2007 Dog Bite Fatality: Tori Whitehurst, Killed by an Adopted Out American Bulldog

Adopted Dog Kills Child
Phoenix, AZ -A 4-year old died after being attacked by her family's American bulldog. Tori Whitehurst was airlifted to a hospital in Phoenix, but did not survive. The attack happened just before 4 pm at the family's home in the 500 block of Yearling Road. Tori and her sister had been playing in the backyard with four dogs. A live-in nanny was watching the girls, but left briefly to retriever something. When the bulldog started attacking Tori, her sister ran and told the nanny.

The nanny rushed outside and found the dog had latched onto Tori's throat. The nanny began hitting the dog with various objects, including stabbing it with scissors, but could not get the dog to release its jaws. Deputies arrived to find the dog laying next to Tori, sheriff's officials said. When the dog began advancing on the deputies, they Tased it, then shot the animal five times, killing it. The Arizona Human Society later described the dog as an American bulldog-mastiff mix.

Maricopa County sheriff's deputies said they first tried Tasering the animal and when that didn't work, they shot it multiple times.

"My neighbor behind us heard gunshots," said Ian Whitehurst.
He said the neighbor then called him, telling him her daughter had been attacked by the family dog.

"She was really close with Kane," said Dani During, a family friend. "That's the dog's name. We don't know what got into it." - KPHO Phoenix, November 6, 2007

Kane's Background

The dog named Kane was surrendered to the Arizona Humane Society (AHS) in March 2007. He adopted to an unnamed person in April. This person allegedly gave the dog to the Whitehurst family in June. The dog killed Tori four months later. AHS released a statement on November 6, stating, "we are not certain how" Kane ended up with Tori's family and that when Kane left their facility, and, "he was fully evaluated by three behaviorists and showed no
sign of aggression."

AHS STATEMENT REGARDING DOG INVOLVED IN FATAL MAULING
(PHOENIX) – Arizona Humane Society officials learned late today that “Kane,” the dog involved in yesterday’s fatal mauling of a 4-year-old Phoenix girl, was surrendered to its Sunnyslope Facility in March of 2007 and subsequently adopted out. However, records indicate that someone other than the family of Tori Whitehurst, the young victim, adopted the dog in April of 2007.

AHS officials are now evaluating all of its agency’s records, and are not certain how, or when, “Kane” ended up with the child’s family or what “Kane” experienced between the time he left the AHS and was taken in by the child’s family.

“We have no record whatsoever of the child’s family adopting the dog from our shelter and we do not know how this dog ended up with Tori’s family. We are turning all of this animal’s records over to the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Department to assist in their investigation of this tragic incident,” said Kim Noetzel, AHS spokeswoman. “We are heartbroken over this matter and extend our sincere condolences to the family and friends of Tori Whitehurst. We will cooperate fully with the investigation. At this point, there is no connection between our records and the victim’s family.”

The AHS learned Tuesday afternoon that “Kane” had been implanted with a Microchip at the time he was adopted in April 2007, and that chip matched the Animal

Identification number assigned to him when he was surrendered to the AHS in March of 2007. When he was surrendered, the surrendering family said they had “no time” for the dog.

“Kane” was fully evaluated by three behaviorists at the AHS prior being placed up for adoption and showed no signs of arousal and no aggression whatsoever while in AHS custody.

“We do not know if the person who adopted “Kane” mistreated him, gave him away, or if he ran away and was taken in by a different family – we simply have no idea how he ended up with Tori Whitehurst’s family,” Noetzel said. “And, we have no idea why he attacked the child and, at this point, we cannot even speculate. When he left the AHS he was behaviorally sound and physically healthy.”

“Kane” was neutered; records indicate he was born in June of 2005 and that he was an American Bulldog/mastiff mix.

2007 Dog Bite Fatality: Scott Warren, 6, Killed by Family Pit Bull

Family Pit Bull Kills Boy
Dallas, TX - A 6-year-old boy was mauled to death by a family pit bull at his home in the Pleasant Grove neighborhood. Dallas police Sgt. Gil Cerda said that Scott Warren was inside his home when the family's 1-year old dog suddenly attacked him in the 1900 block of Prichard Lane. The boy died while en route to Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas. At the time of the attack, his mother was outside, Sgt. Cerda said. "When she came in, she saw the dog mauling the child."

Neighbors said that Scott's family had only moved in about four months ago, but their dogs had already become a problem. One neighbor, Rudy Lopez, said he saw a woman beating one of the dogs with a shovel a few weeks ago after it got in a fight with another dog, reports The Dallas Morning News. Anthony Mack, said he couldn't understand why a child would be left inside with the animals. Sgt. Cerda said the mother was cooperating. No criminal charges are expected.

Kressie Warren said Friday's attack was the first time the dog had snapped at anyone. But, she says, with a young daughter in the house, now her only child, it will be the last. "It's going to be difficult from now on," said Warren said. She weeps, regretful she ever got the pit bull that took her son, Scott's, life.

"I don't want to never see another pit bull, never. Because he took a precious life." The mauling happened just before 7 p.m. Friday night. "We were sitting there in the room and all of the sudden the dog just jumped at him, grabbed at him," Warren said. Her daughter was in the room with them.

"She was at the back, I was grabbing his mouth trying to get him loose but he was slinging him everywhere." By the time they got the dog off, it was too late. Bob Green, WFAA, September 1, 2007

Scott loved his family's four dogs. But he especially liked Tippy, a pit bull that Scott had raised since the family got the dog when it was 4-weeks old. Like many other days, Scott was lying on his mother's bed watching TV with his 13-year old sister, when Tippy leapt off the floor and attacked the boy unprovoked, according to relatives. "It took [his mother] 10 minutes to get the dog off him," said Joe Warren, Scott's grandfather who lives with the family  at their home on Prichard Lane.

2007 Dog Bite Fatality: Tina Marie Canterbury Killed by Her Two Pit Bulls

Middleburg Woman Dies
Middleburg, FL - A 42-year-old woman was fatally mauled by her two pit bulls, which also attacked the victim's son and a sheriff's deputy before both dogs were shot and killed, according to the Clay County Sheriff's Office. Tina Marie Canterbury was dead when deputies arrived at the scene. During the attack the other brother called 911 -- the dogs could be heard in the background.

"We have two full-blooded red-nosed pits and they just attacked our mom. We can't get to my mom and my brother just went out there and they attacked him too. They don't need to get out of the ambulance or the dogs will try to get them, too." - WJXT Jacksonville

A family friend, who was at the home at the time, shot at the dogs with a 9mm handgun, but they were still alive and one of them lunged at an arriving deputy before it was shot and killed. The remaining dog got loose. The sheriff's office issued a dangerous dog alert while animal control officers tracked the animal down. The dog was later found in a wooded area and shot and killed.

Authorities said they did not know what circumstances caused the dogs to attack Canterbury. Animal Crimes Detective Annie Henderson said, "This was a responsible owner. These animals never had any history of any type of aggression." The dogs were behind a fence that had a beware-of-dogs sign and the county had never had an animal complaint at the home.

The dogs were two years old and had been raised since puppies by Canterbury.