Posted on February 21, 2010 by Colleen Lynn

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.

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.

Posted on February 12, 2010 by Colleen Lynn

2010 Dog Bite Fatality: Terry Child, 5-years old, Killed by Neighbor's Pit Bull

Anastasia Bingham, 5-years old, was killed by a pit bull while playing in the snow.

No Grand Jury Indictment
06/26/10 UPDATE: Officials report that a Hinds County Grand Jury reached no conclusion on assigning guilt in the February mauling death of Anastasia Bingham. DNA testing on a pit bull discovered at the scene showed that the dog did not attack the girl. DNA taken of a dead pit bull found near the scene proved inconclusive. Authorities say that the little girl's family is being uncooperative and that it may have been a relative's pit bull that was involved in the attack.

"Hinds County investigators said they received confidential tips that stated that there were three other pit bulls, owned by the child's relatives, that were killed and dumped in a wooded area off Saw Mill Road in rural Hinds County.

"They have not been as cooperative as they could have been and given as much information as they could have given," said Hinds County Sheriff Malcolm McMillin.

Deputies also received anonymous reports of dog fighting in the area."

Though Anastasia's senseless death may go unpunished, a new animal ordinance was adopted on behalf of her death and may prevent a future serious or fatal pit bull mauling. The new Hinds County ordinance requires owners of pit bulls and wolf hybrids to have a permit, keep the animal enclosed in a 10 x 10-foot pen with 6-foot sides, a roof cover and cement flooring to keep the animal from digging out. The owners are also required to carry $100,000 in liability insurance.

02/18/10: Officials Declare Pit Bull Killer
Initial tests show that the quarantined pit bull is the lone killer of Anastasia Bingham. Sheriff Malcolm McMillin said, "The owner of the dog could possibly be charged with manslaughter; we're working that out now." The pit bull was among several kept on a property across the street from the little girl's home. Another pit bull was also found dead near the scene. Officials do not know how that dog died. The test conducted was for the presence of human blood, not a DNA test.

"What we were looking for in the tests was the presence of human blood in either of the dogs," he said. "We did get confirmation (Wednesday) that there was human blood in the live dog."

Investigators had taken swabs from the dog's mouth over the weekend.
DNA testing was not performed, McMillin said, because the cost is "prohibitive." - Hinds County Sheriff Malcolm McMillin

02/17/10: Dog Owner (Dogfighter) AWOL
The owner of the pit bull that killed Anastasia is reportedly the grandson of the property owner where several pit bulls were being stored. Anastasia's family members have given authorities the name of the individual. "We know we're going to catch (him)," Sheriff Malcolm McMillin said, "It's just a matter of time." Hinds County District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith said the dog owner could face a depraved-heart murder charge or culpable negligence in connection to her death.

The dog owner may face animal cruelty charges as well. There are indications that the pit bull suspected in the attack was used for the purposes of dogfighting. That dog is currently being held at the Mississippi Animal Rescue League. Other pit bulls from the property -- seen in early photos and videos -- were quickly removed by unknown persons and their whereabouts now is unknown. Yet another indication that the dogs were being kept and bred for the purposes of dogfighting.

02/15/10: County Supervisor Calls for Ban
The pit bull that authorities believe killed Anastasia last Friday -- two days before her 6th Birthday -- will likely be euthanized this week. In response to the child's brutal mauling death, Hinds County Supervisor George Smith said he would propose banning pit bulls in the county. In 2008, in the same county, 3-year old Tony Evans Jr. was also killed by a a neighbor's pit bull. Smith said that since Evans' death, there has been discussion of banning pit bulls, but nothing has been done.

When asked by a reporter, "What do you say to that person, 'Well, I have a pit bull and it's never hurt anybody -- and I obey the law.'" Smith responded: "I would say to them, I understand that. These pit bulls have never done anything that we know of and look what happened." (Kudos to Supervisor George Smith!) This is a primary reason why jurisdictions regulate these dogs. The "unpredictability" of a pit bull and the inability for the public to know which pit bull is safe or not.

02/12/10: Young Child Found Dead in Snow
In a disturbingly accurate video that shows the deadly crime scene, police officers, family members and the remaining chained pit bulls on the adjacent property, one can begin to imagine the horror this young child faced. On a morning when Anastasia should have been in school, which was canceled due to snow, she instead suffered the most horrific manner of death conceivable to man. She was attacked, bitten, and ripped apart1 by the powerful jaws of a pit bull.

02/12/10: Attack Victim: Anastasia Bingham2
Terry, MS - In a developing story, another child has been mauled to death by a pit bull. Sheriff's deputies say 5-year old Anastasia Bingham walked out of the mobile home she lived in at 1911 Green Drive around 7:30am to go to a friend's house across the street. The pit bull attacked her between the two homes. It's believed the dog was kept with some other pit bulls in a small patch of woods behind a nearby house. The pit bulls do not belong to the little girl's family, police said.

1A separate report by the Clarion-Ledger indicates that the pit bull ripped out Anastasia's neck.
2The victim's name was also spelled as "Anataisa Bingham" in news reports.

Posted on February 8, 2010 by Colleen Lynn

Tom Skeldon, the 'Biased' Blade and Recent Ruling Halting Enforcement of Toledo Pit Bull Laws

Please click an image to view that portion of the interview.

Exclusive Interview
Toledo, OH - In a powerful four-part videotaped interview by WTOL, former Lucas County Dog Warden and expert witness Tom Skeldon opens up for the first time about the "Yellow" Toledo Blade, whose painfully biased reporting all but forced his resignation last November; the recent municipal court ruling that halted enforcement of Toledo and Ohio state pit bull laws in the City of Toledo1 and the repercussions this ruling will have on the safety of constituents.

Never before has the 30-year old pit bull problem been summed up so quickly and distinctly as in this WTOL interview.

DogsBite.org has provided a summary of each interview clip below. Outside of the litigious history of Denver's pit bull ban -- which Colorado courts consistently uphold -- no other city except Toledo has endured a similar history. Pit bull advocates declared both regions "BSL battle grounds" back in the 1990's. As demonstrated by recent events in Denver and Toledo, this battle continues today. In many ways, this interview with Tom Skeldon is the history of BSL in the U.S.

Interview part 1 | 10:00 minutes
During the first segment, Skeldon reflects upon his many years in public service, the Toledo Blade witch-hunt, which all but forced his resignation, and the outstanding effectiveness of his tenure as the Lucas County Dog Warden. Unlike the vast majority of U.S. animal control agencies, Skeldon's department never had to dip into the taxpayer base for funding. His department wholly operated on county dog owners being compliant in paying their dog licensing fees.2

This segment also addresses the political forces, which submitted to the Blade's pressures, instead of standing up for Skeldon and his department's outstanding record. Skeldon cites that the most "disappointing" aspect of the Blade's witch-hunt wasn't even the Blade itself, but that not one elected official stood up in protest of the Blade's biased reporting. Skeldon's superiors also forbade him from having contact with his own media sources, thus silencing Skeldon's story.

Interview part 2 | 9:58 minutes
During segment two, Skeldon explains the "straw that broke the camel's back" concerning the Blade and Commissioner Ben Konop. According to Skeldon, the young grandstanding commissioner has a history of beating up devoted county employees during public meetings. About a year-and-a-half ago, Skeldon was told that he was Konop's next target. Skeldon was also told by his political superiors to "rollover" to Konop -- to not defend himself and his department.

Skeldon, however, did not "rollover" during the public meeting. Skeldon told WTOL, "For 45 minutes Konop was throwing hardballs and for 45 minutes I kept knocking home runs with his hardballs." After the meeting, Skeldon's superiors instructed him to cease contact with the media, whereby halting his communication to the public, including sharing reports of children being mauled. Skeldon said that from that point forward, his department became a "punching bag."

Skeldon also explains in this segment why he believes Konop went after him. Essentially, Konop had many zealous pro-pit bull groups "in his ear" along with the Blade -- the primary newspaper in Toledo -- pushing the pro-pit bull agenda. Skeldon talks about the national pro-pit bull lobby too and how he helped jurisdictions in Denver and Ontario, who were facing this lobby in legal battles, by providing education and expert testimony to them about the pit bull problem.

Lastly, Skeldon talks about the recent municipal court ruling in the City of Toledo by Judge Goulding that voids Toledo and Ohio state pit bull laws in the City of Toledo. Despite two Ohio State Supreme court rulings that declare these laws constitutional, Goulding (whose campaign slogan is "Keep Our City Safer") has now made it impossible for the dog warden and police authorites to effectively enforce vicious dog laws in the City of Toledo. Skeldon tells WTOL:

"When the weather breaks in April, your next-door neighbor can have as many pit bulls as he wants. Your next-door neighbor wouldn't have to have a muzzle on the pit bulls when he takes them off the property. Your next-door neighbor wouldn't have to have the pit bulls in a locked, fenced yard, and your next-door neighbor wouldn't have to have any insurance on those pit bulls.

"We investigate the serious dog bites for the health department. The second breed most involved in dog bites last year were Labrador retriever and Labrador retriever mixes. There were 35 serious dog bites. The third was German shepherds. There were 28. There were 81 serious dog bites by pit bulls."

Please understand that this ratio of serious pit bull bites existed with strong pit bull regulations in place. These restrictions include the State of Ohio pit bull laws and the City of Toledo pit bull laws, which limit the ownership of pit bulls to one per household and require pit bulls to be muzzled when off property. Goulding's questionable ruling, which voids these laws, means that serious pit bull maulings in the City of Toledo will take a drastic swing upward.

Interview part 3 | 3:34 minutes
During segment three, Skeldon talks about the history of Ohio state pit bull laws, which were enacted in 1987 and prior to his tenure as dog warden, and why he was targeted by pro-pit bull groups. He said that since the pit bull lobby has been unable to overturn state laws, they "shot the messenger." In this segment, Skeldon also tackles the outdated motto, "It's the owner not the breed," employed by pro-pit bull groups that ignores the genetic traits of the breed.3

"(The owners) are a factor," Skeldon said.

"If these pit bulls are going to be made vicious by an owner, shame on that owner and they should be taken to task for it.

But it is hard to tell which of those dogs are going to act that way because that is what they are bred to do. The vast majority of pit bulls that have maimed, disfigured or killed someone in the past 25, 30 years have had no history that they can find of being trained for fighting or of biting someone before."

"So out of the blue?" asked the reporter.

"Boom!" Skeldon replied. "If they are triggered."

This explanation refers back to the unpredictability of a pit bull attack that Skeldon discusses at the end of segment two. When explaining the inherent danger of the breed, Skeldon describes the lack of warning signals pit bulls display prior to an attack versus other dog breeds that offer clear physical and verbal warning signs. For instance, pit bulls often do not bark, growl or offer a direct stare prior to an attack. This information is well documented by humane groups.

Interview part 4 | 7:21 minutes
In segment four, Skeldon discusses pit bull puppies, the issue over which the Blade demonized Skeldon, calling him a "puppy killer." Skeldon's department, as well as most Ohio counties, adhere to a "No Adopt Out" pit bull policy as the state prima facially deems the pit bull breed "vicious." Skeldon also notes that nearly all U.S. insurance companies refuse to cover pit bulls, so there is "no deep pocket to put these kids back together again" after a serious mauling.

In terms of what to do with future pit bull puppies, Skeldon talks about how the recent municipal ruling will affect Lucas County residents. During Skeldon's tenure, and while pit bull regulations were enforced, his department had turned the corner on the pit bull problem. The number of pit bulls impounded was decreasing. This is a huge triumph as few other U.S. animal control agencies can report similar results. Skeldon adds about the ruling:

"If these laws aren't going to be enforced, because the courts have tied the police and dog warden's hands, then those numbers are going to come right through the ceiling. And the pit bulls will be out in the front yard instead of the back. They'll be in the alley instead of the garage. They won't be housed in the basement out of sight. They'll be flaunted. And they will be used for people to intimidate their neighbors and to control neighborhoods4 in the City of Toledo."

Lastly, Skeldon recounts the ending of his career after serving as the dog warden for over 22 years. Prior to this, he served in the Peace Corp and military. "If you look at the career, I've been obviously blessed," he said. "In the past year-and-a-half, they were knocking the snot out of me and it was uncalled for." Skeldon said that wherever you've got a "strong media form of government,"5 you end up with people in office who will succumb to this kind of pressure.

Court Rulings:
Toledo, Ohio v. Paul Tellings - United States Supreme Court
Toledo, Ohio v. Paul Tellings - Ohio State Supreme Court
The State of Ohio vs. Anderson - Ohio State Supreme Court

DogsBite.org greatly thanks WTOL for making this interview accessible to a nation and worldwide audience by posting this material to YouTube.1The City of Toledo has appealed the recent municipal ruling.
2In most U.S. cities, dog licensing compliance is under 25% due to poor management. An excellent example was seen last year in Los Angeles under the leadership of Ed Boks.
3No person in the world has been asked to explain this outdated and false motto more times than Tom Skeldon. Note the expression on his face after the reporter poses the question.
4DogsBite.org receives numerous complaints from U.S. citizens who feel that their world has substantially "shrunk" due to nearby pit bull owners. They can no longer walk or jog down their usual paths, nor can they take their own dog on a walk out of fear of being attacked.
5The Yellow Toledo Blade.

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