2009 Dog Bite Fatality: Newborn Killed by Pet Pit Bull in Hardy County

justin kummer killed by family pit bull
Justin Kummer, just a few days old, was killed by a family pit bull, in Rio, WV.

3 Months or 3 Years?
UPDATE 08/18/09: The original article from the MetroNews has been updated to reflect new information, as well as a new time frame for owning the pit bull. Authorities now say the pit bull was purchased "three years" ago from a relative who lives in Maryland. To determine if charges apply, authorities are checking on the dog's history. Deputy Burrows told reporters, "I need to wait and speak with the agency where the dog is from to see if they had any complaints."

The Cumberland Times-News, however, continues to report that the offending pit bull is "1-year old," making a purchase three years ago, of the dog that killed a 3-day old baby, impossible.

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08/17/09: 3-Day Old Killed by Pet Pit Bull
Hardy County, WV -- In a developing story, a 3-day old Hardy County boy is dead after being attacked by a pet pit bull. Sheriff's Department investigators say the boy's mother had put him down for bed Saturday night when she had to leave the room to answer a phone call. When she returned she found the pit bull, who had been given to the family just three months earlier, close to her son along with a mixed-breed German Shepherd, both described as family pets.

"Investigators say the mother tried to back the dogs away and when she moved closer to the German Shepherd the pit bull grabbed the boy from his bed. The mother told police she choked the dog, but it wouldn't let go of her son.
A teenage daughter then came into the room, cornered the dogs and forced them out an open window.
Police say the mother tried to help her son until emergency crews arrived. He died on the way to a helicopter-landing zone.
Both dogs were put down.
The family could be charged with harboring a vicious animal. An investigation continues.
The pit bull was purchased from a relative who lives in Maryland three months ago."

Related articles:
04/25/09: 2009 Fatality: Family Pit Bull Kills 11-Month Old Child in Eastpointe
04/01/09: 2009 Fatality: 7-Month Old Boy Killed by Grandmother's Pit Bulls

2009 Dog Bite Fatality: Leesburg Man, 20, Killed by His Two Pit Bulls Trying to Break up Fight

Carter Delaney killed by pit bulls
Carter Delaney, 20-years old, was attacked and killed by his brother's two pit bulls.

5 Dogs Found
UPDATE 08/12/09: The Washington Post reports that a total of 5 dogs were found inside the home: one pit bull puppy and caged cocker spaniel both unharmed, one dead pug-mix and two pit bulls "covered in blood," according to Adrienne Lawson of Loudoun County Animal Control. Delaney's brother and owner of the pit bulls, Thomas Delaney, will meet with police today to determine the fate of the dogs. No further information was provided about the pit bull puppy.

08/11/09: Autopsy Shows Death by Dog Bites
Autopsy results show that Carter Patrick Ridge Delaney died from lack of blood and oxygen due to multiple dog bite injuries. His body, along with a dead pug-mix and two pit bulls, was found inside of his grandfather's home by his grandfather. The pit bulls were owned by Delaney's brother, who was not identified, but Delaney was reportedly the dogs' caretaker. Police say the dogs were licensed and vaccinated. There is no indication the pit bulls were being used for dogfighting.

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08/11/09: Mauling Victim Identified
According to authorities, Carter Delaney was discovered about 2:00 pm on Monday. Police say Delaney's body was found in the basement. A small dog was also killed, and found next to Delaney's body. Delaney's friends have posted their condolences on Facebook. One friend even wrote about the fatal attack, claiming Delaney may have been trying to protect his mom's dog from the other dogs. Loudoun County Animal Control is currently holding the offending pit bulls.

08/10/09: Mauled to Death by Pit Bulls
Leesburg, VA - Investigators say a 20-year-old Leesburg man was found dead inside his home after being mauled by his pit bulls. Four dogs -- two pit bulls and two smaller dogs -- were located inside the residence. The pit bulls were roaming free; one of the smaller dogs, a cocker spaniel, was inside a cage and the other small dog was dead. Nick Perry, one of the victim's friends, said Delaney was trying to break up a fight between his pit bulls when he was attacked by them.

Pit bull "dog aggression," an artificially selected trait for the purposes of dogfighting, kills dogs and people.

As word spread of the young man's mauling death, grief apparently grew into aggression and at least one person had to be subdued by police in front of the family's home. "I think just the emotion of what has happened here, I think they are just reacting to that," Officer Chris Jones of the Leesburg Police Department said. Morgan Hunt, another friend of the victim said, "I bet he woke up this morning like a normal morning and then this happens. It's insane, it's devastating."

It is not uncommon for a pit bull owner to be violently attacked by his own dogs. Such attacks are consistently in the news. What is uncommon is for a pit bull owner to actually believe his dogs are capable of such a violent attack, particularly given the substantial evidence that shows that pit bulls can and do inflict them. So far, police have not to release the victim's name. In the meantime, grief counselors have arrived to help calm several friends struggling to accept the recent tragedy.

Related ZUPF video

Related articles:
05/24/09: Loudoun County Animal Care and Control Awaits Court Ruling
05/11/09: Animal Agency, PSPCA, Distorts History of 25-Year Old Pit Bull Problem
03/06/09: Dog Aggression Equals Human Injury, Bullets and Dead Family Dogs
10/15/07: 2007 Fatality: Tina Marie Canterbury Killed by Her Two Red Nosed Pit Bulls

Pennsylvania Towns Seek Pit Bull Laws; Must Lift State Anti-BSL Measure

Ransom is Euthanized
UPDATE 07/30/09: The owner of Ransom, Oliver Yawn, called the dog "vicious" and surrendered it to the state to be euthanized. Yawn said he "didn't want to deal with the BS" of obtaining thousands of dollars in liability insurance and appearing in court. He also blamed the attack on the sound of the landscaper's weed whacker. Yet a week earlier, the dog broke through the home's 6-foot wooden fence and chased 21-year old Amanda Gray, who was not utilizing any tool.

According to Anne Irwin, director of the Bucks County SPCA, there's no agency that deems a dog "dangerous." Pennsylvania state dog law allows the court to make this ruling. She added that state dog law did not apply in this case because the owner relinquished the dog to the state. Though not clearly stated in the article, it appears the landscaper suffered severe injury in the attack. Yawn avoided the state dangerous dog court hearing by surrendering his animal to authorities.

Yawn is now free to buy a new pit bull and start the dangerous dog process from scratch!

07/27/09: Pennsylvania's Three-Strike Policy
Bristol, PA - Phillipe Berrocal, a landscaper, was recently working on a yard on Maple Street when a 5-year old pit bull named Ransom broke through the fence and bit him on the left leg, leaving him with lacerations, according to a police report. Now local officials are looking to State Rep. John Galloway, D-140, who has introduced legislation that would lift Pennsylvania's Anti-BSL measure and allow municipalities to create their own dog-control ordinances.

At least 9 other states share this same predicament: Colorado1, Florida, Illinois2, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma3, Texas and Virginia.

In addition to Pennsylvania's Anti-BSL measure, state law4 allows attacking dogs to be returned to their owners with a warning to keep their dogs "under control." (This is also true when a dog has "broken through a fence" for the purposes of attacking). Pennsylvania has a three-strike policy that allows the pet's return after two incidents unless a dog kills or grievously injures a person. After a 3rd mauling that does not qualify as grievous injury, the dog is euthanized.

The City of Wilkes-Barre
To the north of Bristol, the City of Wilkes-Barre is also experiencing an increase in pit bull attacks. Mayor Tom Leighton, who tried to ban pit bulls in 2005, recently announced that the city would seek state assistance to place tighter restriction on owners of pit bulls and other dangerous breeds. Leighton said he would wait until the state budget is passed before contacting legislators about changing the law to give Wilkes-Barre the freedom to craft breed-specific laws.

According to Department of Agriculture figures, 403 dogs have been deemed "dangerous" in Pennsylvania since 2005. Dogs can end up on the list (except when owned by James Harrison) for severely injuring a person, attacking people unprovoked, killing dogs or cats off their owner's property, or being used in the commission of a crime. 166 (41%) of the "dangerous dogs" are pit bulls or rottweilers, breeds communities often seek to regulate to prevent future attacks.

1Colorado: As demonstrated by the most controversial pit bull ban in the history of the United States, the City of Denver -- under "home rule" authority -- superseded the state's Anti-BSL law and legally carried out their pit bull ban.
2Illinois: After an attack left a teenager critically injured, Highland Park Mayor Michael Belsky called for a citywide pit bull ban. Belsky is currently working with state legislators to amend state law and to strengthen home rule authority.
3Oklahoma: Midwest City is currently appealing a court's ruling that overturned their pit bull ban. As a home rule charter city, Midwest argues that they have the authority to rule over local issues, including the regulation of animals.
4View the Pennsylvania state dog law and brief legal discussion by dog bite attorney Kenneth Phillips.

Related articles:
06/20/09: James Harrison's Pit Bull "Patron" is Up for Adoption Under New Breed Name
05/30/09: Steelers Linebacker James Harrison's Pit Bull Attacks His Son
05/11/09: Animal Agency, PSPCA, Distorts History of 25-Year Old Pit Bull Problem
07/27/08: In Parts of Pennsylvania, 3rd World Dog Licensing Fees

8-State Simultaneous Dogfighting Sting; 450 Dogs Seized

Middle Class Crime
UPDATE 07/11/09: As noted in comments, dogfighting is organized crime -- gambling and racketeering -- primarily carried out by middle class citizens. Participants are often valued members of the community as well. The recent Associated Press article names a registered nurse, Cris Bottcher, and a physical education teacher, Rick Hihath, as part of those arrested this past week. Both are charged with felony dogfighting crimes that occurred at Bottcher's farm.

"Karl Courtney, of the eastern Texas town of Beckville pleaded not guilty, said his attorney David Moore, who described his client as a "well-respected business owner." His brother, Chase Courtney, 26, of the nearby town of Carthage, also was arrested, but a phone number or attorney for him could not be found.

Cris Bottcher, a 48-year-old registered nurse at a community hospital in Bethany, Mo., also was arrested Wednesday in western Missouri and accused of shooting underperforming dogs and putting their carcasses in plastic containers outside a garage, according to a federal indictment.

Six others were also arrested in that raid including Rick Hihath, a 55-year-old physical education teacher at a state school for the severely disabled, the indictment said. He is accused of working and promoting fights at Bottcher's farm, it said."

07/09/09: Largest Dogfighting Raid in U.S. History
In what must have spiked heart rates in "gamedoggers" across the U.S. (dogfighters and breeders of fighting dogs), it was announced Wednesday that as many as 450 dogs were seized during simultaneous raids in eight states: Missouri, Mississippi, Nebraska, Illinois, Iowa, Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas. What is important for readers to understand is that the industry of dogfighting is directly tied to the ongoing proliferation of pit bulls with explosive aggression.

States and Arrests:

Missouri Arrests: Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri Michael Reap said that four kennel operators were arrested in the sting: Robert Hackman, 55, Foley (Lincoln County) of "Shake Rattle and Roll Kennel"; Jack Ruppel, 35 Eldon (Miller County) of "Ozark Hillbillys Kennel"; Michael Morgan AKA "Missouri Mike," 38, Hannibal (Marion and Ralls Counties) of "Cannibal Kennel"; and Ronald Creach, 34, Leslie (Franklin County) of "Hard Goodbye Kennel."

Texas Arrests: John M. Bales, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Texas, announced that eight people were arrested in a multi-state dogfighting ring that reached into two Texas counties. Individuals named in the indictment include: Harold D. Stewart, 41, Karl "Shane" Courtney, 34 and Devin L. Pelzl, 29, of Beckville (Panola County); Jerry "Scotty" Chism, 34, of Longview (Gregg County); Chase M. Courtney, 26, and Chad A. Courtney, 30, of Carthage (Panola County).

Iowa Arrests: Don Ledford, a spokesman for federal prosecutors, said that four Iowans in adjacent counties were arrested yesterday that allegedly participated in a Missouri dogfighting ring: Jill D. Makstaller, 32, of Perry (Dallas County); Zachary R. Connelly, 32, of Ogden (Boone County); Kevin P. Tasler, 51, of Jefferson (Greene County); and Ryan J. Tasler, 32, of Woodward (Dallas County). Most of the 35 dogs seized in Iowa were taken from Makstaller according to Ledford.

Illinois Arrests: U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois announced Wednesday that William Berry, 34, of Lebanon (St. Clair County); Derrick Courtland, 42, of Cahokia (St. Clair County); and John Bacon, 36, Julius Jackson, 40, Joseph Addison, 40, all of East St. Louis, Ill., were taken into custody and charged with conspiracy to commit unlawful activities of dogfighting. The violation is alleged to have taken place in St. Clair and Madison Counties of Illinois.

Oklahoma Arrests: U.S. Attorney Sheldon Sperling of the Eastern District of Oklahoma said that Jerry Matlock, 57, of Stilwell (Adair County) was arrested near Welling (Cherokee County). Matlock was charged with three felony counts of dogfighting. Sterling called the seized pit bulls "canine combatant gladiators," which refers to the undeniable genetic heritage of pit bulls: The artificial selection for the purposes of dogfighting (unpredictability, tenacity, and the killing bite).

Nebraska Arrest: Julio Reyes, 28, of Tecumseh (Johnson County) turned himself into authorities Wednesday. Judge Richard Kopf granted Reyes supervised release and allowed him to keep the dogs. After a second search warrant was issued, however, along with the help of local law enforcement and the Humane Society of the United States, four pit bulls were seized from two homes in Tecumseh the next day. Reyes is the only Nebraskan indicted so far in the multi-state sting.

DogsBite.org has not listed all of the arrests. No immediate information could be found regarding arrests or seizures in Mississippi and Arkansas.

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