Posted on January 19, 2009 by Colleen Lynn

2009 Dog Bite Fatality: Brooklynn Grace Milburn Killed by Rottweiler in Forth Worth, Texas

Brooklynn Milburn, 3-years old, was mauled to death by a neighbor's rottweiler.

No Charges Expected
UPDATE 01/24/09: A family representative has spoken to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Jeremy Moore said that Brooklynn Milburn and her 5-year-old brother, Daniel, were playing while her grandfather was in the kitchen cooking. Brooklynn slipped out the back door into the yard and had "moved a heavy metal table" that covered a small hole in the fence separating the two yards, Moore said. The dog's owner and her grandfather found the girl at the same time, he said.

"Can you imagine being asked to watch someone’s children for 15 minutes and then have a child die?" Moore asked. "This is something that he will never get over.

"Everyone is thinking of something that they could have done differently that might have led to a different outcome. But the answer is sometimes bad things happen and it’s no one’s fault."

The Tarrant County medical examiner ruled that Brooklynn bled to death because of bites to her face, scalp and neck. The death was ruled an accident. - Fort Worth Star-Telegram, January 24, 2009

01/19/09: Charges Are Still Undetermined
Tarrant County prosecutors are still deciding whether charges will be filed in connection with a tragic dog attack that killed Brooklynn. This may indicate there is evidence that the child was "pulled through" the fence by the dog. The dog's owner said it was the first time her pet had ever hurt anyone. Sadly, fatal attacks by rottweilers and pit bulls are frequently the dog's first attack. A memorial service for Brooklyn is being held Wednesday at the Seventh Day Adventist Church.

01/17/09: 17-Year Old Rottweiler Kills Child
Fort Worth, TX - A 3-year-old girl was mauled to death by her neighbor's rottweiler. Brooklynn Grace Milburn was playing in her back yard when she reportedly crawled through a small hole in the fence separating the two yards, according to police. The 17-year-old rottweiler attacked her in the head, face and neck. The family's pastor, Mike Tucker, of the Seventh Day Adventist Church said the fatal dog mauling was "sickeningly tragic" and that the whole family is devastated.

Fort Worth Police received the call at about 6:00 pm Friday in the 3900 block of Buckhorn Place in north Fort Worth. 3-year old Brooklynn Milburn was rushed to Cook Children's Medical Center, but doctors could not save her life. Tucker said the girl's mother, father, grandfather and 5-year-old brother were inside the house when she she somehow managed to slip out the back door. The hole in the fence was so small, nobody thought the child could even fit through it, Tucker said.

Posted on January 16, 2009 by Colleen Lynn

2009 Dog Bite Fatality: Cheyenne Peppers, 5-Years Old, Killed by 3 Family Pit Bulls

David Peppers, Cheyenne's father, talks about the unbearable loss of this daughter.

Father Wants New Laws
UPDATE 01/15/09: David Peppers, Cheyenne's father, told WALB that he does not want anyone else to go through what he's gone through. He hopes to prevent the immense pain he has suffered since his daughter's death. He says big changes need to come to Thomas County. He wants laws in place for people who own dangerous dogs like pit bulls and consequences for owners of dogs that seriously hurt people. "It needs to be changed. There's too many kids dying," said Peppers.

Peppers and several other locals want commissioners to enforce new laws. "We've got to have an ordinance to where those dogs are registered at vets, a spay and neuter type thing needs to happen. These dogs need to be checked on a regular basis. How they're pinned, how they're tethered up," he said. Peppers and his wife are divorced. His little girl lived with her mother and stepfather in Thomasville, at the home where three pit bulls killed Cheyenne in their backyard.

01/06/09: Humane Society Distorts the Truth
Thomasville, GA - A 5-year old girl was killed by her family's pit bulls while she played in her yard. Behind a fence marked with a "Beware of Dog" sign, Cheyenne Peppers was killed by the dogs. Animal control says one of the pit bulls was loose in the yard and the other two were chained. Melvin Johnson of the Thomasville Police Department said, "The child was possibly playing on the trampoline. The female dog who was pregnant possibly started the attack on the child."

The two other pit bulls were close behind. They apparently broke free of their chains and joined in the attack of the little girl. Executive Director of the Thomas County Humane Society, Carol Jones, was quick to excuse the deadly behavior of the pit bulls. She said, "You need to remember that a dog is a dog and its going to act like a dog especially in a pack situation and that's what these animals did." Once again, another humane worker horrifically distorts the truth about pit bulls.

In a 3-year period (Jan. 2006 to Dec. 2008), pit bulls killed 52 Americans. This is equivalent to a pit bull killing an American every 21 days.

According to Jones' logic, any family with 3 dogs -- be they chihuahuas or labradors -- stands the same risk of a fatal dog attack as a family with 3 pit bulls. If Jones' logic was accurate, dogs would kill thousands of children each year, not the actual average of about 25-35. In the face of a fatal pit bull attack, Carol Jones is hoodwinking the people and elected officials of Thomas County by propagating "pit bull apology" distortions instead of the truth. This behavior is unconscionable.

She adds later in the article, "I just want to remind people they need to be cautious of their family pets. They can turn on you at any time, and it doesn't matter what kind of dog. You think they are wonderful. You don't think your dog would do anything like that but believe me they will!" Not only has Executive Director Carol Jones been added to the DogsBite.org Hall of Shame, we ask that she step down from her position. American citizens will not tolerate these distortions any longer.

Please watch the video clip that depicts Jones comparing a pit bull attack to a chihuahua attack as if the two are equivalent. She says, "A chihuahua, a great dane, it really does not matter...a pit bull..."

Related articles:
01/07/09: Fatal and Serious Dog Attacks in Georgia

Posted on January 14, 2009 by Colleen Lynn

2009 Dog Bite Fatality: 4-Year Old Boy Mauled to Death by Foster Family's Rottweiler

Alex Angulo, 4-years old, was killed by at least one of his foster family's rottweilers.

Foster Families May Face New Rules
UPDATE 01/14/09: In response to the recent dog mauling death of 4-year old Alex Angulo by his foster family's rottweiler, Rep. Rosemary Mulligan (R-Des Plaines) said the Illinois House committee that oversees the Department of Children and Family Services might consider tough legislation outlawing dangerous dogs in foster homes. DCFS officials are awaiting results of an independent inquiry by a Child Death Review Team before deciding to make any changes.

The Cook County Public Guardian also on Tuesday called for more stringent controls over how foster families with animals keep a child safe, saying it's too easy for small children to accidentally provoke animals.

"There should be a whole protocol for issues of pets in general,'' Cook County Public Guardian Robert Harris said. - Chicago Sun-Times, January 14, 2009

01/14/09: Child Agency Questioned
The case of Alex Angulo, who was killed by one of his foster family's rottweilers, continues to grow more tragic. After being tossed around to several homes, in 2007 he was placed with a 77-year-old woman who had just renewed a foster-care license that was originally granted in 2000, according to DCFS officials. Though Alex had some behavioral issues, he showed a positive attitude in school and overall, state records showed that the foster home seemed to be working.

After the placement, workers found that Alex's foster mother was "maintaining a safe and appropriate environment" for the boy. His foster mother loved the boy like her own son, records noted.  But in December, a Juvenile Court judge determined that Alex's foster home was not a good fit in the long run because of his foster mother's advanced age. The goal was to move him to a home in which the parents could eventually adopt him. This move would never happen.

One week prior to the move, Alex was killed by his foster family's dog.

Kendall Marlowe, a spokesman for the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services said, "There was an understanding that the dogs lived outside, and the child would not have unsupervised contact with the dogs." Cook County Public Guardian Robert Harris said those precautions were not adequate or even realistic.  "Don't place a 4-year-old in a home with two big wild dogs," Harris said. "You don't just say, 'OK, the kid won't go out into the yard,'" he said.

01/12/09: All Three Dogs Euthanized archived
Chicago, IL - In a developing story, a 4-year old boy was mauled to death by at least one rottweiler on Chicago's Southwest Side. Three dogs were removed from the home; two rottweilers and a poodle. One of the two rottweilers is believed to be responsible for killing 4-year-old Alex Angulo. A fire department spokesperson says the boys' father was out front using a snow blower while the child was in the backyard playing with the dog when the animal attacked and killed him.

Neighbors said the family had put in a fence recently, trying to make sure the dogs did not get onto the sidewalk or into the street. A "Beware of Dog" sign also hangs from the home's tall wooden fence. Other neighbors reported the dogs were menacing and that they were afraid of them. It is unknown if any of the dogs had previous biting incidents. The Department of Children and Family Services is investigating an allegation of neglect in connection with Alex's mauling death.

Posted on December 24, 2008 by Colleen Lynn

Anti-BSL Organization, Stop-BSL.com, Gives Donated Funds to Alleged Dogfighters

Albert "Al" White: Guilty
UPDATE 03/13/09: Albert "Al" White -- a formerly alleged dogfighter that Stop-BSL.com openly provided donations to -- recently pleaded guilty to a slew of serious charges. White was ordered to serve 10 years in prison followed by another 10 years on probation. The charges to which White pleaded guilty include: 25 counts of dogfighting, 21 counts of cruelty to animals, one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and six counts of child molestation.

The case against White originally began as a dogfighting investigation, but after charges were filed and White was jailed, information was provided to the district attorney’s office that led to opening an investigation of possible sexual crimes. Those crimes spanned a period of over seven years with two separate victims. Upon learning about the sexual crimes, the founder of Stop-BSL.com, Allie Renar, still supported White. She cracked the charges up to "slander."

Prior to the recent news article about White, members at Game-Dog.com -- a forum linked to dogfighting -- had already learned about his conviction. One member even mentioned Stop-BSL.com's fundraising effort for him. On March 6th, user Jefferson wrote: "i thought he should be supported. I saw stop-bsl.com was raising money for him so i supported him because i thought that meant he was a good man. i wish they had told me about this child rape crap."

12/24/08: Advertisements Donated to Group
A separate entity placed the Stop-BSL.com ads in the Fall edition of Scratch Back magazine, as well as for the full year. The Stop-BSL.com Discussion Forum provides a reference to this (4-3-08). Stop-BSL.com appears enthusiastic about the donation, but does not name the "generous donor." A separate post on the same forum (5-3-08) shows that Stop-BSL.com had been raising funds for Boudreaux prior to his acquittal of 48 counts of dogfighting.

In a subsequent blog post to our own (at United We Bark), Stop-BSL.com claims to "not subscribe" to Scratch Back magazine or "know the details of its contents." It matters less where the content was published: Scratch Back or Readers Digest. What matters the most is the content itself, which clearly shows that donations were given to four alleged dogfighters. The fact that it was published in Scratch Back just makes the content all the more damning.

Stop-BSL.com Gives Donated Funds to Alleged Dogfighters

12/22/08 | A website devoted to stopping communities from enacting breed-specific laws -- Stop-BSL.com -- has been giving parts of donations received to persons charged with dogfighting. The Internet WHOIS records show that the website is registered to Allie Renar who operates the Northern Light Kennels in Spokane, Washington. In September, she was briefly interviewed by kxly.com about a proposed pit bull ban in Spokane.

Presumably, funds given to Stop-BSL.com are designed to stop pit bull regulations, not intended to help alleged dogfighters. It seems unlikely that the organization's "honored donors" shown on the website would wish to be affiliated with them. The persons Stop-BSL.com has given donations to aren't your everyday alleged dogfighters either. Three were involved in one of the most extensive dogfighting raids in the history of the U.S., the Pima County raid in February 2008.

Pages from the Fall 2008 issue of Scratch Back Magazine were recently sent to DogsBite.org. It appears that Stop-BSL.com has two pieces in it, one on page 55 and the other on pages 70-72. The group also placed 2 full page ads in the issue. The second story mentions donations given to the following alleged dogfighters: Terry "T.L." Williams, Robert "Bobby" Smith, Albert "Al" White and Juan "Rudy" Verdin. Since the publication of the Fall issue, Verdin has pleaded guilty to several charges.

(page 70) "I am writing to update interested parties on the recent activities of www.Stop-BSL.com. We raised a combined $432.00 at our last two raffles. Some of this money was donated to TL Williams and Bobby Smith."

(page 71) "Donations totaling $236.00 from Northern Lights Kennel have purchased leashes and fire hose tugs for the above raffles. They have also supported donations to Al White and Rudy Verdin."

(page 55, page 72) Both articles are clearly signed as Allie Renar with the contact email address: [email protected]

On the pit bull forum called Game-Dog.com, a forum mentioned in a news article about the Pima County dogfighting raid, a user named "StopBSL" identifies oneself as, "I am the webmaster of Stop-BSL.com." On the same day Floyd Boudreaux was acquitted of dogfighting charges in Louisianna, the person actively solicited donations for him. Stop-BSL.com certainly seems to have a keen interest in helping high-profile alleged dogfighters.

(10/15/08) "Email us if you would like to donate to Mr. Boudreaux to help with his past and present legal fees because of this fiasco! [email protected]"

It has long been suspected that some anti-BSL groups have had connections to dogfighters given that they share the common goal of keeping pit bulls unregulated. The Scratch Back and Game-Dog.com examples show that Stop-BSL.com donated to, or solicited funds for, persons who were charged with dogfighting. In the instance of Boudreaux, he had just been aquitted (10/15/08), but one is still left to question the true purpose of the organization.

Alleged and Convicted Dogfighters

From left: Juan Verdin, Terry Williams, Robert Smith and Floyd Boudreaux.

Juan "Rudy" VerdinConvicted: Verdin recently pleaded guilty to attempted dogfighting. Verdin admitted he owned 14 pit bulls he intended to use in fighting exhibitions. The week prior, he pleaded guilty to child abuse. Verdin had been indicted on 11 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor after detectives found images on his computer of children engaged in sexual acts.

Terry "T.L." WilliamsPending: Williams was arrested along with Verdin and Smith in the Pima County raid. Williams reportedly operated the All American Dog Registry (AADR). Investigators said that breeders of fighting dogs used the website to get the registration papers to prove a dog's bloodline. Williams was charged with one count of dogfighting and 24 counts of animal cruelty.

Robert "Bobby" Smith

Convicted: Smith was indicted on two counts of dogfighting and 15 counts of animal cruelty. In September 2009, Smith pleaded guilty to one count of animal neglect for not caring for one of his pit bulls with rotting teeth. In exchange for his guilty plea, prosecutors dismissed all other charges due to his declining health. Smith was sentenced to three years probation.

Floyd Boudreaux

Acquitted: Floyd Boudreaux, an internationally known breeder of pit bulls, and his son, Guy Boudreaux, each faced 48 counts of dogfighting. The two were arrested in 2005 after Louisiana State Police executed a search warrant at Floyd’s home. Both men were acquitted after the judge said the prosecutor failed to provide enough evidence against them.

Albert "Al" White

Convicted: Albert "Al" White is currently being held in the Fannin County Jail on charges of 25 counts of felony dogfighting, 21 counts of misdemeanor cruelty to animals, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. White is additionally charged with rape, statutory rape, aggravated child molestation, child molestation and aggravated sodomy.

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Stop-BSL.com Gives Donated Funds to Alleged Dogfighters

Alleged and Convicted Dogfighters