Posted on October 29, 2009 by Colleen Lynn

2009 Dog Bite Fatality: Toddler Wanders from Babysitter's Home; Killed by Pit Bull

Matthew Hurt, 2-years old, was killed by a neighbor's chained pit bull in Prescott.

Attacked His Throat
UPDATE 10/29/09: New information has been reported about the death of Matthew Hurt. According to a KTHV video, family and friends1 said the boy saw a puppy and chased it to a backyard where a pit bull was chained. Matthew's 3-year old brother followed him, then rushed home to alert the family. Neighbor Bridgette Monroe, who tried to help, described the horrible scene, "The babies' jugular, throat was bitten and from his mouth up to his eye was bitten."

Authorities seized two adult pit bulls from the dog owner's home2, one of which was male. Though not stated in the article, it's likely that the puppy Matthew had been chasing came from a litter of the two pit bulls. Richard Ray Smith, whose mother owns the dogs, said, "The dog has been raised with us and all the kids have played with the dog. It's not a violent dog, we don't know what happened." Smith added, "We don't want the family to be mad at us, it's just an accident."

But two adult chained pit bulls, likely part of a backyard breeding operation, that wind up severely injuring or killing a child is far from an accident. The situation is a ruinous attack only waiting to happen. Chief Brian Russell said police and emergency crews arrived within minutes and the boy was airlifted to St. Michael's where he was pronounced dead. "There very well could be charges either way," Russell said. "We'll just have to see where the investigation goes from here."

10/28/09: 2-Year Old Killed By Chained Pit Bull
Prescott, AR - Five days following the fatal pit bull mauling of 17-month old Colton Smith at his babysitter's home, two-year old Matthew Clayton Hurt of Prescott, Arkansas is also dead by a pit bull. Matthew arrived at his babysitter's home just before 10 am this morning. At some point, the boy wandered a few blocks away and into a backyard where a pit bull was chained. The dog savagely attacked the toddler. A woman walking nearby tried to help, but it was too late.

Little two year old Matthew Hurt was at his babysitter's just before 10 this morning. Matthew wandered 4 blocks away, into the backyard where the pit bull was chained but still managed to attack, killing him

A lady was walking nearby and asked for help after she saw the child in the backyard, they ran to see what was going on...but it was too late.

As you can imagine, the people nearby were disturbed and very shaken up after their discovery.

"He wasn't moving at all he was bitten all on his throat across his face just limp," Bridgette Monroe said. - KSLA-TV

1Matthew and his two siblings stayed with Kevin Taylor and Christy Godwin while their mom worked. The couple was afraid of the dogs and told the dogs' owner they were vicious in the past.
2The loose puppy of an unnamed breed has still not been caught.

Posted on October 27, 2009 by Colleen Lynn

2009 Dog Bite Fatality: 19-Month Old Boy Killed by Pit Bull-Mix at Babysitter's Home

Colten Smith, 17-months old, was killed by a pit bull-mix while under the care of a babysitter.

Future In-Law's Dog
UPDATE 10/27/09: Sheriff's Deputies confirmed that the 65-pound pit bull named Max did not belong to the babysitter, rather she had been "watching it" for a week for her future in-law's. This is despite the fact that a KMPH video shows a "Warning Security Dog" sign hanging on the babysitter's fence with rusted screws. A preliminary autopsy released Tuesday confirmed that Smith's death was a result of loss of blood due to a puncture wound to the subclavian artery.

Sheriff's Deputies say there are "no plans" to arrest the babysitter at this time. The case though will be sent to the District Attorney's office.

Related video 1 | Related video 2

10/26/09: Mauling Victim Named: Colten Smith
Authorities have identified the latest pit bull fatality victim as 19-month old Colten Smith1. On Friday, while under the care of a babysitter, the toddler was bitten in the throat and dragged around the yard by a pit bull-mix living at the babysitter's home. The boy was airlifted to Valley Children's Hospital in Madera, where he died shortly after arrival. The boy's body was returned to Merced for further investigation by the county coroner on Friday as well.

The identity of the babysitter will not be released until the Merced County District Attorney's office decides if criminal charges will be filed.

10/23/09: Babysitter's Pit Bull Fatally Attacks
Delhi, CA - In a developing story, authorities report that a 19-month old boy in Merced County has died after being mauled by a pit bull-mix. Authorities say the little boy wandered into the backyard while his babysitter was in another room. By the time she noticed he was missing, the dog had already attacked. The news video shows a "Warning Security Dog" sign posted on the fence of the babysitter's home where the boy was attacked by the 65-pound pit bull.

Sheriff Pazin states in the video, "These are rugged vicious animals that can just that quickly snap." According to Pazin, the babysitter tried to stop the attack by beating (or stabbing) the pit bull with a two prong barbecue fork. The dog eventually let go, and that's when the sheriff's office received a 9-1-1 call from the hysterical babysitter. She dropped the phone and tried driving the little boy to the hospital, but was pulled over by a deputy for driving erratically.

She literally handed the blood soaked toddler to Deputy Cardenas, who performed first aid until the ambulance arrived to take the toddler to a hospital. The boy was later flown to Children's Hospital Central California where he was pronounced dead. The pit bull, who reportedly belongs to the "babysitter's fiance's parents," is now under quarantine at the Merced County's Animal Shelter. Police are investigating whether any criminal charges will be filed.

In the 3-year period of 2006 to 2008, 14% (12) of the fatal attacks involved a "watcher," a person such as a grandparent or babysitter watching a child between the ages of 0-4.

1Colten Smith's age was initially reported as 17-months old and the spelling of his name as "Colton."

Posted on October 12, 2009 by Colleen Lynn

'Non Bite' Pit Bull Injury Leads to Death of Plainfield AC Officer

Plainfield Animal Control Officer died after being knocked to the ground by a pit bull.

Officer Theresa Foss
Plainfield, CT - An incident that raises questions regarding what defines a "fatal dog attack" recently occurred in Connecticut. On September 29, Plainfield Animal Control Officer Theresa Foss was hospitalized with a head injury after being knocked to the ground by a pit bull. Foss had responded to a call of an aggressive dog that had trapped a family in their home. A resident of the home, Ron Roberts, shot the dog several times after it attacked Foss, causing the dog to flee.

News articles were quick to point out the loose pit bull, named Buddy, had not bitten Officer Foss. The owner of the dog, David Coombs, told reporters "he had no idea" the trouble Buddy had caused when the dog returned to his home at 180 Moosup Pond Road the following morning. Though news reports emphasized that the dog had not torn Foss' flesh, Coombs took the unusual step of shooting Buddy to death then burying the animal in Canterbury, about 4 miles away.1

Local authorities did not attempt to locate the buried dog, because the incident did not involve a bite.2 A bite would have required a rabies test.

Up until Foss' death on October 8, she remained hospitalized at Yale-New Haven Hospital with a serious head injury. While it could have been an error on his part, Charles Gagne, of Gagne-Piechowski Funeral Home, said that Foss' death was unrelated to the dog. This appears to be impossible, as Foss never left the hospital after the attack. State Animal Control Officer Linda Wenner later told reporters that Foss "died of organ failure," begging the question as to why?

Two Heart Attack Victims in 10-Day Period

Foss' death comes during the same 10-day period when two people suffered a heart attack following a terrifying "pit bull incident," thus highlighting the graveness of "non bite" pit bull injuries.

On October 2, 70-year old Mary Garcia of Adams County, Colorado was attacked by two dogs, a pit bull-mastiff mix and boxer-pit bull mix, when she stepped outside to lock her car doors. Garcia suffered serious bite injuries in the attack, but the immediate threat was a heart attack that struck after the incident.
On October 11, 56-year old Timothy Neimeyer of Indianapolis hopped a fence to stop a fight between his pit bull and a neighbor's dog. The pit bull broke its chain and jumped a fence to attack the dog. While trying to stop the fight, Neimeyer went into cardiac arrest. His condition is listed as "grave" in news reports.

1Combs was ticketed for dog nuisance, allowing a dog to roam and failure to license. He was fined $242.
2For all we know, Buddy could have been shipped across state lines to live with a friend or relative of Coombs.

Posted on September 29, 2009 by Colleen Lynn

2009 Dog Bite Fatality: 23-Month Old Toddler Killed by Family Pit Bull

Jasmine Deane, 23-months old, was mauled to death by her family's chained pit bull.

Victim Identified
UPDATE 09/29/09: The toddler killed by a family dog in Orange County has been named. Investigators say 23-month old Jasmine Deane died after being bitten several times by a pit bull on Sunday. No charges have been filed in the case, but the Orange County Sheriff's Department continues to investigate. Mike Hicks, the victim's cousin, told reporters, "Friendly dog, I mean, I don't understand it. Just don't understand it. Words can't describe how it happened," Hicks said.

      It happened just o! Mountain Track Road on a short gravel drive known as Beech Tree.
      Mike Hicks, the victim's cousin, was visibly upset and fighting back tears when he said, "It's just heart breaking, shocking you know."
      The toddler, a 23 month old girl, was found in the back yard after being attacked by the family pit bull. - WTVR, September 29, 2009

09/28/09: Pit Bull with Family for 10-Years
Orange County, VA - A family pit bull attacked and killed a 23-month old girl. Authorities say the dog attacked the child Sunday night about 7:00 p.m. Apparently, the girl wandered out of her family's house while her mom was preoccupied. The family's pit bull, which was chained outside, attacked the girl. Orange County Sheriff Mark Amos says a family member found the girl in the backyard. She was pronounced dead at University of Virginia Medical Center at 9:10 p.m.

      A family in Orange County is grieving after their pit bull attacked and killed their toddler, a 23-month-old girl. It happened in the Mountain Track area of Orange County in a house right off Beech Tree Drive.
      The young girl had wandered into the backyard 6:40 pm Sunday night, trying to pet the family dog, when the Sheriff says the pit bull violently attacked her. By the time medics arrived, the child was unresponsive.
      The Orange County Sheriff says the toddler wandered out of the house, while her mother was busy inside. Minutes later, another family member found the girl in the backyard bleeding next to the family pit bull.
      "The dog was chained up. It was a pit bull. It was chained up in the backyard, and the dog had attacked the child," said Sheriff Mark Amos. CBS 19, September 29, 2009

DogsBite blog ::