Owner Arrested
UPDATE 06/20/24: Police arrested 55-year old Melissa Phillips in connection to the fatal dog mauling of a 2-year old boy earlier this year. On March 1, New Hope police responded to the 200 block of T R Christian Road for a report of a child who was attacked by dogs. Two dogs, a husky and a German shepherd-mix, were seized from the home of Rickey Clark. A third dog, a "brown bulldog" that was known to run loose in the area, was also suspected. Phillips resides down the street from Clark.

The third dog was surrendered to authorities as the investigation continued. Bite impressions taken from the dogs ruled out the two initial dogs belonging to Clark. The third dog, belonging to Phillips, had recently been involved in another dog attack. Phillips was indicted for a violation of Emily's Law (under Section B). Though a court had not declared her dog to be dangerous, "the owner of the dog had prior knowledge of the dangerous propensities of the dog." Phillips faces a Class C felony charge.

Detectives determined with the help of forensics, that the bite marks collected belonged to the third dog -- not the neighbor's [Rickey Clark].

“This is a dog that the owners had already had an issue with attacking someone else so there was already ground work there to say this was a vicious dog or this was a dog that has propensity for violence and to attack people," Bates said. "With the death of this child, that’s kind of what led the weight of this charge.” - Chief Deputy Stacy Bates with the Madison County Sheriff's Office, WAAY-TV, June 20, 2024

All three dogs were euthanized over the course of the investigation. Last week, the investigation was brought before a Madison County grand jury, resulting in Phillips' indictment. Phillips voluntarily surrendered to sheriff's detectives. She was booked into the Madison County Jail on a $15,000 bond. The breed of Phillips' dog is unknown. She is seen with a "brown dog" and a "missing" black Labrador on social media pages. The Madison County Sheriff's Office says the investigation is ongoing.

03/01/24: Toddler Killed by Dog
New Hope, AL - A 2-year old boy is dead after being attacked by a dog in New Hope Friday evening. The city is 40 mile east of Hartselle, where 4-year old Beau Clark was brutally killed by an Olde English bulldog on Monday. Beau was buried earlier today; over a thousand people attended his funeral. On Friday, at about 5:21 pm, Huntsville Emergency Medical Services Inc., (HEMSI) responded to a residence in the 200 block of T R Christian Road after a report of a toddler being bitten by a dog.

HEMSI spokesman Don Webster said that multiple agencies responded, including, Madison County Sheriff's Office, Owens Cross Road Police Department, and New Hope Police Department. The boy was pronounced dead at the scene, Webster said. Madison County Sheriff's Office spokesperson Brent Patterson said the child was at a neighbor's home when he was attacked by a neighbor's dog. Madison County Coroner Tyler Berryhill said an autopsy will be performed on the child this week.

WAFF spoke to Rickey Clark, the owner of the dogs (no relationship to Beau Clark). He said that one of his dogs, a husky, was responsible for the attack. Both of his dogs were seized by animal control. WAFF captured footage of the dogs being confiscated. A husky is seen and a shepherd-type dog. Clark said the toddler got into his backyard by "opening the gate himself." The gate was latched but not locked. Clark said his dogs had never harmed anyone before. He even showed WFF his gate.

Child & Breeds Identified

The boy's mother has publicly identified him as Mark Alan. "Last night our world was completely shattered. I lost my youngest child, my mini me, my Mark Alan," Kayla Hughey wrote. "The hurt is unreal. I don’t even feel like I’m living in reality. My children’s hearts are so broken." Hughey stated that she has "spoken with all of the police and investigators" and that "it looks as if this was just a very tragic accident with no one to be held at fault." Hughey thanked the many first responders.

The two dog breeds involved have been confirmed as a husky and a German shepherd-golden retriever mix. The sex and spay/neuter status were not released. The ages of the dogs were not released. Despite the importance of all three in fatal dog maulings, this "basic" data is rarely released. This type of fatality was much more common pre-2010 -- "male child entered into dog pen." We know in the 2021 New Mexico case that the adults present in the home were prosecuted afterward.

Third Dog Possibly Involved

According to Clark, a third dog was possibly involved. Clark was alerted to the attack after hearing frantic screams from the boy's father. "He was banging on the door real hard and he said, 'It's my son, it's my son, I think he might be dead,'" Clark said. He rushed outside to see what was wrong and saw the toddler laying on the ground, unresponsive, in front of the dog pens and the gate was open. There was also a brown bulldog "running around in the yard," Clark said, whose owner is unknown.

"When I got my dogs put up, I saw her [the bulldog] running out of the yard, and I don't know if she had anything to do with it." Clark said that seeing the brown bulldog, which he described as female, running loose isn't unusual. WAAY-TV reached out to the Madison County's Sheriff's Office (MCSO) to learn more. Three dogs were placed into quarantine that are believed to have been involved, MCSO said. But animal control did not confirm knowledge of a third dog. The investigation is ongoing.

The two dogs under investigation, a husky and a German shepherd-mix, were cleared.

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 March 1, 2024 by Colleen Lynn

2024 Dog Bite Fatality: Young Boy Mauled, Killed by Dog in Rural Monroe Center, Ogle County Illinois

A 4-year old boy was fatally injured by a dog in rural Monroe Center, Illinois.

Child Killed by Dog
Ogle County, IL - A 4-year old boy is dead after being mauled by a dog, according to the Ogle County Sheriff's Office. The attack occurred on February 29, 2024. At approximately 4:40 pm, the Ogle County 911 Dispatch Center received a 911 call about a child mauled by a dog in rural Monroe Center, which is located 16 miles away from Rockford, and that CPR was in progress. The child was taken to a hospital in Rockford, where he died of his injuries. The investigation into his death is ongoing.

According to audio dispatch log files from Ogle County Fire on Broadcastify.com, at 4:42 pm the agency was dispatched to a home in the 8900 block of North Limestone Road. CPR was immediately underway. The attack occurred in the backyard. The dispatcher states, "The boy is not responsive. He's in the backyard on the side." Moments later, she states, "CPR is in progress. They are in the backyard. The dog is kenneled." The dog, of an unknown breed, was secured prior to EMS arrival.

Earlier today, Limestone Sphynx and LFD Great Danes, located in Monroe Center, published on their Facebook page, "Due to a loss in our immediate family we've decided that we will no longer be raising great danes. Anyone with deposits in will be refunded. We are also going to be rehoming a number of our adults." One commenter stated, "Just saw the news that is so heartbreaking." The local school published a post, "The Meridian CUSD 223 mourns the unexpected loss of one of our students."

Ogle County Sheriff Brian VanVickle told Shaw Media the dog involved was a "mixed breed." It was euthanized Friday afternoon. That seems unusual, given the family breeds AKC registered great danes -- purebred dogs -- but there may have been other dogs on the property. Shaw Media also quoted Ogle County Animal Control administrator Dr. Thomas Champley. “This is the first time we’ve had a fatality,” he said. This is breaking news. As the news unfolds, more clarity will become available.

boy killed by dog in rural Monroe Center Ogle County

Limestone Farm Danes (LFD) in Monroe Center breeds great danes and sphyx cats.

One day after the fatal mauling, the kennel posted an update to their Facebook page.

Posted on February 29, 2024 by Colleen Lynn

2024 Dog Bite Fatality: East Texas Dog Owner Charged after Man Found Dead with Wounds Consistent with Dog Bites

This video is from February 1, after a man was found dead with wounds consistent with dog bites.

Criminal Charges Filed
Longview, TX - A man with a lengthy criminal history has been arrested in connection to a man found dead with wounds consistent with dog bites on February 1, according to police. Martin Gilbert Rodriguez, 56, of Longview, was charged with attack by dog causing death under the Texas felony dog attack law. The 46-year old victim has been identified as Kenneth Pierson. The arrest follows an autopsy report from the Forensic Medical Management Services that was returned to police.

Rodriguez remains in the Gregg County Jail; bond has not yet been set. He has been in jail since February 1 for multiple animal-related offenses and other charges, including: 28 counts of animal at large, 2 counts of animal unvaccinated, 5 counts of failure to maintain financial responsibility, 4 counts of no driver’s license, speeding, and animal illegally kept in a parked or standing vehicle. Rodriguez lives close to where Pierson was found dead in a roadway with wounds consistent with dog bites.

The Fatal Dog Biting Incident

At about 3:00 am, Longview police officers responded to a call for a bicycle in the roadway in the 2500 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Arriving officers found the bicycle and then discovered the deceased man with dog bite wounds. Animal control officers and police confiscated multiple dogs from a nearby residence, as an investigation into his death got underway. Residents complained then that the dogs had been an issue for some time, wondering, "Why wasn’t something done sooner?"

Longview NAACP former president and community member Branden Johnson told CBS 19 that police had been contacted about the dogs at least six times and that two of his friends were attacked by the dogs. Johnson said that more needed to be done to protect everyone in the community. "At least if not fairly and equally, with equity. And when there’s something going on, everybody gets treated how they’re supposed to be treated. And there’s no difference, or indifference," Johnson said.

Habitual Animal Violations Offender

In 2019, Rodriguez faced similar charges: 3 counts of animal at large and 3 counts of animal unvaccinated. In 2021, charges escalated to the felony statute. Rodriguez pleaded guilty to 1 count of attack by dog causing serious bodily injury. The sentence was suspended 5 years and the remainder was probated. In early February, city officials said that animal control officers had issued almost 50 citations since 2019 in cases directly related to the dogs seized from the property on February 1.

Now that Rodriguez has used up the Court's leniency after the 2021 serious bodily injury case, he faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted under the state statute. It is troubling that he continued being a reckless dog owner after the 2019 and 2021 charges. The worst possible outcome of his behavior occurred on February 1 when his dogs killed a man. Certainly, the city should be considering a habitual offender ordinance that prohibits people like Rodriguez from owning any animals.

east texas, wounds consistent with dog bites

East Texas man faces charges after man found dead with wounds consistent with dog bites.

Posted on February 27, 2024 by Colleen Lynn

2024 Dog Bite Fatality: Child Dies After Violent Bull Breed Mauling in Morgan County, Alabama

Beau Clark, 4-years old, died after a violent bull breed mauling in Morgan County, Alabama.

No Criminal Charges
UPDATE 02/29/24: On Thursday, Morgan County Sheriff Ron Puckett issued a release, stating that no charges are expected in the death of 4-year old Beau Clark. Investigators determined the dog was "securely maintained on its own property" and had "no history of violent or aggressive behavior." The child was riding his bike, but for "unknown reasons entered the yard he had been in numerous times." The "child was familiar" with the dog and had been around it "numerous times in the past."

Sheriff Puckett added, "the families are friends and have routinely shared many life events together" and that "this is an incredible tragedy in the truest sense of the word." We know from our own 19-years of data (2005 to present day) that fatal dog maulings resulting in criminal charges compromise 20% or less of all fatal attacks. Seldom is someone to blame when a pit bull "explodes" -- attacking and killing a child and severely injuring an able-bodied adult male, who intervened to save his son's life.

Details from Earlier Reporting

We retrieved the article from The Daily Decatur, which had previously been behind a paywall, because it contains additional details. Morgan County Sheriff's Office spokesman Mike Swafford said the call initially indicated the child had been hit by a car. Deputies were unprepared for the horrific scene that awaited them. “Once they arrived on scene, one of our deputies was helping the father with the child, and the other deputy was able to locate the lost dog, which was still aggressive,” Swafford said.

The article also delves into the similar breed history and functionality of the Olde English bulldog (a modern "revived" bull baiting breed) and pit bull terriers -- both engineered to excel in bloodsports and are descendants of fighting and baiting dogs. Morgan County Animal Shelter Director Darren Tucker, "whose department collected the dog’s body and sent off specimens for analysis, said the animal appeared to be a pit bull-mix weighing between 40 and 60 pounds," reports The Decatur.

We were unable to obtain a photograph of the dog involved. Director Tucker, however, who collected the animal, believes it is predominantly pit bull.

Tucker said the dog's owners called about getting the dog's remains. The health department "would not allow it," he said. "The dog has to be sent in because of the severity of the incident.” He added that "97% of the calls that Animal Control responds to for aggressive animals end up being pit bull related." His shelter relies heavily on rescue groups to adopt out dogs. But at least two of those groups "will not take pit bulls at all because the breed’s 'trigger' is unpredictable," Tucker told The Decatur.

Tucker also made a statement that victims' advocates say. "It’s in that dog to not let go. If it had been a golden retriever, a cocker spaniel, an Irish setter -- it would have probably bit and have been done, and that child could be alive today," he said. Similar to the view of advocates: "If these pit bulls were a beagle, or I could name almost 300 dog breeds, this child would be alive to today." Tucker urged people to carefully investigate breeds and temperament when adopting dogs, reports The Decatur.

02/27/24: Child Killed by Bull Breed
Hartselle, AL - Last night, the Morgan County Sheriff's Office published an update about a violent bull breed mauling involving a 4-year old boy. It began with, "A dog bit a child. Child in critical condition. Deputies had to put down dog." The next update, shortly thereafter, states, "The child has passed away." At about 6:00 pm, deputies were dispatched to a home on Ramblewood Private Drive off Vaughn Bridge Road. The dog involved belonged to the child's neighbor, the sheriff's office said.

That same night, the sheriff's office posted another update: "Please pray for the family of the child who was killed by a dog tonight in our community, as well as our Deputies, EMS, Coroner, VFD and Dispatchers that handled this call or responded to the scene. Tonight is hard." The word "dog" was later changed to "Olde English Bulldog." The audio dispatch logs from Decatur and Morgan County Public Safety became difficult to listen to when we heard the ETA of the Air Evac was 20 minutes.

The boy's father sustained serious injuries trying to save his son; he was treated and released from the hospital. Both families involved are friends.

"4-year old male. Attacked by a canine," the dispatcher states. "He's covered in blood. CPR is in progress. Child has bite wounds to the neck." A few seconds later, he states, "Advise that the canine is in the neighbor's yard." Then the ETA is announced. "Survival flight 20 is in route. It has an ETA of 20 minutes," the dispatcher states. The segment ends with details about the landing zone. The sheriff's office warned people to stay away from the area, "Use caution. Large police and EMS presence."

The Olde English bulldog is not recognized by the AKC or the Federation Cynologique Internationale (FCI). It's yet another "revived" bull breed "created for the English sport of bull baiting, practiced from approximately 1100 until 1835," states the UKC. This "revived" bull breed was created in a 1971 breeding program that "began using a linebreeding scheme" to rapidly achieve a dog that matched the look "of the bull baiting dog of the early 1800s." The UKC did not recognize the breed until 2014.

According to working bulldog breeders, "the foundation crosses consisted of English bulldog, and bullmastiff, American pit bull terrier, and American bulldog." The Olde English bulldog (also spelled, Olde English Bulldogge) is one of the breeds used in the creation of the American XL bully, the largest of four sizes of the American bully breed, which was recently banned in the United Kingdom. The dog that killed this little boy was first identified as a pit bull likely because it looked and acted like one.

A GoFundMe created for the boy's family has raised over $30,000 in only 5 hours. "Kevin and Hailey Clark are beloved members of the Hartselle, AL community," states Emily Reeves, who organized the fundraiser. "Tragically, they lost their 4 year old son, Beau, on February 26, 2024. Please donate to help support them and their family during this difficult time." Our hearts go out to the Clark family and to all of the medical and law enforcement responders who worked so hard to save his life.

Mother is a Teacher

The Daily Decatur, which is behind a paywall, states the victim is the "son of a beloved Hartselle High School English teacher. Hailey Clark, Beau's mother, previously taught at Hartselle Junior High before transferring to the high school, according to Principal Brad Cooper." The photograph on the high school's website is the same one used in the GoFundMe. Brian Clayton, the superintendent of Hartselle City Schools, confirmed Beau was a student who attended Crestline Elementary.

Morgan County Coroner Jeff Chunn commented on Facebook about the support the family has received: "I have been in public service going on 43 years and never seen so many people come together as one, as they did [last night]. There were so many, from the dispatchers, police officers, Fire, EMS, hospital staff and even the bystanders were kneeling in prayer. It makes you proud to live in a community and be a part of a first responder family like this. Please continue to pray..."

Boy dies in violent bull breed mauling in Alabama

A friend of the dog owner lives in Hartselle and breeds/sells Olde English bulldogs (OEB) on Facebook, "Bulldog Babies, Hartselle Alabama". In typical "American bully breeder" fashion, he mixes and matches his bull breeds. He crosses OEBs with French bulldogs, boxers, and more. He also owns pit bulls that he blends into his designer bull breed "concoctions."

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