Posted on August 17, 2023 by Colleen Lynn

2023 Dog Bite Fatality: Blytheville Woman Mauled by Three Pit Bulls in June Dies; Dog Owner Charged with Multiple Felonies

Jeane Bennett, 93, of Blytheville, died of injuries she sustained in a pit bull mauling.

Woman Dies After Dog Attack
Blytheville, AR - The Blytheville, Arkansas Police Department issued a media advisory stating that on August 15, Jeane Bennett, 93-years old, died of injuries she sustained in a brutal pit bull mauling on June 3. After the attack, Bennett was transported to Regional One Medical Center in Memphis, where she remained hospitalized until her death. On August 16, police arrested the owner of the three pit bulls, David Veasey, 43, of Blytheville, and charged him with multiple felonies and other charges.

At approximately 6:30 pm on June 3, Blytheville police officers were dispatched to the 900 block of North Ruddle Road about a person being attacked by multiple dogs. Officers arrived and found Bennett with family members in the backyard of her home, "unconscious" with "multiple bite wounds on her face and extremities," including injuries exposing bone. According to witness statements, Veasey's three pit bulls, which resided next door, were in Bennett's backyard attacking the witness.

Officers observed blood on all three dogs and dispatched two of them on the scene. The third pit bull was later euthanized by a local veterinarian. On August 16, detectives obtained warrants for Veasey’s arrest, who was taken into custody. Veasey faces two counts of felony aggravated assault (use of a deadly weapon), two counts of an unlawful dog attack, misdemeanors, and various violations of city ordinances. Online Arkansas court records show that Veasey has a lengthy criminal background.

The attack was so horrific to community members and local officials that the city of Blytheville proposed a pit bull ordinance less than two weeks later. It's unclear if that proposal gathered any traction. Also in June, the owners of three pit bull-mixes that killed a 2-year old child in Arizona were charged with "aggravated assault with a deadly weapon," a class 2 felony in that state. We rarely see aggravated assault charges after a deadly dog mauling, which often speaks to human "intent."

Media Advisory
ARREST MADE IN DOG ATTACK CASE

Blytheville, AR – On June 3rd, 2023, at approximately 6:34 p.m., Officers of the Blytheville Police Department were dispatched to the 900 block North Ruddle Road in Blytheville regarding a person having been attacked by dogs. On arrival, Officers located, 93 yr. old Jeane Bennett, with family members in the backyard of her residence. Officers found Bennett unconscious and had multiple bite wounds on her face and extremities. Officers reported the wounds were severe enough to expose bone. Officers began providing first aid including the application of tourniquets.

Witnesses reported hearing a scream from family members and went to their aid. They reported three (3) large pit bull dogs from next door were in the yard being aggressive and attacking the witness. They were able to fight them off and get them back into their fenced yard.

Officers observed blood on the three (3) dogs that were still being aggressive towards them. Officers euthanized two (2) of the three (3) dogs at the scene the third was taken by Blytheville Animal Control Officers. The third was then euthanized by a local vet. All three (3) dogs were tested for rabies.

Bennett was transported to Regional One Medical Center in Memphis where she remained hospitalized and on August 15th 2023 she passed away.

The subsequent investigation identified 43 year-old David Veasey of Blytheville as the owner of the dogs. On August 16th 2023 Detectives of the Blytheville Police Department Criminal Investigation Division obtained warrants for Veasey’s arrest who was taken into custody on these warrants later that day. Veasey has been charged with:

2 counts of Felony Aggravated Assault

2 counts of Unlawful Dog Attack

Various Violations of City Ordinance

Veasey appeared in court on August 17, 2023 for arraignment. He was given a $100,000.00 standard bond with 10% having to be paid in cash. The Blytheville Police Department would like to thank the community, the Prosecutor’s Office and everyone involved with their assistance with this case.

Sgt. Robin Haught-Angel

Public Information Officer

Jeane Bennett, 93, died after being mauled by three pit bulls in Blytheville, Arkansas.

View the DogsBite.org Google Map: Arkansas Fatal Pit Bull Maulings.

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 August 3, 2023 by Colleen Lynn

2023 Dog Bite Fatality: Man Killed by Own Dog that was on Trial for Attacking Neighbor in Livingston County, Michigan

A 68-year old man was found dead after being attacked by his own dog in Tyrone Township.

Dog Kills Owner
Tyrone Township, MI - The body of a 68-year old man was discovered dead behind a residence on Wednesday. Police suspected he was the victim of a fatal animal attack. On August 2, at approximately 11:40 am, Livingston County Animal Control deputies were conducting a follow-up visit at a home in the 8000 block of Faussett Road in Tyrone Township regarding a dangerous dog report. When deputies arrived, they discovered a deceased male behind the residence.

The victim's body was transported to Sparrow Hospital in Lansing for an autopsy. At that time on Wednesday, no other details were released. Today, the Lansing State Journal reports that the dog had recently been involved in an attack on another resident. The animal control deputies had been conducting the follow-up visit to serve the man a court notice about the dog, but instead found him dead in a cattle pasture. The man's dog was actively biting him when the deputies arrived.

The victim has since been identified as 68-year old Patrick Conley Sr.

The dog, described as a "mastiff-mix breed," was dispatched at the scene due to aggressive behavior toward the victim and the deputies. Police attempted medical aid, but the man was pronounced dead at the scene. The official cause of death remains pending. The identity of the victim, details about the court notice, and details about the prior attack were not initially released. The Hartland Area Fire Department and Livingston County EMS also responded to the scene.

WXYZ reports that the individual who was previously attacked by the dog is the owner's neighbor. That person suffered "extremely serious injuries," which is why the deputies were serving the court order (Notably, the dog was not seized after the first serious attack and taken into quarantine). WXYZ also spoke to William Standish, who lives nearby. He described the dogs as "guardian dogs" for the victim's livestock. Standish said he was "shocked" the man died of a dog attack.

Livingston County Sheriff's Office

Death Investigation - On Wednesday August 2, 2023, at approximately 11:40 a.m. Animal Control Deputies with the Livingston County Sheriff’s Office were conducting follow-up at an address in the 8000 block of Faussett Rd. in Tyrone Township. Animal Control Deputies were at the residence serving the homeowner a court notice issued by the 53rd District Court for a show-cause hearing. The dog at that residence had recently been involved in a dog attack incident where an area resident received extremely serious injuries. The dog was identified as a Mastiff mix breed.

While attempting to make contact at the residence, Animal Control Deputies located the 68-year-old resident who is also the dog owner, in a cattle pasture belonging to that address. It was observed that the dog was actively biting the decedent’s body when Animal Control Deputies located him. The victim who was later pronounced deceased on-scene, had fatal injuries consistent in appearance with a dog attack. Due to the dog’s aggressive behavior toward the victim and responding emergency personnel, the animal was killed on-site so that medical aid could be attempted. Foul play is not suspected. The victim was transported to Sparrow Hospital in Lansing for an autopsy. The official cause and manner of death are pending at this time. Deputies were assisted on-scene by the Hartland Area Fire Department and Livingston County EMS.

This incident remains under investigation by the Livingston County Sheriff’s Office Detective Bureau.

Finally, the last time we recorded a fatal dog mauling in Livingston County, Michigan was in 2007 after a pack of American bulldog-mixes killed two people -- it was a double fatal dog mauling that resulted in a criminal trial. Diane Cockrell, 52, of Iosco Township, was ordered to serve a minimum of 3.5 years to a maximum of 15 years in prison for allowing her American bulldogs-mixes to run loose and kill Cheryl Harper, 56, and Edward Gierlach, 91, in rural Iosco Township in 2007.

A 68-year old man was found dead after being attacked by his own dog in Tyrone Township.

Posted on August 2, 2023 by Colleen Lynn

Case Investigated Under New Hawaii County Law After Dog Mauling Death

Robert Northrop, 71, was killed by multiple large dogs in Kau, a district in southern Hawaii County.

Multiple Dogs Kill Man
Kau, HI - A man in his 70s is dead after being attacked by multiple dogs in a subdivision in Kau, the southernmost and largest district of Hawaii County on the island of Hawaii. On August 1, at about 9:00 am, Kau police officers were dispatched to the 92-2000 block of Outrigger Drive in the Hawaiian Ocean View Estates subdivision after reports of an animal bite. Officers found a man lying unconscious in the roadway. A witness saw the dogs attacking the man and called 911.

The victim was treated at the scene by emergency responders, but while being transported to Kona Community Hospital, he succumbed to his injuries. He was then transported to Kau Hospital for the official pronouncement of death, states a release by the Hawaii Police Department. "There is currently no evidence that the victim provoked this horrific attack. This incident is a senseless tragedy that could have been avoided," Hawaii Police Chief Ben Moszkowicz said in the release.

The dogs' owners were not home at the time; however, they have been identified and contacted by police. "Investigators are looking into claims that the dogs had previously been reported as stray animals," states the release. The owners have surrendered all four dogs and a litter of 10 puppies to the Hawaii County Animal Control and Protection Agency. "The victim's identity is being withheld until positive identification is made and the next of kin is contacted," states the release.

Police are investigating the attack under the felony dog attack statute that was passed in Hawaii County in 2022. The law was devised after three elderly people, two men and one woman, were viciously attacked by multiple dogs in the Hawaiian Paradise Park subdivision in Puna in 2021. The female victim, 85-yeares old Dolores Oskins, suffered critical injuries and died afterward. Investigators have classified the recent fatal dog attack as a Class B felony under the statute.

"Police are investigating this incident as a Negligent Failure to Control a Dangerous Dog case. Hawai’i County Code section 4-4-32 was most recently revised in 2022 and makes it a felony crime if someone fails to take reasonable measures to prevent an unprovoked dog attack resulting in serious bodily injury or death. Investigators have classified the case as a Class B Felony. If convicted under this section, the dog owners could face up to a $25,000 fine, ten years in prison, restitution, and/or the humane destruction of the dogs involved." - Hawaii Police Department

Vicious dog attacks are more prominent in rural communities, "where erecting fences on large properties is a costly solution, and state regulations prohibit tethering dogs," reports KOHN. Currently, county code allows for the seizure of dangerous dogs after an attack, as well as the felony statute. In response to multiple attacks since 2021, including the death of Oskins, the county ceased contracting out animal control services and created a separate agency.

GoFundMe & Breeds Identified

Late Wednesday, the victim was identified as 71-year old Robert Northrop of Ocean View. His family has set up a GoFundMe that has raised over $6,000. His daughters described him as a man with "more lives than a cat, because he has survived catastrophic surfing accidents, construction accidents, car crashes, motorcycle crashes, and most recently last year -- an electric bike crash into the lava fields in HOVE that hospitalized him at Queen's Medical for 3 weeks."

"It is so tragic for him to finally meet his end in this way, especially as he is a lifelong animal lover and would frequently rescue strays."

Over the weekend, Big Island Now reported that all four adult dogs involved in the deadly attack were pit bulls (three were pit bull "mixes" and the other a purebred "Staffordshire bull terrier"). Those dogs and 10 puppies seized by animal control after the attack have since been euthanized. Also, the dogs' owners admitted to a police officer at the scene that they do not live at the residence were the dogs came from, and the dogs were left unattended on the property.

The owners now may face a felony under the Negligent Failure to Control a Dangerous Dog statue. If charged and convicted, they could face a fine of up to $25,000 or 10 years in prison. The owners left 14 dogs unattended. At least four of the dogs ran off the property and killed a man. “If the dogs had been secured in a fenced area or kennels, this would have been preventable,” said Hawaii County Councilwoman Michelle Galimba, who represents the Ocean View area.

The progress being made by Hawaii County, passing the felony dog attack law in 2022 and creating the Animal Control and Protection Agency, which has been operating since July 1, is substantial. However, the combined population of the districts of Kau and Puna (where Oskins was killed in 2021) is only 65,000-70,000. It's alarming to have two dog bite fatalities in such a small population size in a few year period. Both deaths also involved multiple pit bulls attacking.

dogs kill man in kau, hawaii county, big island

Robert Northrop was killed by a pack of pit bull-mixes in southern Hawaii County on August 1.

The area where Robert “Bob” Northrop, 71, of Ocean View, was killed by multiple large dogs.

Posted on July 30, 2023 by Colleen Lynn

2023 Dog Bite Fatality: Skipperville Man, 27, Killed by Dog Pack; Captured on Surveillance Camera

Demarcus “Sam” McKenzie II, 27, of Skipperville, was killed by a dog pack.

Man Killed by Dogs
Skipperville, AL - What began as a murder investigation on Saturday, turned into a fatal dog mauling, according to Sheriff Mason Bynum of the Dale County Sheriff's Office. Authorities initially thought that that 27-year old Demarcus “Sam” McKenzie II, of Skipperville, died due to a gunshot wound to the head. After obtaining a search warrant, and reviewing outside surveillance footage, however, McKenzie is seen leaving "the residence" when multiple dogs began attacking him.

Ozark-Dale County E911 received a call at approximately 9:15 am Saturday morning of an unresponsive man in the 5500 block of County Road 33 in the Skipperville, Ozark community, Sheriff Bynum said. When deputies arrived, they found McKenzie lying dead in the driveway. His body was turned over to the Dale County Coroner's Office and transported to the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences for an autopsy. Ozark police assisted in the investigation.

"When investigators arrived and began processing the scene it initially appeared that the victim suffered a gunshot wound to his head. As investigators and a crime scene technician processed the victim and collected statements from witnesses there were some inconsistencies and a lack of physical evidence to support those initial thoughts." - Sheriff Mason Bynum, Dale County Sheriff’s Office

The attack began with one dog, then several more joined in, causing McKenzie to trip and fall at the end of his driveway. Up to six dogs are seen violently attacking McKenzie as he struggled to stand. "Late Saturday night, I met with the victim’s mother and family and provided them with our findings," Sheriff Bynum told media outlets. The Dale County Sheriff's Office will consult with the Dale County District Attorney's Office as the investigation progresses, Sheriff Bynum said.

This isn't the first time authorities suspected a homicide via gunshot injuries to the head, which turned out to be a fatal dog attack instead. The two other two victims were also African American men and were killed by the same dogs 2.5 months apart. In that case, in Mississippi, police did not connect the dots that both men discovered in nearby ditches were killed by dogs until after the second victim. That dog owner was eventually found guilty on two counts of manslaughter.

Discrepancies that currently exist include McKenzie's home. Some reports say he was exiting his home when the dogs attacked, and another report states he was "was exiting the residence" where he had been "present inside the home prior to the incident." It's also unknown who owns the dogs involved, and which witnesses provided inconsistent statements. Finally, there was also surveillance footage, which is relatively uncommon, especially for a home in a rural area.

Back in March, close to the 5500 block of County Road 33, a pack of three loose dogs broke into a fenced-in yard and "killed one of our cats, a possum, and my dad's two rabbits," according to Elizabeth Dobbs, who lives in or around Summerville Road, which is southwest of the fatal attack location. She also knows the victim and reposted a post 17 hours ago titled, #Justiceforsam. At that time, Dobbs and other local residents thought McKenzie had been shot and murdered.

Autopsy Results

On August 2, autopsy results confirmed that McKenzie was killed by dogs. The official cause of McKenzie's death of was "sharp force trauma" caused by the dogs, according to Sheriff Bynum. Authorities confiscated ten dogs on the property and euthanized them. "With cooperation from the homeowner, we did get an order from the courts, and the homeowner did consent to us taking possession of the dogs, and those dogs have already been euthanized," Sheriff Bynum said.

dog pack killed multiple animals four months before skipperville man killed by dogs

The loose, attacking dog pack in March includes at least one pit bull and a mixed-breed dog.

Map of Skipperville man killed by dog pack

The area of the fatal dog attack and where a dog pack killed multiple animals in March 2023.

DogsBite blog ::

2023 Dog Bite Fatality: Blytheville Woman Mauled by Three Pit Bulls in June Dies; Dog Owner Charged with Multiple Felonies

2023 Dog Bite Fatality: Man Killed by Own Dog that was on Trial for Attacking Neighbor in Livingston County, Michigan

2023 Dog Bite Fatality: Multiple Pit Bulls Kill Elderly Man in Kau, a District in Southern Hawaii County on the Big Island

Case Investigated Under New Hawaii County Law After Dog Mauling Death

2023 Dog Bite Fatality: Skipperville Man, 27, Killed by Dog Pack; Captured on Surveillance Camera