Posted on June 7, 2023 by Colleen Lynn

2023 Dog Bite Fatality: Woman Dies After Attack by Daughter's Pit Bull-Mix She was Dog Sitting in Corpus Christi

Rita Vasquez, 58, died after being attacked by her daughter's pit bull-mix while dog sitting.

Woman Dies in Hospital
Corpus Christi, TX - A 58-year old woman is dead after being attacked by a dog she had been watching for her daughter. On May 31, Rita Vasquez picked up the black-and-white pit bull-mix from her daughter's home to dog sit for the day. The attack occurred at about 11:54 am in the backyard of Vasquez's home in the 6500 block of Lyons Street. Joel Skidmore, the Corpus Christi Animal Care Services program manager, said that Vasquez sustained severe injuries in the attack.

"Sadly, the injuries that the victim sustained were categorized as severe," Skidmore said. The dog in question was still in the backyard when animal care services arrived at the scene, he said. They impounded the dog and brought it to the shelter facility for quarantine. "The owner was very cooperative," he said. She surrendered the dog to our agency. "Animal care services humanely euthanized the dog the same day it happened," Skidmore said. The dog tested negative for rabies.

According to Skidmore, the dog did not have a violent history. Skidmore was resourceful when responding to how his agency investigates severe and fatal attacks involving humans and animals, "It's not based on breed," Skidmore told KIII TV. They examine the circumstances about that specific incident. "Everything's looked at as an individual," he said, such as the victim and the dog involved. In this "specific situation, the dog owner is not facing any repercussions," he said.

The Nueces County Medical Examiner's Office has not yet determined the exact cause of death but has said the bite injuries Vasquez sustained were a contributing factor. Vasquez's obituary states that she leaves behind three daughters. One of them, Roxanne, organized a GoFundMe to help pay for funeral costs. "Our beloved Mother, Rita Maria Vasquez, tragically, suddenly lost her life on June 2, 2023," states the fundraiser. It's unclear which daughter owned the attacking dog.

Skidmore also stated in the KIII TV interview that this was the first fatal human mauling that had occurred during his tenure at Corpus Christi Animal Care Services. Our records show that the last case we recorded in Corpus Christi and Nueces County was the death of a woman also named Rita in 2014. Rita Woodard, 64, was attacked by at least four pit bull-mix dogs she was fostering. Her death was ruled, "critical coronary artery atherosclerosis following multiple dog bites."

Family Comments

Family members spoke to KRIS TV. Though no one witnessed the attack, family members speculate that Vasquez was breaking up a fight between the pit bull-mix she was dog sitting and the two chihuahuas in her home when the pit bull-mix turned on her in a "redirected attack" that resulted in severe injuries and her death. Thus far, no evidence has been presented stating that either of the two chihuahuas sustained injuries in this alleged, pre-cursor dog-on-dog attack.

Dog Sitting Fatalities

Vasquez's death marks the fourth fatal dog mauling since March when the victim was dog sitting at the time. In May, 46-year old Tamieka White, a Marion County sheriff's deputy, was killed at her home while dog sitting a pit bull-mix for a friend. In April, 22-year old Dezmond Trawick was killed at his home while dog sitting four pit bulls belonging to his brother. In March, 38-year old Kristen Potter was killed by a pair of great danes she agreed to feed while their owner was away.

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View the DogsBite.org Google State Map: Texas Fatal Pit Bull Attacks.

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 May 10, 2023 by Colleen Lynn

2023 Dog Bite Fatality: Marion County Deputy Killed by Violent Dog, Her Son Injured, While Dog Sitting the Animal

Tamieka White, 46, a Marion County sheriff's deputy, was killed while dog sitting for a friend.

Deputy Killed by Dog
Indianapolis, IN - A Marion County sheriff's deputy is dead and her son is hospitalized after being attacked while dog sitting the animal in their home. 46-year old Tamieka White was pronounced dead at the scene Tuesday night. Indianapolis police officers were dispatched to the 1700 block of Forsythia Drive at about 8:00 pm Tuesday on reports of an aggressive dog. Officers located the adult female victim lying on the ground with injuries inside a garage adjacent to the residence.

Officers attempted to enter the garage but were stopped by an aggressive dog. Officers shot and killed the dog. White had been with the Marion County Sheriff’s Department since 2007 and worked in the Judicial Enforcement Division. “Deputy White was a bright light to all that knew her,” said Sheriff Kerry Forestal. “We are immensely grateful for her nearly 17 years of service to our agency. We will work to uphold her legacy as a courageous and dedicated public servant.”

Police found White's 8-year old son inside the residence, who had also been bitten by the dog. He was transported to a local Level 1 trauma center with non-life-threatening injuries and is listed in "good condition." IMPD Maj. Mike Leepper said that three other dogs were found inside the home, and only one of them belonged to White. She had been dog sitting three dogs, including the attacker, for a friend, according to police. The dogs were taken into custody by authorities.

"IACS said three live dogs, one dead dog, and one cat were impounded from the east side home following the deadly attack. IACS said all of the dogs, including the deceased dog, appeared to be “pit bull-type dogs.” IACS cannot confirm the breed without a DNA test, but does not plan on testing for the exact breed." - WXIN, Joe Schroeder, May 10, 2023

According to media reports, a man went to the scene Tuesday and told police the dogs belonged to his girlfriend, and he wanted them back. Police told him the dogs would continue to be held by animal control. Just three days earlier, on May 6, IACS was called to the same home on a report of two loose, aggressive dogs. The officer found two dogs in front of a broken fence on the side of the home, and a third dog in the backyard. The owner was also apparently notified about this.

WTHR reports that the fatal attack occurred in the fenced-in backyard. According to neighbors, White's son ran from the home and began knocking on doors asking for help. "He was in shock," said the neighbor. "He kept repeating several things over and over concerning his mom." The neighbor said the dogs weren't familiar. White confirmed to the neighbor she was dog sitting the day before the attack and also said she was going to fix the fence the dogs had broken through.

As recently as December 2022, White was tagged in a Facebook post about a litter of pit bull puppies by seller/breeder, Danica. "They are ready to go! Inbox me! There are 4 boys and 3 girls!" Danica said the dogs were "standard bullies," one of the four sizes of the American bully. Danica also commented on a photo on White's Facebook page that shows the "light skin" puppy from the December post. "She sooo spoiled I love it!" Apparently, White acquired that dog from the litter.

Marion County deputy killed by pit bull while dog sitting

Tamieka White, 46-years old, was killed and her son injured while dog sitting for a friend.

Three days before the deadly attack, the pit bulls had broken out of the victim's fence.

View the DogsBite.org Google State Map: Indiana Fatal Pit Bull Attacks.

Posted on May 4, 2023 by Colleen Lynn

2023 Dog Bite Fatality: Family Dog Kills Infant, Critically Injures Grandmother in Waterloo, Iowa

The home on Scott Avenue where a dog attacked two family members, killing one.

Family Dog Kills Infant
Waterloo, IA - An infant is dead, and a grandmother is seriously injured after a family dog attacked them both. First responders were dispatched to the 1200 block of Scott Avenue at about 7:20 am after a report of a dog attack inside the home. The 9-month old infant died at the scene. The child's grandmother, 49, was also critically injured in the attack. She was taken to UnityPoint-Health Allen Hospital and then flown to the University of Iowa Hospitals in Iowa City, police said.

A reporter from the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier captured a photograph of the dog as an animal control officer led the dog away on a snare pole. The dog is described as a 9-year old "neutered male boxer-hound mix." The animal has since been euthanized, and its remains were taken to the state veterinary lab at Iowa State University for testing, reports the Falls Courier. Authorities said there were no prior calls about this dog. The identities of the victims have not been released.

Fatal Dog Maulings in Iowa

Fatal dog maulings are rare in this Midwest state. From 2005 to the present day, our nonprofit has only recorded 8 deadly dog attacks in Iowa. Three of these deaths have occurred since January 2022. Preceding the infant's death are the deaths of 43-year old Mindy Kiepe, who was killed by a pack of her own great danes in Clay County last August, and 27-year old Chaille Morgan, who was killed by a pack of vicious dogs on the Meskwaki Nation Settlement in Tama County last March.

Identified as Pit Bull by Reporting Party

The audio dispatch log files from Black Hawk County Fire and EMS located on Broadcastify.com clearly state that the "reporting party," who was "also injured as well" -- indicating the caller was the grandmother -- identified the dog as a pit bull. A person inside the home, familiar with the dog, identified the dog as a pit bull, not a "boxer-hound mix." Several minutes after this exchange, while EMS was en route, EMS requested a second ambulance. "It's on the way," dispatch replied.

"334 for an animal attack on an infant ... The animal control, PD ... received a report that a 9-month old child possibly killed by a pit bull. Our reporting party was also injured as well ... Scott Avenue ... 10-4, send a truck ... Respond 334 for an animal attack ... for a pit bull that's attacked a 9-month old child, possibly killed it. We do have animal control and PD in route as well. Our reporting party was also injured. I don't know the extent. It does sound like the pit bull might be in the backyard, in a fenced-in backyard." - Black Hawk County Fire and EMS Dispatch

The father of the child, who today posted the baby's GoFundMe to his Facebook page, is a fan of pit bulls and identified the attacking dog, "Echo," as a pit bull in 2018. In 2019, the household also had a purebred pit bull and a boxer-mix, according to photographs posted by the father. Note the underbite and the docked tail. Echo, on the other hand, has neither boxer trait. Echo also has the distinct "rose ears" of a pit bull, as identified in the 1977 American Pit Bull conformation standard.

"His existence today was not because he was bred only for gameness. He was not bred only for power. He sure as hell was not bred only for his intelligence, loyalty, boldness, round eye, rose ear, red nose, or his inclination for dragging children from the paths of speeding trains. He was bred to win. That's right folks, he was developed for competition." - Pit Bull Gazette, Volume 1, Issue 3, 1977

The Falls Courier article has been updated to include that the grandmother was babysitting the baby at the time. The mother had started a new job, police said. At one point, the grandmother set the infant down and the dog attacked the baby. The grandmother intervened to save the baby and in the process was bitten on the arm, police said. Mind you, that "bite to the arm" caused the grandmother to be airlifted to a Level 1 trauma center, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.

According to the family's GoFundMe organized by Chase Dunbar, the child victim was a female, named Navy. "After hearing tragic news on May 4th Tyler and Alyssa lost their sweet daughter Navy in an accident, we want to relieve them in any way we can," states the fundraiser. "Please consider helping our close friends with any expenses that come they’re way in this difficult time. All proceeds will go the Smith Family. Thank you." So far, the fund has raised over $15,000.

On May 8, the Falls Courier confirmed the child's identity is Navy Smith. The 49-year old grandmother, who intervened to try to save the infant, is Susan Smith. Her medical condition remains undisclosed. By May 22, the family's GoFundMe had reached over $36,000.

family dog kills infant in waterloo, Iowa

The attacking dog, "Echo," seen in photographs posted by the baby's father to Facebook.

Posted on April 29, 2023 by Colleen Lynn

2023 Dog Bite Fatality: Tulsa Woman, 71, Killed by Neighbor's Four Dogs While Searching for One of Her Beloved Cats

Glennaroy Blackwelder, 71, was killed by four dogs belonging to a neighbor.

UPDATE 12/02/23: In late November, DogsBite.org obtained records from the Tulsa Police Department and the Tulsa Animal Welfare Department after submitting a public records request regarding the death of Glennaroy Blackwelder. After the April 18 fatal dog attack, police did not release the time the attack occurred or the dog breeds involved. The attack occurred at approximately 4:30 pm. Three pit bulls and one Belgian malinois were taken into custody and euthanized after the fatal attack.

Blackwelder was discovered deceased in the backyard of a home next door to where the dogs resided. Fence lines and heights are not explained in the police incident report, nor is the location of where the attack started (on or adjacent to the dog owner's property). According to the narrative, only the three pit bulls were involved in the attack. However, we do not have the supplemental reports. Therefore, we cannot exclude the malinois, given that this was a complicated multi-dog attack.

"TPD explained she had been mauled by the three pit bulls resulting in her death. I spoke with the dog owner redacted redacted. He was visibly shaken by the encounter. He received a call that his dogs attacked someone, and got to his house to secure the dogs for TPD and the medical examiners. He did not want to own the dogs anymore and willingly loaded the three attack dogs and one malinois that he'd received a complaint on before." - Tulsa Police Incident Report

Tulsa woman killed by dogs while searching for beloved cats

The three pit bulls and a Belgian malinois involved the death of Glennaroy Blackwelder. From top left: Bergle (female), Boba (female), Billy (male), and Josh, the Belgian malinois, (male).

04/29/23: Attacked Through Fence
Tulsa, OK - Another adult is dead after being attacked by dogs in Tulsa. The fatal attack occurred on April 18, but no confirmation was provided by local news outlets until April 25. Glennaroy Blackwelder, 71-years old, died after being attacked by four dogs belonging to one of her neighbors. The deadly attack occurred near Blackwelder's home in the 1400 block of North Delaware Place. The time of the attack was not released by Tulsa police, nor were the breeds of dogs involved.

In late March, 66-year old Donald Gibson of Tulsa died after being viciously attacked by at least one family pit bull after trying to break up a dog fight. That attack happened in east Tulsa, about 15 miles east from Blackwelder's home. Longtime neighbor and friend of Blackwelder, Diane Wise, spoke to KJRH. Wise said that "everybody liked Glenna." Wise has lived just a few doors away from Blackwelder since the 1980s. She has known Glennaroy Blackwelder for decades.

Wise affectionately called Blackwelder a "crazy cat lady," who rescued and cared for cats. Wise said that Blackwelder was looking for one of her cats that day when she was attacked by the four dogs. According to Wise, Blackwelder was walking between her friend’s house and another neighbor’s house, which had a short chain-link fence separating Glenna and the dogs. The dogs attacked Blackwelder through the fence, Wise said, grabbing ahold of one of her arms, killing her.

She died in a neighbor's yard who had known and cared about her, Wise said. “The guy that she died in his yard was just heartbroken,” she said. “‘She is such a good neighbor,'" he told her. “He had only lived there about five years, but he was very attached to her," Wise said. That man was not identified. A spokesperson for the city of Tulsa said the dog attack is still under investigation. The four dogs involved in the attack were surrendered to Tulsa animal welfare and euthanized.

Glenna was "was passionate about rescuing & feeding animals including cats, more cats, stray cats, birds, squirrels, a resident possum and OH! Did I mention her love of cats," states her obituary. She volunteered at "Catholic Charities and local animal shelters, often bringing home animals that needed extra love and care." It describes her death as a "sudden passing" that has left a "deep void in the hearts of her family, friends and cats." She will be dearly missed, the obituary states.

In October 2020, Curtis Wickham, 26-years old, was killed by three pit bulls in west Tulsa. That attack occurred about 7 miles west of Blackwelder's home. The dogs' owner, Benjamin Ryan Spence, pleaded no contest to second-degree manslaughter in connection to Wickham's death in May of 2022. Prosecutors had initially charged Spence with second-degree murder for directing his three pit bulls to attack Wickham, but corroborating that in court proved to be too difficult.

More Unreported Fatal Dog Attacks in Tulsa

Several days after publishing the post, Animals 24-7 reported that at least two other adults were killed by dogs in Tulsa recently -- neither were reported by police, animal control or local media outlets. John "Pops" Hunter, 78 years old, was apparently killed by a family pit bull, possibly his own. The source of this information was Hunter's daughter, Becca, who told Animals 24-7 that she had previously been bitten by the same dog. The date of Hunter's death was not provided.

The victim in the other apparent fatal dog mauling in Tulsa was John Reed. “John Reed, 55-60 years old, badly bitten near Sheridan and 36th Street North,” who after the pit bull attack “went into his house and bled to death," according to a confidential source of Animals 24-7. A funeral for his death was apparently held on May 1, 2023, but it was not publicly announced. Reed is believed to have been killed by his own pit bull. The Reeds are said to be of Native American heritage.

Blackwelder's home of 71 years in the 1400 block of North Delaware Place in central Tulsa.

View the DogsBite.org Google State Map: Oklahoma Fatal Pit Bull Attacks.

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