Posted on December 1, 2023 by Colleen Lynn

2023 Dog Bite Fatality: Infant Killed by Pet Wolf-Dog Hybrid in Shelby County, Alabama

Leo Caddel, 3-months old, was killed by a pet wolf-dog hybrid in Chelsea, Alabama.

Dog Kills Newborn
Chelsea, AL - An infant is dead after being attacked by a pet wolf-dog hybrid, states a press release from the Shelby County Sheriff's Office. On Thursday, at about 12:54 pm, Shelby County deputies, animal control officers, and Chelsea firefighters responded to a home in the 1000 block of County Road 440 about an animal attack involving an infant. The newborn was transported to Grandview Medical Center by ambulance, where it was pronounced dead upon arrival due to its injuries.

The canine, described as a wolf-dog hybrid, was being kept as a pet by the family of the infant. A veterinarian euthanized the dog at the scene. Chelsea Mayor Tony Picklesimer issued a statement confirming the exotic breed. "It’s been confirmed that one of our children here in Chelsea was killed by an exotic family pet and succumbed to their injuries yesterday afternoon after being taken to the hospital by Chelsea Fire & Rescue. We are deeply saddened by this unfortunate and tragic event."

Infant Death Investigation

"On Thursday, November 30, 2023, at approximately 12:54 pm Shelby County 911 received an emergency call reporting an animal attack involving an infant at a residence in the area of County Road 440 in Chelsea. Shelby County deputies, Chelsea firefighters, and Shelby County Animal Control Officers responded to the scene. The infant was transported to an area hospital by ambulance, with a law enforcement escort.

Upon arrival at the hospital, the infant was pronounced dead due to injuries suspected to have been caused by the animal. The animal is described as a wolf-hybrid and was reportedly kept as a pet by the family of the infant. The animal was euthanized at the scene by an area Vet, at the request of law enforcement, and has been transported to the Alabama State Diagnostics Laboratory in Auburn for further examination and investigation. There is no threat to the public. The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office is currently investigating the circumstances that led to the death of the infant." - Shelby County Sheriff's Office

Common Sense?

A commenter on Picklesimer's post asked, "Who keeps a pet wolf hybrid around a newborn?" Someone who is uninformed about wolf-dogs, or someone who practices willful disbelief about their "obvious" genetic reality. On the Chilton/Shelby Public Safety P25 feed at Broadcastify.com, a dispatcher states: "A 3-month old was being carried around in a dog's mouth. Its nose is bleeding. Patient is breathing. Dog is a shepherd-mix. Unknown location of the dog. Law enforcement is also notified."

Similar behavior occurs when a pet husky kills a newborn. Often the infant is sleeping at the time, on a bed or in a crib, and the husky picks the infant up by its head. Last year, after a pet husky killed a 4-day old infant in Cave Springs, Arkansas, the attack language stated, the dog “put its mouth on the baby’s head” and “the husky's tooth penetrated the baby's head.” In 2019, deputies in Hall County, Georgia said the pet husky bit the newborn on the head an "undetermined number of times."

A follow-up report in the Cave Springs death said that police investigators characterized the baby’s bite injuries as “severe injuries to her head.”

In 2018, an 8-day old baby was lying in a bassinet when the family's pet wolf-dog hybrid killed her. She suffered "very serious injuries to the upper body and the head," Sheriff Gary Parsons said. At the time of the attack, the family was fostering two young children that had been approved by the Wise County Department of Social Services to live in the wolf-dog household. The infant's family had acquired the dog a little over 3-years earlier from a Florida-based wolf-dog hybrid breeder, AE Kennel.

Our nonprofit maintains archives for three dog breeds: Fatal Pit Bull Attacks (1833 to present), Fatal Rottweiler Attacks (1978 to present), and Fatal Wolf-Dog Hybrid Attacks (1980 to present). Animal behaviorist and author Alexandra Semyonova wrote the introduction for our wolf-dog hybrid archive and provided a special report. At the time of publication, April 2018, Game of Thrones (2011-2019), which popularized "dire wolves," the surge in the populations of hybrids and huskies had peaked.

Investigation Underway

According to the Shelby County Reporter, the owners of the wolf-dog hybrid knew about the dog's lineage, but no breeder or kennel has been identified so far. At the time of the deadly attack, there were other children in the home, but none of them were harmed. The Alabama Department of Human Resources and the Shelby County Sheriff's Office continue to investigate circumstances behind the infant's death, and if previous instances of child endangerment occurred in the family's home.

Picklesimer states the dog is part wolf and part shepherd. The most common breeds to create hybrids are Alaskan malamutes, huskies and German shepherds. A report by WTVM states the dog will be tested at an Alabama lab to determine if it is part wolf. However, it's the UC Davis Veterinary Genetics Laboratory in California that generally carries out the wolf-dog hybrid test. The test can detect wolf-dog hybrids within three generations, but it cannot provide the percentage of wolf ancestry.

The UC Davis test also has critics, which is why identifying the breeder is important. A quick search of Alabama wolf-dog hybrid breeders shows one that advertises "Mid/High Content" puppies that are Embark DNA tested. Embark states its DNA test can detect 350+ breeds and wolves, thus the test can allegedly determine the amount of wolf content in a hybrid. The example of "Luna" shows a high content of gray wolf, followed by Alaskan malamute, German shepherd, husky and samoyed.

Wolf-Dog Hybrid "Kuna"

Based upon the address of the attack location, which is the same address as Dickey Chicks Hatchery on Highway 440, we can confirm this household has a female wolf-dog hybrid, named "Kuna." In our 13-year data set (2005 to 2017), sex of dog was known in 291 of 433 deaths. 5% (15) were inflicted by 1 female. Of the 25 wolf-dog hybrid fatalities (1980 to 2023), sex was known in 17 cases. 35% (6) were inflicted by 1 female, 7 times higher than all other breeds combined in the 13-year data set.

Fourth Alabama Death

The infant's death marks the fourth fatal dog mauling in Alabama this year; three occurred in the Birmingham area. In March, a dog pack killed a 74-year old man in McDonald Chapel, just west of Birmingham. In November, one or more dogs killed a 63-year old woman in Birmingham's Ensley neighborhood. In late July, a 27-year old man was killed by a dog pack in Skipperville, south of Montgomery. The infant's death is a departure from pack attacks that typically afflict this state.

A female wolf-dog hybrid, "Kuna," lives at the property where the attack occurred.

A pet wolf-dog hybrid killed a newborn in Chelsea, Alabama on November 30, 2023.

Baseline reporting requirements:
Law enforcement departments across the United States should release consistent "baseline" information to the media and the public after each fatal dog mauling, including these items.

Posted on November 27, 2023 by Colleen Lynn

DogsBite's Giving Tuesday Challenge 2023 - Help Us Complete Our Victims' Database Through 20-Year Period

Only 1 Year Remaining to Reach 20 Years of Data Collection (2005-2024)

Join us on Facebook for DogsBite.org's Giving Tuesday Challenge 2023.

Giving Tuesday Challenge 2023
DogsBite.org - On November 28, Giving Tuesday, we are asking supporters to help us complete our victims' database. There is only 1 more year of data collection to go! Last year, we thought the Covid years would force us to stop at 18 years of data collection. But we were wrong -- and with your help, we prevailed during 2023! Our comprehensive and authoritative database of dog bite fatalities now contains 19 years of evidence-based data. But a full 20-year data set is ideal for research purposes!

This year's campaign emphasis our 2021 Covid Impact Report that we published in April.1 The report compared our own data to CDC Wonder data, which showed a 131% increase in dog bite fatality deaths from 2018 to 2021. In August, an article published by The Hill brought national attention to this issue.2 By September, CDC published their own report with similar findings. CDC states, "From 2018 to 2021, deaths more than doubled for both males (from 15 to 37) and females (from 20 to 44)."3

We believe the last time CDC published dog bite fatality statistics or analysis in a report was 23 years ago, on September 15, 2000.4

This year's campaign emphasizes the veracity of our data collection. We have over 100,000 pages of documentation in the 19-year data set for 722 victims. During the Covid years, we expanded the data collection for each victim from 38 parameters to 50. This requires thousands of added hours of research and coding time. On Tuesday, help us complete the definitive victims' database of dog bite fatalities so that we can preserve a full 20-year study period of data for a third-party researcher!

Changes to Meta Fundraising

This year, there is no "Meta Match" on Giving Tuesday. As of October 31, 2023, Meta no longer processes donations. Meta now partners with PayPal Giving Fund, the same entity that processes GoFundMe donations. Like GoFundMe, Meta is now just a platform that helps nonprofits share fundraising campaigns. 2023 also marked the end of AmazonSmile. Big Tech, apparently, has exited the nonprofit fundraising sector! Learn more about changes to Meta's fundraising tools.

Other Ways to Help

Many of our blog readers are already monthly or annual donors. Thank you so much to all of you! Giving Tuesday is always a fundraising day to attract new people to our cause and to invite new readers of the blog to support our cause on this global giving day. There are other ways to help DogsBite.org too. You can give a one-time gift or a monthly gift through PayPal, you can give to our PayPal Giving Fund page, which has no transaction fees. You can also snail mail a donation!

Help us reach our goal of $8,000 for DogsBite's Giving Tuesday Challenge 2023!

DogsBite.org's Giving Tuesday Challenge 2023 - November 28, 2023 - On Facebook.

1Macro-Level Forces Report: Covid Impacts of 2021 U.S. Dog Bite Fatality Capture Rate of Nonprofit, DogsBite.org, April 18, 2023 (www.dogsbite.org)
2Daniel De Vise, "Blame the pandemic: Dog bites are on the rise," The Hill, August 8, 2023 (thehill.com)
3Number of Deaths Resulting from Being Bitten or Struck by a Dog,* by Sex — National Vital Statistics System, United States, 2011–2021, MMWR, September 8, 2023 (cdc.gov)
4Breeds of Dogs Involved in Fatal Human Attacks in the United States Between 1979 and 1998, by Sacks JJ, Sinclair L, Gilchrist J, Golab GC, Lockwood R, J Am Vet Med Assoc, 2000 Sep 15;217(6):836-40

Posted on November 20, 2023 by Colleen Lynn

2023 Dog Bite Fatality: Male Teenager, 15, Killed by a Pair of American Bully-Mixes in Raytown, Missouri

Makai Williams, 15, was killed by a pair of American bully-mixes in Raytown, Missouri.

Dogs Kill Teenager
Raytown, MO - A teenager is dead after being attacked by two American bully-mixes. On November 14, at approximately 3:30 pm, officers were dispatched to a front yard of a home in the 9300 block of East 77th Street for a report of an unresponsive person. Upon arrival, they found 15-year old Makai Williams suffering from severe injuries. The teenager was transported to a local hospital, where he died three days later. Authorities confiscated both dogs from the home. No arrests have been made.

Since the American bully -- which comes in four different sizes (Pocket, Standard, Classic and XL) -- is a "natural extension of the American pit bull terrier," and is comprised of "multiple" bull breeds, it seems redundant to call these dogs "American bully-mixes." Police did not release the size or coloring of these dogs. The United Kingdom recently banned the XL bully due to a growing number of fatal attacks inflicted by the XL bully since 2021. The investigation into the boy's death is ongoing.

Released by: Captain Dyon Harper
Release Date: 11-20-2023
Dog Attack Victim Identified

Raytown, MO – The Raytown Police have identified the teen who was killed from an apparent dog attack on Tuesday, November 14th as Makai Williams, a 15-year-old Raytown resident.

On the afternoon of November 14th, 2023, at 3:36 p.m., Raytown Police responded to a residence in the 9300 block of East 77 Street regarding an unresponsive male. Upon their arrival, they located a 15-year-old male suffering from several severe injuries. The victim was transported to an area hospital but succumbed to his injuries on November 17th. It was determined that the victim’s injuries were caused by dog mauling.

Two apparent American Bully mixed breed dogs have been impounded from the residence. No arrests have been made. The investigation is ongoing.

Report Number: 23-3057

In October of 2022, a pair of American XL bullies -- a name interchangeable with XL pit bulls -- killed both children in their Tennessee home, 5-month old Hollace Bennard and 2-year old Lilly Bennard, and severely injured their young mother who intervened. Both children were pronounced deceased at the scene. The father called the dogs "house lions" on social media. The couple had owned the male and female pair of XL pit bulls for at least eight years before the dogs killed their two children.

Discovered Inside Home

KCTV reports that Williams was discovered inside the home -- not in the front yard -- and that family members were on scene. "Raytown police found a 15-year-old male lying on the kitchen floor with apparent head trauma. He was identified as Makai Williams. There were several people on scene who police presumed to be family members. According to the incident report, they told police Williams was located in the back of the home and were unsure of the cause of his injuries," reports KCTV.

teenager killed by pair of american bully-mixes

A male teenager, 15, was killed by a pair of American bully-mixes in Raytown, Missouri.

The main XL bully bloodline in the home was "Ghost," an offspring of King Lion. The fatal attackers were Rock and Bruno. There's no reason to believe that Rock was not a Ghost offspring. If true, this attack involves another fatal dog mauling by an offspring of King Lion.

Posted on November 16, 2023 by Colleen Lynn

2023 Dog Bite Fatality: Elderly Harris County Woman Found Dead in Bayou with Multiple Bite Marks

Constable: "Preliminary Info Victim Deceased of Many Dog Bites"

An elderly woman found dead in a bayou in northwest Harris County apparently had bite marks.

Cause of Death Released
UPDATE 11/20/23: The Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences website lists the primary cause of death of Sau Nguyen as "multiple sharp force and blunt force injuries." The manner of death was an accident. Both are indicative of a fatal dog mauling. The autopsy report is not yet complete. The place of death is listed as "ditch Houston, TX." Records at the Forensic Sciences website are updated every 30 minutes. Harris County Veterinary Public Health still has not released any dog breed data.

11/16/23: Woman Found Dead
Harris County, TX - On Wednesday, the body of a 79-year old woman was discovered dead by her son in a bayou near their northwest Houston home. Investigators said she appeared to have multiple bite marks. Her body was found near the 6100 block of Downwood Forest Drive near Bold Forest. Her family said she typically takes a daily walk, but did not return from her walk Wednesday afternoon. That's when her two sons began searching for her. She was discovered face down in the water.

According to neighbors, there was one home on the block where dogs frequently escaped from. One of the neighbors even told the victim to look out for the dogs on her walk Wednesday. Another unidentified neighbor said, "They attacked the neighbors. They even killed some of the dogs, pets, you know, the little, small chihuahuas and everything. We lost a life because of wild dogs." The video footage shows a German shepherd-mix and another shepherd-type being detained by authorities.

Her two sons identified their mother as Sau Nguyen. In the 1970s, she came to Houston from Vietnam with her husband to raise her children. According to a recent update by the Harris County Sheriff's Office, the investigation is ongoing and there is no indication that dogs were involved (Why then did officials seize seven dogs?). An autopsy will confirm her cause of death. Her death appears to have similarities to Robert Simonian, who died of drowning, but also sustained multiple dog bites.

"The last time this happened, about a month ago, they attacked someone in the same exact spot this lady was found, back here on the bayou," neighbor Reed Folwell told KRIV. The owner was ticketed at that time. "We asked the police when they came, 'What is it going to take to get this taken care of?' Does somebody have to die?" Three weeks prior to the dogs attacking Simonian, the dogs had been returned to their owner after being suspected of killing a man at the exact same canal location.

Neighbors Agitated

A subsequent KRIV video shows at least six of the seven dogs. The video also shows neighbors tense and agitated while constables were still at the scene. Neighbors had complained to authorities about these dogs for over a year prior to the woman's death. Folwell provided Ring camera video too, where he tries to escape the dog pack by fleeing into his home, saying "Holy Shit!" Neighbors cheered, hollered and clapped their hands after the dogs were loaded into the animal control vehicle.

In a tweet on Wednesday night, the preliminary cause of death was also announced. Pct. 1 Constable Alan Rosen tweeted out, "One of our most vulnerable communities- our senior citizens! 80 yr. old mom found deceased by her own family after not coming home from a walk. Preliminary info victim deceased of many dog bites." A spokesperson from Harris County Veterinary Public Health also provided a written statement about the case, finally nailing down the time her body was discovered.

"On November 15th, at approximately 11 p.m., animal control officers were dispatched to Downwood Forest Drive in northwestern Harris County, Texas," said a spokesperson from Harris County Veterinary Public Health. "The call was made by Constable Precinct 1 after a woman was found dead. The officers retrieved seven dogs, which were surrendered by their owner. The dogs are currently under the custody of the Harris County Pets Resource Center. The case is under investigation."