Posted on February 24, 2010 by Colleen Lynn

2010 Dog Bite Fatality: 3-Year Old Mauled to Death by Pit Bull Type Dog in Ocala

Champion Haaker's Uno of OHK and GC Haaker's Uno of OHK GTT2

Breeding Operation Ends archived
UPDATE 02/24/10: Officials report that the offending male dog named Uno (right photo) was euthanized Wednesday. Today, the three remaining female American pit bulldogs seized at the Haacker's Dream Bulldog Ranch were euthanized as well. "No one witnessed the actual attack on the child, but all of the [dogs] in the pen potentially had access to the little girl during this fatal attack," said Animal Services Director Jill Lancon. "We can't risk another tragedy."

02/21/10: Mother Ran Breeding Operation
Lori Haaker, the mother of the child, is an active breeder of Scott type American bulldogs and hybrids. The two Haaker dogs depicted in the photo clearly illustrate pit bull type dogs (See: Pit bull faq) and once again raises the issue of exactly how to classify the Scott type American bulldog. The Scott type and breed standard is by definition a pit bull-mix, as the breed was directly developed by crossing early Johnson lines with the American pit bull terrier.

Pit bull breeders, owners and kennel clubs of have been disguising the pit bull's name since 1936. The Scott type American bulldog seems to be the latest outcrop. Though Haaker's website, dreambulldogranch.com, appears to be offline, one can browse the site's web archives. We found this page particularly ironic: "We are working toward a personal goal in our breeding program where the emphasis is on a temperament that is above all, people and child friendly."

The Department of Child and Family Services is investigating the parents of the little girl, whose name has still not been released. Details of the attack, such as how did the child wander into the pen, remain unclear. Four American pit bulldogs were chained to different trees inside the pen. Only one dog is believed to be responsible for the deadly attack. The child was dead by the time emergency responders reached the scene. The couple has four other children.

02/20/10: Another Child Dead Due to a Pit Bull
Ocala, FL - Another fatal pit bull attack occurred today -- two in one day. The incident happened in Ocala, Florida. Jenifer Fisher, of the Marion County Sheriff's Office, said a woman was in her yard with her daughter, cleaning out the pen where the family keeps four pit bulls chained to trees. The woman went into the house and she didn't see her daughter when she returned. The woman later realized the girl had entered the pen and was being mauled by one of the dogs.

Posted on February 24, 2010 by Colleen Lynn

2010 Dog Bite Fatality: 5-Day Old Infant Killed by Family Pit Bull

A 5-day old baby girl was killed by a family pit bull in Conyers, Georgia.

Death by Pit Bull Bite
Conyers, GA - Another newborn infant was killed by a family dog. According to a Rockdale County Sheriff’s Office press release, the mother of the 5-day old baby girl heard the infant crying last Thursday and found the pet pit bull on top of the baby’s bassinet. The bitten infant was taken to Rockdale Medical Center then airlifted to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston for surgery. The infant was listed in critical condition and died Tuesday, February 23, from the injuries.

      A newborn infant died Tuesday after being bitten by the family pet last week.
      According to a Rockdale County Sheriff’s Office press release, the mother of the 5-day-old baby girl heard the infant crying Thursday and found the family dog on top of the baby’s bassinet.
      “As she approached the bassinet, she realized that the dog had bitten her daughter,” read the release.
      The infant was taken to Rockdale Medical Center and later airlifted to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston for surgery. Doctors performed the surgery, but the infant was listed in critical condition and died Tuesday from the injuries.
      No charges are expected to be filed, according the release. - Rockdale/Newton Citizen, February 23, 2010

Danny Lowery, owner of Conyers K-9 Academy, incorrectly tells reporters that "a dog will tell you before it bites" in the article. It is well documented by humane groups that fighting dogs (pit bulls) frequently fail to communicate intention prior to an attack. Pit bulls may not offer a direct stare, a growl or bark before an attack. Due to selective breeding for the purposes of dogfighting, pit bulls also ignore traditional signs of submission and appeasement amongst other dogs.

2010 Dog Bite Fatality: 37-Year Old Philadelphia Woman Killed by Mother's Pit Bulls

Christine Staab, 37-years old, was mauled to death by one of her mother's six pit bulls.

Staab's Mother Speaks
UPDATE 02/21/10: The mother of Christine Staab (See: Video), Barbara Erb, told the local paper that the two had been arguing when Christine fell backward (See: Pit bull triggers) causing her pet pit bull to attack and kill her. Erb said she tried frantically to pull off the dog, Jade, but could not get the pit bull to release its grip on Staab's throat. The four surviving pit bulls were taken to an SPCA shelter. Like her husband, Thomas Fowler, Erb would like the dogs returned to her.

Erb described the six pit bulls as "house dogs" that were well cared for and even micro-chipped for identification. "They were spoiled rotten," Erb said. "They were not neglected in any way." The door of the house had one sign that read "Beware of dog," and another saying that in the case of fire, rescuers should save the six dogs inside. It listed their names: Paige, Peaches, Maggie, Satan, Bear, and Jade, as clearly the lives of Erb's dogs outweigh the lives of human beings.

Related ZUPF video

02/20/10: Victim's Step-Father Defends Dogs
In an incident described as a pit bull "brutally attacking" and killing Christine Staab, and police officers being forced to shoot the animal so that it would release its grip on the victim's neck, Staab's step-father Thomas Fowler denounced Staab on local TV and said that two of the family's six pit bulls were doing "what comes naturally to a dog." Fowler said the pit bull, Jade, was only protecting his wife who was trying to take back a set of keys from Christine.

It is not natural for a dog to kill a person during a family argument.

Troubled and allegedly drug addicted 37-year old Christine Staab was mauled to death by her mother and step-father's pit bulls right in front of their very eyes. The scene must have been horrific: A pit bull locked onto Staab's throat shaking it vigorously back and forth, blood spewing everywhere. At his first chance, however, Fowler defended his pit bulls "all of whom he says were friendly, nonaggressive pets" and hopes to have the four dogs returned to him.

02/20/10: Police Shoot Dogs; Can't Save Victim
Philadelphia, PA - In a developing story, Philadelphia police and animal control officers are investigating an incident in which a dog brutally attacked and killed a 37-year old woman. According to police, the attack took place Saturday morning at a home on the 1400 block of East Oxford Avenue in North Philadelphia. Philadelphia police responding to the scene were forced to shoot and kill two pit bulls on the scene. The identity of the victim has not yet been released.

View the DogsBite.org Google State Map: Pennsylvania Fatal Pit Bull Attacks.

Images of the mother's pit bulls, she refers to as "The six pack" on her MySpace page. The primary attacker, Jade, is seen top left. (Click for full PDF of MySpace page).

Related articles:
02/06/10: Pet Pit Bull Unleashes Explosive Attack on Owner and Two Others...
01/18/10: 2010 Fatality: 56-Year Old Man Killed by Daughter's Six Pit Bulls
08/12/09: 2009 Fatality: Leesburg Man, 20, Killed by His Two Pit Bulls Trying to...
05/11/09: Animal Agency, PSPCA, Distorts History of 25-Year Old Pit Bull Problem

Posted on February 19, 2010 by Colleen Lynn

2010 Dog Bite Fatality: 11-Day Old Baby Killed by Family Husky Dog in Independence

Robert Hocker, 11-days old, was killed by his family's husky dog.

Newborn Killed (Page 2)
Independence, MN - In another instance of a newborn being killed by a family husky dog, it is reported that 11-day old Robert D. Hocker suffered the same horrific fate Thursday. According to West Hennepin Public Safety Director Ray McCoy, "The infant boy was in his car seat on a bed in the bedroom, when he was bitten by the family Siberian husky." Emergency personnel "exhausted all life-saving measures, and the infant was pronounced dead at the scene," McCoy said.

An Independence family's newborn boy was killed by the family's Siberian husky, which jumped onto a bed where the 11-day-old was in a car seat and bit his head, authorities said Friday.

Robert D. Hocker "died of head injuries suffered in [a] canine attack," according to the Hennepin County Medical Examiner ...

McCoy said emergency crews tried to resuscitate the baby for 40 minutes before pronouncing him dead. He declined to say how many times the dog bit the boy. Although an "active death investigation" continues, he said, the boy's parents haven't been arrested. - Abby Simons, Paul Walsh, Star Tribune, February 19, 2010

In the recent DogsBite.org fatality report (See: Report: U.S. Dog Bite Fatalities January 2006 to December 2008) husky type dogs were responsible for 4 deaths (in comparison to pit bulls with 52), two of which involved infants: Alexis Hennessy, 6-days old (Hopatcong, NJ) and Kylie Daum 3-days old (Warren, OH) and the other involving 11-month old Trey Paeth. In 2009, huskies were involved in two deaths, one involving 3-week old Olivia Rozek, who was survived by her twin.

DogsBite blog ::