Posted on May 28, 2010 by Colleen Lynn

2010 Dog Bite Fatality: 2-Year Old San Bernardino Boy Killed by Family Pit Bull

Front cover and anti-BSL article in Atomic Dogg, Winter 2010, Issue 12.

Parents Adored Pits
UPDATE 05/29/10: It was also reported Friday that the child's parents were pit bull aficionados. According to the Press-Enterprise, though the blinds were drawn at the family's home on Friday, pasted in a front window of the home was a sticker for Atomic Dogg Magazine, a magazine devoted to the "American Bully Breed," which is a pit bull characterized by a stocky body and oversized head, or as Kinneman pit bull kennels states, "built to have the look of a buff athlete."1

The blinds were drawn Friday and no one answered the door at Nathan's house. Jim Keller said the family was with relatives. The driveway, smeared with dried blood where the mauling occurred, painted the grim story. A Red Flyer wagon and Little Tikes tricycle languished a few feet away. Nearby lay a torn, blood-stained T-shirt that said: "You can move a mountain. You can't budge a dog."

Pasted in a front window is a sticker for Atomic Dog, a magazine dedicated to the "bully breed" -- pit bulls. Only one of the dogs attacked Nathan, but city animal control has impounded both for 10-day quarantine before deciding their fates, Robertson said.

At the San Bernardino City Animal Shelter at Chandler Way, the pit bulls, housed in kennel 9, wagged their tails and barked occasionally as visitors peered into their cage. Police said the family owned the attacker for three months -- the 1-year-old black male. The older and bigger dog, a blue female, wasn't involved, Robertson said. -The Press-Enterprise, May 28, 2010

05/28/10: Pit Bull Was New to Home
New information has been released about the death of 2-year old Nathan Aguirre. According to San Bernardino police Sgt. Gary Robertson, the toddler lived with his father, Raul Aguirre Ramirez, mother, Kitziha Navarro, 8-year old brother and the two family pit bulls. The dog that killed the child, a 17-month old2 male pit bull, had only been with the family for three months. The parents got the dog from a person in Muscoy. No other details were provided about the person.

Prior to the attack, the boy had been riding his tricycle in the backyard when his father stepped away briefly. The mom, who was in the house, then came out to check on the child. She found the toddler in the pit bull's mouth. The mother grabbed her son, ran into the house and notified authorities. San Bernardino police called the incident a "tragic accident," just as San Bernardino County Sheriff's officials did after a family pit bull killed 3-year old Omar Martinez in January.

05/28/10: Victim: 2-Year Old Nathan Aguirre
San Bernardino, CA - A 2-year old boy, severely mauled by a family pit bull Thursday, died at 1:18 am this morning according to coroner's officials. Yesterday, the child was rushed to Loma Linda University Medical Center with life-threatening injuries. In an earlier report, an eyewitness said the child was playing in his backyard when the family pit bull "snapped" and attacked the boy. Authorities took two pit bulls from the family home, but only one participated in the attack.

2010 U.S. Dog Bite Fatalities: January 1 to May 28

Thus far in 2010, canines have killed 13 Americans. Of these victims, 8 (62%) were mauled to death by pit bulls and include: Omar Martinez, 3-years old (Apple Valley, CA), Johnny Wilson, 56-years old (Chicago, IL), Anastasia Bingham, 5-years old (Terry, MI), Christine Staab, 37-years old (Philadelphia, PA), Jane Doe, 5-days old (Conyers, GA), Ethel Horton, 65-years old (Lucknow, SC), Thomas Carter Jr., 7-days old (New Port Richey, FL) and 2-year old Nathan Aguirre.

1According to Kinneman Pit Bull Kennels, the American Bully came on the scene about 10 years ago. The breed is not recognized by the AKC or UKC and is only recognized as an "American pit bull terrier" by the UKC.
21.5 to 2-years old is when pit bulls reach maturity and begin to do what they were bred to do: "grab ahold of things and shake it until it's dead." Many serious attacks occur when a pit bull is in this age range.

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

Posted on May 22, 2010 by Colleen Lynn

2010 Dog Bite Fatality: 3-Year Old Child Killed by Sled Dog in Napaskiak, Alaska

Dog Owner Named
UPDATE 05/22/10: James Haplin of the Anchorage Daily News provided more details about the death of Krystal Brink on May 22. It was Krystal's great uncle, 28-year old Fritz Larson who found her. Larson said he went toward the yard and saw a pink coat on the grass. As he approached, he noticed a skinny young male mutt chained on a post in the yard was chewing on a diaper. Then he saw the girl's body on the ground nearby. "I went nuts. I lost it," Larson said.

"Larson said he went to the dog owner's house to "do something stupid" but the man -- his uncle, Raymond Steven -- wasn't there. He brought the girl home. His brother, Joe Larson, grabbed a shotgun out of a boat, went over to the dog yard and shot every adult dog there, he said.
"I'm not going to have this ... happen again. So he shot all the dogs," Larson said. "The owner was (complaining) about his dogs. It was like, 'Well, one life for another.'"
The dogs were for sprint mushing, said Steven, 48. The one that attacked Krystal was a couple years old but he'd just gotten him a few months ago. The dog went by "Blue Eye." -James Haplin, Anchorage Daily News, May 22, 2010

05/21/10: Victim: 3-year Old Krystal Brink
Napaskiak, AK - In a developing story, 3-year old Krystal Brink was mauled to death by a sled dog after she wandered into a Napaskiak yard while playing this past Thursday. According to Alaska State Troopers, Krystal Brink of Kasigluk was found dead in the dog yard after the other children went inside and she was discovered missing. A family member then went into the dog yard with a gun and killed six of the seven dogs there, according to the dogs' owner.

"It was a pretty emotional situation," troopers spokeswoman Beth Ipsen said. "It's a tragic event. We're dealing with it accordingly."

The girl had been visiting relatives in Napaskiak at the time of the incident. She and some other children had been playing outside that afternoon. When adults called them in at about 5 pm, they discovered that Brink was missing. They found her in a sled dog yard at a nearby house. There were seven dogs tied up in the open yard, and the child had passed all the animals except the last one. Brink had been bitten multiple times; authorities declined to give more details.

The dog's owner told Alaska State Troopers he did not want to press charges. The relative who shot the dogs and the dog's owner remain unidentified.

Posted on May 12, 2010 by Colleen Lynn

1909 Dog Bite Fatality: John P. Colby's Fighting Pit Bull Kills Nephew

John P. Colby and son Louis (1922), Colby's Pincher (top) and Colby's Twister.

View Archive Article
Newburyport, MA - While researching fatal pit bull attacks of the early to mid 1900s, we came across the most damaging fatal attack the pit bull community has ever known. To start, in 1901 a pet pit bull killed its owner's mistress, in 1909 a pet pit bull killed its owner's brother, in 1945, a pet pit bull killed a 21-month old baby in Los Angeles (just 3-months before fighting pit bulls killed Doretta Zinke) and in 1947, a group of pit bulls killed an 11-year old boy in the Bronx.1

Further research showed that a pit bull owned by John P. Colby, producer of prized fighting dogs, killed his 2-year old nephew, Bert Leadbetter.

The Death of Bert Colby Leadbetter

On February 2, 1909, one of John P. Colby's renowned "Colby Dogs" snatched his nephew by the neck, "ferociously shook him like a rag" breaking the child's backbone and spine. The child, Bert Colby Leadbetter was quickly killed. The boy's mother, Elizabeth Colby, had been visiting Colby's Newburyport home on Franklin Street when the deadly attack occurred. The mother was left incapacitated and her husband, Richard Leadbetter was quickly summoned from Lynn.2

Bull Terrier Kills Child

Grabs Him by Throat at Newburyport.
Bert Leadbetter, 2 Years Old, of Lynn on Visit.
Uncle John P. Colby Owner of the Dog

NEWBURYPORT, Feb 2, 1909 -- Bert, the 2-year-old son of Mr and Mrs Walter Leadbetter of Lynn, was killed this afternoon by a fighting bull terrier, owned by his uncle, John P. Colby, at 36 Franklin st.

Mrs Leadbetter and her son had come here to visit her brother, who is a dog fancier. The little fellow wandered into the yard where the kennels are.

The dog sprang at the child's neck and growling ferociously shook him like a rag. Then the savage animal, dropping its prey, snapped at other portions of the body, inflicting a number of wounds.

Mr Colby ran out, drove the dog away and bore the child into the house. He was faintly breathing, but quickly all signs of life disappeared. Medical Examiner Hurd, who was called, found that the backbone and spine had been broken at the base of the brain. The other wounds, while serious, were not necessarily fatal.

The mother was prostrated. Mr Leadbetter was hastily summoned from Lynn.

Mr Colby was very secretive about the affair and declined to give out any details. The police were not notified. Patrolman Hayes, whose beat is at the south end, heard of the death and reported it to the marshal, who ordered an investigation. The patrolman was finally able to secure the particulars.

No action has been taken relative to the dog. Mr Colby told the medical examiner that his own child3 had played about the kennels and had never been molested. - Boston Daily Globe, February 3, 1909

The Myth of "Culling" Man-Biters

Pit bull advocates must resort to lies to protect the breed. One of these lies is that breeders of fighting dogs culled biting pit bulls (also known as man-biters4). They even say that children are especially safe with pit bulls because "instant" culling occurred when any human aggression was shown. We know this is untrue about breeders of fighting dogs, both in the past and current, as well as by pit bulls today who are routinely returned to their owners after an attack unaltered.

Did John P. Colby cull the pit bull that killed his nephew? This is unknown. What is known is that Colby produced man-biters, such as the one that savaged Bert Colby Leadbetter, continued to breed fighting dogs and continued to fight his dogs long after 1909. The death of his nephew did not slow his breeding business down, which continues today over 100 years later. Sadly, Colby and friends likely referred to the incident as a "yard accident" not long after the boy's death.

John P. Colby Popularized Pet Pit Bulls

Prior to the era of John P. Colby's breeding program (1889 to 1941) breeders and fanciers of the "pit dog" (pit bulls bred for fighting) were a tight group. According to a July 1994 issue of the Registrar for International Sportsman (See: Page 5), "The finest dogs were only passed to family and the most trusted friends and the secrecy of their lineage was closely guarded. Colby broke this long-held tradition by offering stud services and pit bull puppies to the "common man."

Colby is attributed to popularizing the American pit bull terrier to the general public and was one of the first fighting dog breeders to do so.

The Sportsman article also notes that Colby was a charter member of the Staffordshire Club of America and backed them in "forcing the breeds acceptance" into the registry of the American Kennel Club (AKC). In 1936, the AKC accepted the breed but only under the name "Staffordshire" to distance the dog from its purpose-bred past: explosive dog-aggression for dogfigting. As a standard for the Staffordshire breed, the AKC chose the fighting dog known as Colby's Primo.

After Colby's death in 1941, his wife Florence continued the Colby breeding program. She was also the president of the Staffordshire Club of America. As stated in the Sportsman article, she "worked closely with the screening process of the American pit bull terrier into the American Kennel Club under the name Staffordshire," which dispels yet another lie voiced by pit bull advocates: The American Staffordshire terrier and pit bull terrier are two separate breeds.

Lastly, Colby's "Famous Fighting Dogs," as advertised in a January 1918 Dog Fancier magazine, were not famous due to their appearance. They were famous for being the gamest pit bulls, dogs bred to finish a fight or die trying. Two of Colby's sons later memorialized the famed dogs in books. In 1936, Joseph Colby wrote, "The American Pit Bull Terrier," and in 1997, his brother Louis Colby coauthored, "Colby's Book of the American Pit Bull Terrier," with pit bull expert Dianne Jessup.

Analyzing the 1909 News Article

The 1909 article refers to Colby as a "dog fancier." Many breeders of fighting dogs still call themselves a fancier today. The name appears innocent, but when combined with pit bulls, it often means "dog fighter." The article also states that Colby was "very secretive" about the incident. We expect that he was. If word got out that the "Colby Dogs" were child killers, the carefully constructed lie, "Pit bulls are merciless in the pit, yet make loyal, loving pets," would be destroyed.

It is noted near the end of the Boston Daily Globe article that "police were not notified." Back in that time period, many "sporting gentlemen" (dog fighters) were officers of the law. It may be that the officer who covered Colby's "beat" was notified, but took no action. He may have even owned a Colby dog. The most telling aspect though, and strong indicator the dog was not culled, was that "no action" was taken about the dog. Colby likely kept the dog because it had breeding value.

1We also uncovered a 1897 attack that the writer described as "one of the most brutal things ever recorded of a civilized community." Otherwise known as a pit bull attack. The victim, Julia Carey, was left "disfigured for life."
2Colby dogs may have victimized other children and adults. We know that in 1906, a Colby dog was shot dead by police for running loose without a collar. ("Boy Bitten, Girl Escapes," The Boston Globe, December 29, 1906.)
3At the time of the incident, Colby's first child, John Pritchard Colby Jr. was about 3-years old.
4Dogmen Conversations About Man-Biters and Man-Eaters, by DogsBite.org (a collection of dogfighting forum board conversations)

Posted on April 16, 2010 by Colleen Lynn

Pit Bull Attack Victim, Tanya Barnes, Recounts Life Threatening Attack in Columbia, Mississippi

Tanya Barnes recounts the violent pit bull attack from her hospital bed in Columbia, Mississippi.

04/16/10: Permanent Disfiguring Injury
Columbia, MS - In a stunningly candid account, Tanya Barnes, 47, describes how a friend's pit bull tore off part of her face on April 12, 2010. The powerful interview is about 10 minutes long. Phrases you will not forget include: rip the flesh, soak a pork chop, my eyeballs, my jugular, jaws, like a rattlesnake, 30-seconds, hundreds of stitches, extreme amount of blood, and clothes "cut off." Barnes adds: "[Pit bulls] are not cute fluffy little puppies forever. They grow up and their natural instincts kick in."

"This is not okay. Somebody needs to be responsible for this."

Barnes has had two surgery procedures so far and will need more. Barnes could not afford the COBRA insurance co-payments after the death of her husband. She currently has no insurance. She does not know how she and her children will get through this. She also wondered why there is no taskforce for dog attack victims. "It seems like that when somebody comes in gushing blood and having to have their clothes cut off of them in front of people," there would be resources available to help them.

Tanya Barnes Interview Transcript

... wrong with these dogs. They're just, they were bred to be killers. Their jaws are so massive so they could rip the flesh off your bones.

This dog had her lower jaw in my mouth, and it looks like, you know, when you soak a pork chop overnight so you can get it thawed out fast?

I don't know she what did, but it just...like up in my mouth and you know it just ripped it to shreds. One of the teeth was in the corner of my eyeball and if it had been a quarter of an inch up further, it would have ripped, busted both my eyeballs. If it had been down just a little bit more, it would have been my juggler.

Interviewer: Take me back take me back before the attack. What happened?
My 13 year old son and I had gone to a family friend. He had been family for several years and he had just suffered the loss of his girlfriend. We were there, just you know spending some time trying to remember happy times.

The owner got up and told me he would go to the restroom, and he got up and walked out of the room. Well, as he got up to walk out of the room, the one pit bull, the larger male, kind of followed him, but as the male pit bull got off the couch, he stepped on the back of the puppy. The puppy was laying there with his little legs out ... yells out, "Ouhhh!"

And like a rattlesnake, I didn't even see the dog move. I felt the power and it just took my head, and it had its lower jaw in my mouth and upper jaw with her teeth right here. You can see and hear yanking and just pulled, and as she pulled up, she shook my head like you're trying to mix up a chocolate shake or something you know.

It's slow motion and instantaneous all at the same time because my son had talked me into letting him go next door and play X box. I was like, “Thank god my baby's not here” because he would have never thought anything wrong about walking over and picking up a puppy. They had several puppies but all of them died of parvo except one or two. You know so my son is a really wonderful kid but he's small framed and this lasted about 25 to 30 seconds, and hundreds of stitches and blood ...

I grabbed a rag and, I put it on my face. It was laying on the arm of the couch and I screamed “Get in here! Call 9-1-1! I need help hurry!”

He managed to get in there and grab the dog, and the male dog got back on the couch, and the male dog saved my life. He yanked that dog, his front paw ... This is where he was pushing trying to pull the female dog off me. That's how much force was from his foot. He grabbed the female dog, and he pulled her off and the owner grabbed the back of the collar and just flung her over to the side and immediately the male dog went over and laid down, cowering by the door.

I mean they were raised as house puppies. They weren't raised and trained, they weren't fought, they weren't in a raised to be aggressive, but it's in their nature and they're so massive.

A lot of places require that you have at least a $500,000 rider on your homeowners insurance to cover something like this if it happened.

I did have insurance, but when my husband died, the cobra copay, versus my widow's survival benefits was too much for me to handle and the insurance would drop. I don't have any insurance. I don't know how we're going to get through this. I know somehow some way it's going to work out, but you know I want my kids to go to school. I want them to have a future, and we don't have money socked back in an account somewhere. This is taking our light bill money to get prescriptions filled when we get out of here.

I just want people to know that these [dogs], they grow up. They're not the cute little fluffy little puppies forever and, they grow up and their natural instincts kick in. This mother was trying to be maternal but that doesn't make it okay.

This this is not okay.

Somebody needs to be responsible for this.

It's not my fault and I didn't do it. This animal is a dumb animal, and there has to be a human who is going to be able to stand up and say, “I'm going to help.”

I don't know if there's a task force anywhere for victims, but it seems like that when somebody comes in just gushing blood and having to have their clothes cut off of them in front of people. Then they should automatically notify somebody that's going to tell my mama that it's going to be okay, that there are resources available to help. But so far, I don't know what those resources are. Dr. Pecunia has assured me that he's not going to worry about my insurance exactly at this moment that he's going to make sure I'm okay.

He's been Godsend. I've heard his name several times before from other people who he's treated. Their scar lines were so minimal, and I pray that my body cooperates and that we can get through this as quickly and as easily as we can. But I don't think the word “easy” is in my vocabulary right now.

Interviewer: During that day or during the time that you were there, did you have any interaction with the mother dog?

The mother dog was laying on the floor. When I first came in, the owner picked up the puppy and the mother dog growled while looking at me. But [the owner] was like “Sassy!” and she put your head down. So, I reached out ... said this is mama.

Interviewer: Did you ever let the mother dog sniff you to get familiar with you?

I was sitting on the floor, less than the distance then from here to the end of the bed, and I didn't show fear. I was conscientious of the pit bulls because of their reputation, but I wasn't afraid because I didn't feel that I had a reason for fear. But she raised up and looked down at the puppy a couple of times you know, and the male dog got up on the couch showing, “this is my house.”

I have dogs. I respect that they are trying to show, “this is my house,” but not, “Your blood is for me to eat if I think you're going to do something.” Or, you know, “I can lunge at you anytime I want and just kill you.”

Interviewer: You grab the phone and you call 9-1-1?

After about three attempts, I got through.

Interviewer: What was your friend doing?

He was just in shock. He was just in shock. He was like, “let me see, let me see,” and I was like, “No, no, no!” Because it wasn't just bleeding, it was going up and coming down oh my arm ... it was just, a very extreme amount of blood.

Interviewer: You dialed 9-1-1?

I dial 9-1-1, and I’m screaming, “A pit bull attacked me! A pit bull attacked me! Get here hurry, help me!”

Everything went gray, and I lost consciousness in the ambulance after I yanked on the man's arm. He said, “I don't know her name. I don't know her history,” and I'm telling him, giving him a phone number to call. He finally figured it out that that's what I was doing. I mean, we play “what if” with my kids. What would you do if this happened? Always be prepared with a phone number and make sure your kids know how to get in touch with somebody.

They got through and by the time the ambulance got here, my family was already arriving. I remember somebody asking me if they could cut my clothes off. I said yes. I don't remember anything else until I woke up in this room and Dr. Pecunia was standing down at the end of the bed and telling me that everything went really well. I couldn't imagine when I started going unconscious -- I thought I died.

This transcript was made from a video created by Zupf, who recorded the original video (it is a recording of a recording). Therefore, in some parts, it was difficult to understand her words.

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Tanya Barnes Interview Transcript