2023 Dog Bite Fatality: Woman Killed by Blue Nose Pit Bull After Dog Broke Free from Chain in Pitts, Georgia

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fatal blue nose pit bull attack
A 66-year old woman was killed by a blue nose pit bull outside of Pitts, Georgia.

Woman Dies of Injuries
Pitts, GA – On Friday, the Wilcox County Sheriff’s Office announced two separate pit bull attacks. Both victims were female, and one attack resulted in death. Doris McBurse, 66-years old, was announced dead at the scene. “The victim and her husband were the owners of the pit bull that had broken free from its chain,” states a release from the sheriff’s office. The attack occurred at the victim’s home in the 2600 block of Pearce Road. The attacking dog was a “blue pit bull.”

WMAZ spoke to Wilcox County Coroner Janice Brown, who said the pit bull belonged to McBurse’s husband. She apparently escaped to her car for safety, but then died of her injuries, Brown said. They found her body inside the car. The couple had owned that blue pit bull -- there are several on the McBurse property -- for about three or four years. No one knows why the dog attacked her. The animal was surrendered to the Wilcox County Sheriff’s Office and euthanized.

Over a dozen photographs published on her husband’s Facebook page, Harris McBurse, shows that he had been breeding pit bulls for some time. The adult pit bulls, a red nose and blue nose, are seen staked out on chains. He advertised both colors for sale. “Top of the line puppies! Very beautiful and with plenty of fire,” he stated in a June 1, 2019 Facebook post. He also called the “Daddy” a “blue pit”, which could be “Flash the blue,” and the “mother” a “sandy red” pit bull.

Wilcox County Georgia Sheriff's Office
January 27, 2023

"On January 17, and again on January 24, 2023, there were two separate Pitbull dog attacks in Wilcox County. The first was in Pineview, Ga., resulting in a female victim being injured. The two dogs were quarantined for ten days, per state law, to assure rabies wasn't an issue. After the ten day waiting period, the Wilcox County Sheriff transported the animals to be humanely euthanized after the owner signed over custody.

The second attack occurred outside of Pitts, Ga., resulting in the death of a female victim. She was pronounced deceased on the scene of the attack. The victim and her husband were the owners of the Pitbull that had broken free from its chain. The dog was removed from the premises by the Sheriff and taken to be humanely euthanized by a veterinarian after the owner signed the necessary paperwork. There is an ongoing investigation of this case.

Dog owners, be aware, you are liable for what your animals do. You have to take every precaution to ensure your animals are secure on your property for safety of other people and yourself."

fatal blue nose pit bull attack

Two adult blue nose pit bulls seen staked out at the McBurse property near Pitts, Georgia.

fatal blue nose pit bull attack

A red nose pit bull seen staked out on the McBurse property, along with a litter of puppies.

map iconView the DogsBite.org Google Map: Georgia Fatal Pit Bull Maulings.

Related articles:
10/14/22: 2022 Dog Bite Fatality: Elderly Woman Killed by Three Dogs in Troup County, Georgia
03/22/22: 2022 Dog Bite Fatality: 7-Month Old Killed by Large, Muscular Dog in Martinez, Georgia

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.

2023 Dog Bite Fatality: Boy Killed, Mother Injured by Four Dogs on the Fort Hall Reservation in Idaho

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fatal dog attack Fort Hall Reservation
On January 21, Kellan Boner was killed by four dogs on the Fort Hall Reservation.

Multi-Victim Dog Attack
Fort Hall, ID – A 7-year old boy died and his mother sustained serious injuries after being attacked by four dogs on the Fort Hall Reservation on January 21, 2023, according to tribal authorities. The multi-victim attack occurred just before 6:00 pm at a home on Sandy Road in Fort Hall. Both victims are non-tribal members and were transported to the Portneuf Medical Center in Pocatello, according to a news release by Shoshone-Bannock Tribes. The boy did not survive his injuries.

The four dogs involved in the attack -- two rottweilers and two mixed-breeds – were shot and killed by tribal authorities. The dogs’ owners are also non-tribal members, who own the property where the fatal attack occurred. The “dog owners were cited for 15 violations of the Tribes’ Animal Ordinance including Vicious Animal Attack, Rabies Vaccination, and Over the Limit of Canine or Feline Pet,” states the release. Tribal authorities did not release the names of the two victims.

Official Media Release - January 21, 2023

Dog Attack results in death of young boy
Fort Hall - On January 21, 2023 at approximately 5:51 pm, Fort Hall Police were dispatched to a residence on Sandy Road in Fort Hall, Idaho. They were responding to a report of a young boy who had been attacked by multiple dogs and was unconscious.

Fort Hall Police report that the two non-tribal victims involved, a mother and son, were taken to the Portneuf Medical Center in Pocatello, Idaho. The four dogs involved in the attack were two rottweilers and two mixed breeds -- all were put down by tribal authorities. Owners of the dogs, are non-tribal members who own the property where the attacks occurred.

Dog owners were cited for 15 violations of the Tribes’ Animal Ordinance including Vicious Animal Attack, Rabies Vaccination, and Over the Limit of Canine or Feline Pets.

The Fort Hall Business Council would like to offer their sincere condolences to the family of the young man who lost his life in this tragic incident. Vice Chair, Donna Thompson, of the Fort Hall Business Council (FHBC) stated “We would like to ask the public to respect the privacy of the family at this time.” The FHBC would also like to thank the responding emergency agencies and first responders for their quick response.

Fort Hall Criminal Investigators, the FBI, Fort Hall Police, and Fish & Game are conducting an ongoing investigation. This case will be submitted to the United States Attorney to review for potential federal charges.

The Business Council reminds residents that individuals dog owners must comply with the Animal Control Ordinance. Copies of the approved Animal Control Ordinance can be picked up by members of the public from the Administration Office located within the Tribal Business Center in Fort Hall. - Shoshone-Bannock Tribes

The Sho-Ban News identified the boy’s mother as Emily Islas, who suffered severe injuries “after she tried to fight off the dogs.” The four dogs belonged to Benjamin Dominick Wolfchild and Juliana Wolfchild who reside at the home, but were away at the time. Islas and her son lived in an RV behind the Wolfchild home. The child left the RV and after not returning for a few minutes, Islas found him lying face down with the dogs mauling him in the front area of the Wolfchild home.

A fundraiser was launched Monday supporting Islas, who remains in critical care. “All I knew at that time was that her beautiful little boy Kellan didn't make it and that Emily was fighting for her life,” states the fundraiser. Islas “is still in the ICU trying to recover from the damage.” She “sustained nerve damage and a ruptured artery in her right arm as well as damage to the back of her head, left arm and her back.” Islas’ daughter, “thankfully was not there" during the attack.

The little boy’s father, Jesse Boner, who has since remarried, released a statement on Facebook sharing the grief of his loss and his support of Emily. “Nobody should ever have to outlive their children or have them taken from us in such a violent way,” Boner said. “Emily is a fighter, always has been, and a damn strong woman. Once again she’s had to prove that in doing all she could to protect our son by taking the brunt of the attacks. She needs support now more than ever.”

"Nobody should ever have to outlive their children or have them taken from us in such a violent way, but life decided otherwise and we’ve had to deal with a parent’s worse nightmare. Emily is a fighter, always has been, and a damn strong woman. Once again she’s had to prove that in doing all she could to protect our son by taking the brunt of the attacks. She needs support now more than ever because she’s going to have a long road to recovery as she recuperates in the ICU from her near fatal wounds. She was my best friend long before we got married. We learned to become friends again after our divorce. She will continue to have my support through this tragedy as we all grieve his loss together. I’m having a really hard time typing all of this as it feels like an elephant is sitting on chest and my heart is beating like a drum at a concert. Thank you all so much for the outpouring of support we’ve all been given." – Jesse Boner

Fatal Attacks on Reservations

Last year, at least four people, all tribal members, were killed by dogs on reservations. An unidentified person was killed by a pack on dogs on the Hopi Reservation in Arizona; Shawna Jo Bell, 42, was killed by multiple dogs on the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming; Francis Cavanaugh, 6, was killed by a single dog on the Spirit Lake Reservation in North Dakota and Chaille Morgan, 27, was killed by a pack of dogs on the Meskwaki Settlement in Iowa.

Fatal rottweiler attack - Fort Hall Reservation

Emily Islas, and her son Kellan Boner, who was killed by the dogs, seen on the fundraiser.

rottweilers seen with owner on fort hall reservation

Two rottweilers are seen on the dog owner's Facebook page in a 2013 dated post.

map iconView the DogsBite.org Google Map: Fatal Dog Attacks on American Indian Reservations.

Learn about breed-specific laws on Indian reservations in our Breed Safety Laws section.

Related articles:
01/24/23: Fatal Rottweiler Attacks - The Archival Record – DogsBite.org
07/22/22: Escalating Fatal Dog Maulings on Tribal Lands - Suspected Fatal Dog Attack...

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.

2022 Fatal Dog Attack Breed Identification Photographs

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Nonprofit Captured 75% of Breed Identification Images in 2022

2022 breed identification photographs
Photographs of six fatally attacking dogs in 2022 obtained from multiple sources.

Jump down to view all 2022 breed identification photographs or read our analysis first.

DogsBite.org - In 2013, we began the tradition of publishing breed identification photographs of fatally attacking dogs when available through news reports, animal control agencies, police departments, social media and public information requests. Of the 54 dog bite fatalities recorded in 2022, 44% (24) had some form of an identification photograph. Our nonprofit was responsible for capturing 75% of them. Pit bulls and their mixes represent 63% of images collected in 2022.

Of the 24 cases with breed identification photographs, 42% (10) comprised images captured or republished by news media; 79% (19) comprised images located on social media pages of the dog's owner or family members; and 75% (18) comprised images that were the result of DogsBite research and otherwise may have gone unpublished. Police and animal control agencies released breed images in 3 cases, yet 65% of all deaths (35 of 54) involved dogs taken into quarantine.1

(Percentages are higher than 100% due to a single death containing multiple dog images, each attributed to a different source, as well as images that fall into overlapping publishing categories.)

Identification Photographs (2013-2022)

From 2013 to 2022, images captured by our nonprofit have risen from 26% to 75%. Images captured by media have fallen from 79% to 42%.

breed identification photograph 2013-2022

Chart shows 10 years of breed identification photographs collected between 2013 and 2022.

Unreleased Breed Data 2022

The most controversial aspect in 2022 is that authorities did not release breed information in one-third of all cases, 33% (18). We were able to obtain breed photographs in 5 of these cases, but photographs for 2 had to be suppressed from this post. Of the 18 cases where breed data was not released, 56% (10) involved restrictive data, such as, fatal attacks on Indian reservations and unwitnessed attacks. For this reason, the quarantine status in 7 deaths in 2022 is "unknown."

About 22% of the fatally attacking dogs were shot at the scene in 2022, which often diminishes the ability to collect breed identification images.

Additional characteristics of the 18 cases where authorities did not release breed data include: 78% of victims are adults ≥ 25 years old; 67% of victims are classified as marginalized; 61% of attacks occurred in or near a city with a population of less than 10,000; 72% occurred in the Southern United States; 17% occurred on Indian reservations and 3 cases involved pit bulls. In 10 other cases, pit bulls were suspected. Thus, 72% of these cases could have involved pit bulls.

Breed Misidentification Conflicts

Several breed identification conflicts arose in 2022. They began with "Gladys of the Glades," a 125-pound mastiff-type dog that killed a volunteer at a southern Florida rescue facility in February. Authorities identified the dog only as a "mixed-breed," despite the dog's weight, coloring (blue) and physical characteristics. One volunteer at the rescue identified the dog as an American bully (XL), which makes sense, given that the XL can be a mixture of pit bull and Neapolitan mastiff.

XL bully breeders in southern Florida should also be taken into account, especially given the female dog's extreme size. For example, note this "Rockefeller" line and his large offspring at this Miami area breeder, who aims to "create the biggest, widest XL bully puppies with massive bones and heads." The Neapolitan mastiff influence is quite pronounced in some of these dogs. Gladys is certainly a mixed-breed, but it is a disservice to remove "mastiff" or "bully" from her breed-type.

Double Fatal Mauling in Alabama

We may never learn the breeds involved in the back-to-back fatal dog maulings of two women in Franklin County, Alabama, who were killed by the same dog pack 1.5 days apart. The owner of the dogs, Brandy Dowdy, reportedly had upwards of 25 dogs on the property and was a devoted pit bull advocate. Dowdy is currently facing two counts of manslaughter, and a slew of other offenses in connection to the deaths of 58-year old Summer Beard and 44-year old Michele Sheeks.

Further, Beard's estate is now suing Franklin County, two animal control officers, four officers from the Franklin County Sheriff's Office, the Franklin County Emergency Communications District and the Franklin County 911 Center due to their bungled investigation. The attacking dog pack should have been seized after the first attack. According to the lawsuit, Beard went to Dowdy's property the day after Sheeks was attacked under the belief that authorities had already seized the dogs.

Double Fatal Mauling in Tennessee

There was no breed identity controversy after a pair of family pit bulls killed two children, 5-month old Hollace Bennard and 2-year old Lilly Bennard, and left their mother with severe injuries. The father had previously called his two XL pit bulls, "house lions," and both parents advocated for the pit bull breed on their social media pages. What was controversial, and remains so today, is that these XL pit bulls, both likely papered, and their bloodlines were not scrutinized in media reports.

The female pit bull, "Mia," came from the King Lion bloodline, a dog that is billed as "the Godfather of the XXL Movement," serving as the foundation stock for many kennels. The owner of King Lion advertises his dogs as "lions on leashes." Thus, the father's reference to "house lions," was descriptive, but also may have been a reference to the bloodline in one or both of his dogs. After two children were killed by these dogs, their bloodlines should have been publicly scrutinized.

Summary

In 2022, 44% of dog bite fatality cases had some form of a breed identification photograph, the lowest percentage recorded by our nonprofit since 2013, and a fall from the 9-year average of 63% (2013 to 2021). Certainly, the 18 cases in which authorities did not release breed information heavily contributed to our lowered collection of breed identification images in 2022. Of the 24 cases that did have breed identity photographs, our nonprofit captured three quarters of them.

The Covid years (2020 to 2022) show a continued decline in capturing breed identity photos, falling from 84% collection in 2019 to 44% in 2022.

Finally, likely due to 10 cases where authorities did not release breed data in 2022, and pit bulls were suspected in each one, based upon information we obtained about the dog's owner or other case details, the pit bull death count fell from 36 deaths in 2021 to 25 deaths in 2022. That is a significant drop and can be seen most easily on the breed identification chart (2013-2022). The green line sharply falls in 2022. There may not ever be a way to capture this breed data either.

2022 Fatal Dog Attack Breed Identification Photographs

Baby Charlotte - Gulf Breeze, Florida

Photo of fatally attacking family French mastiff-mix, "Roxy" (social media & dogsbite)

Charlotte Hollman fatal French mastiff attack, 2022 breed identification photograph

See: Full blog post | Baby Charlotte, 3-months old, was killed by a family French mastiff-mix, "Roxy," on January 25, 2022 in Gulf Breeze, Florida. Prior to the fatal mauling, the mother was lying in bed with her baby, who was sleeping. She got up to use the bathroom and about a minute later, after hearing noises, she returned and saw her baby's head in the dog's mouth.

Saad Al-Anazi - Las Cruces, New Mexico

Photos of two fatally attacking male German shepherds (social media & dogsbite)

Saad Al-Anazi fatal German shepherd attack, 2022 breed identification photograph

See: Full blog post | Saad Al-Anazi, 56-years old, died after being attacked by two chained German shepherds on January 28, 2022. One of the dogs had apparently jumped the fence and was left hanging on the other side, choking. The other dog also escaped the yard. Al-Anazi may have attempted to free the dog on the fence, when both dogs attacked him.

Olivia Floyd - Waynesboro, Virginia

Photos of fatally attacking male family rottweiler, "Ranger" (social media & dogsbite)

Olivia Floyd fatal rottweiler attack, 2022 breed identification photograph

See: Full blog post | Olivia Floyd, 7-years old, was killed by a neutered rottweiler while visiting a relative's home on January 29, 2022 in Waynesboro, Virginia. Police charged the dog's owner, Stephen Kachmar, and Penny Lee Bashlor, Olivia's paternal grandmother, with five felony offenses. Olivia's parents were charged with one count of felony child cruelty.

Lola Farr - Columbia, Mississippi

Photo of fatally attacking male family pit bull, "Ace" (social media & dogsbite)

Lola Farr fatal pit bull attack, 2022 breed identification photograph

See: Full blog post | Lola Farr, 1-year old, died on February 6, 2022 at a hospital in Jackson, Mississippi after being mauled by her aunt's pit bull five days earlier. "She got attacked by my sister's pit bull. I'm on the way to the hospital," her mother Wendi Oxner wrote on February 1. "They are about to fly her to Jackson." Lola did not survive her injuries.

Pam Robb - Oakland Park, Florida

Photos of fatally attacking mastiff-type rescue dog (news media, social media & dogsbite)

Pam Robb fatal mastiff-type dog attack, 2022 breed identification photograph

See: Full blog post | Pam Robb, 71-years old, was killed by a mastiff-type dog while working with the dog at a rescue facility on February 17, 2022 in Oakland Park, Florida. The attack occurred at 100+ Abandoned Dogs of Everglades Florida. The group had rescued the 125-pound dog, "Gladys of the Glades," after it was abandoned in the Everglades on January 18.

Drué Parker - Baytown, Texas

Photos of one of four fatally attacking family pit bulls belonging to relatives (news media)

Drue Parker fatal pit bull attack, 2022 breed identification photograph

See: Full blog post | Drué Parker, 4-years old, was killed by a pack of pet pit bulls while visiting his aunt's home on February 23, 2022 in Baytown, Texas. Parker had spent the night with her and was supposed to return home the next day. But after waking up that morning, he encountered the pit bulls. Nearby surveillance cameras captured part of the horrific mauling.

Serenity Garnett - Martinez, Georgia

Photos of fatally attacking American bulldog-mix, "Blade" (social media & dogsbite)

Serenity Garnett fatal American bulldog attack, 2022 breed identification photograph

See: Full blog post | Serenity Garnett, 7-months old, was killed by an American bulldog-mix, "Blade," while under the care of her great-grandmother, Migdelia Guadalupe, on March 22, 2022 in Martinez, Georgia. The large dog belonged to Donna Mills, who was incarcerated at the time. Guadalupe was charged with second-degree murder and felony drug possession.

Debbie Boyd - Seymour, Tennessee

Photo of family rottweiler used as victim's Facebook profile (social media & dogsbite)

Debbie Boyd fatal rottweiler attack, 2022 breed identification photograph

See: Full blog post | Debbie Boyd, 70-years old, was killed by one or both family rottweilers on June 3, 2022 in Sevier County, Tennessee. Authorities determined that Boyd had been inside the home with the dogs at the time of the attack, as was a small child, who was not injured. Boyd's Facebook profile depicts a rottweiler lying down inside a home.

Nicolas Vasquez - Harris County, Texas

Photos of two of three fatally attacking pit bull-mixes (news media & animal control)

Nicolas Vasquez fatal pit bull attack, 2022 breed identification photograph

See: Full blog post | Nicolas Vasquez, 51-years old, died on June 19, 2022 in Harris County, Texas, after suffering catastrophic injuries by three dogs on June 9. A neighbor had discovered Vasquez that night lying in a ditch with life-threatening injuries. On June 27, Matthew Leroy Satchell, 32, was charged with felony dog attack in connection to his death.

Apollo Duplantis - New Orleans, Louisiana

Photos of family bull breed-mix seen on mother's Facebook page (social media & dogsbite)

Apollo Duplantis fatal pit bull-mix attack, 2022 breed identification photograph

See: Full blog post | Apollo Duplantis, 13-months old, was attacked and killed by a family bull breed-mix dog on July 11, 2022 in New Orleans, Louisiana. When an animal control officer entered the backyard of the home to seize the animal, the dog viciously attacked the officer, who began "screaming for help," at which point a police officer shot the dog, killing it.

Freddy Garcia - Fort Bend County, Texas

Photos of two pit bull-mixes involved in the pack attack (news media, social media & dogsbite)

Freddy Garcia fatal pit bull attack, 2022 breed identification photograph

See: Full blog post | Freddy Garcia, 71-years old, was killed by a pack of up to seven vicious dogs on July 18, 2022 in Fort Bend County, Texas. Garcia had been walking to the store when the dog pack attacked. The attack was captured on a security camera. Samuel Cartwright, 43, was later charged with a second-degree felony in connection to his death.

Marina Verriest - Albertson, New York

Photos of fatally attacking family pit bull, "Zeus" (news media, social media & dogsbite)

Marina Verriest fatal pit bull attack, 2022 breed identification photograph

See: Full blog post | Marina Verriest, 70-years old, was mutilated and killed by a family pit bull on July 27, 2022 in Albertson, New York. The victim's husband discovered his wife's body being dragged around the backyard by the dog. The first officer on the scene, a 15-year veteran, was so traumatized by what he witnessed, he was taken to a hospital for treatment.

Richard "Hutch" Barry - Selma, California

Photos of two of five fatally attacking English bulldogs (news media, social media & dogsbite)

Richard Barry fatal English bulldog attack, 2022 breed identification photograph

See: Full blog post | Richard Barry, 59-years old, was killed by a pack of AKC registered English bulldogs while walking in a neighborhood on July 31, 2022 in Selma, California. Police officers used bean bags and tasers to subdue the dogs that had escaped from a nearby yard. The dogs belonged to breeder Victor Carranza of Four Brothers Bulldog Kennel.

Joan Caffiel - Las Vegas, Nevada

Photos of fatally attacking male family pit bull, "Buc" (news media, social media & dogsbite)

Joan Caffiel fatal pit bull attack, 2022 breed identification photograph

See: Full blog post | Joan Caffiel, 89-years old, was attacked and killed by a family pit bull on August 9, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Caffiel's caretaker, Gelena Kelly, who had been in the kitchen at the time, left the kitchen to check on Caffiel and saw the dog, "Buc," attacking her. "He had her by the neck and was dragging her body into the second room," Kelly said.

Mindy Kiepe - Rossie, Iowa

Photos of a female great dane seen on victim's Facebook page (social media & dogsbite)

Mindy Kiepe fatal great dane attack, 2022 breed identification photograph

See: Full blog post | Mindy Kiepe, 43-years old, died to due to multiple dog bite injuries from her own dogs. She was found dead lying in a ditch a short distance from her farm's driveway. It was first believed that she had been involved in a motorcycle accident. Upon further investigation, it was determined that five great danes owned by Kiepe had caused her death.

Pamela Rock - Putnam County, Florida

Photos of fatally attacking American bulldog-mixes and pit bull-mixes (sheriff's office)

Pamela Rock fatal pit bull attack, 2022 breed identification photograph

See: Full blog post | Pamela Rock, 61-years old, a rural postal carrier, died after being attacked by a pack of dogs on August 22, 2022 in Putnam County, Florida. Deputies applied three tourniquets until rescue units arrived. She was airlifted to a trauma center in Gainesville in critical condition. She died the next day. Police released a blurry photograph of the dogs.

Rusty Burris - Polk County, Tennessee

Photos of fatally attacking male family pit bull (social media & dogsbite)

Rusty Burris fatal pit bull attack, 2022 breed identification photograph

See: Full blog post | Rusty Burris, 32-years old, was killed by a family member's "alligator" pit bull, referring to the dog's bloodline, on September 11, 2022 in Polk County, Tennessee. Deputies found Burris behind the family's home unresponsive. The dog had been on a cable prior to attacking and had a history of aggression. A deputy dispatched the dog at the scene.

Mary Gehring - Golden, Colorado

Photos of one of two fatally attacking family pit bulls, "Knoxy" (social media & dogsbite)

Mary Gehring fatal pit bull attack, 2022 breed identification photograph

See: Full blog post | Mary Gehring, 88-years old, was killed by a pair of family pit bulls on September 17, 2022 in Golden, Colorado. Arriving officers found a "blood trail into the home" and observed both dogs attacking the woman in the backyard. Officers "used themselves as human shields" to rescue her. Both dog owners were later charged with multiple offenses.

Hollace Bennard - Millington, Tennessee

Photos of two fatally attacking family XL pit bulls (social media & news media)

Hollace Bennard fatal pit bull attack, 2022 breed identification photograph

See: Full blog post | Hollace Bennard, 5-months old, and his older sister, Lilly, were killed by a pair of XL pit bulls on October 5, 2022 in Millington, Tennessee. The family dogs, who the children's father called "house lions" on social media, also attacked their mother, who suffered critical injuries trying to save her children. Both children died at the scene.

Lilly Bennard - Millington, Tennessee

Photos of two fatally attacking family XL pit bulls (social media & news media)

Lilly Bennard fatal pit bull attack, 2022 breed identification photograph

See: Full blog post | Lilly Bennard, 2-years old, and her younger brother, Hollace, were killed by a pair of XL pit bulls on October 5, 2022 in Millington, Tennessee. The family dogs, who the children's father called "house lions" on social media, also attacked their mother, who suffered critical injuries trying to save her children. Both children died at the scene.

Rosetta Gesselman - Troup County, Georgia

Photos of female pit bull and offspring on owner's Facebook page (social media & dogsbite)

Rosetta Gesselman fatal pit bull attack, 2022 breed identification photograph

See: Full blog post | Rosetta Gesselman, 80-years old, was killed by her daughter's three dogs, a female pit bull-mix and two pit bull-mastiff mixes, on October 7, 2022 in Troup County, Georgia. Her daughter knew the dogs had killed family pets before and had also bitten a person. She was charged with reckless conduct and felony involuntary manslaughter.

Samuel Sullivan - West Memphis, Arkansas

Photos of two of 14 dogs seized from the dog owner's property (news media)

Samuel Sullivan fatal dog attack, 2022 breed identification photograph

See: Full blog post | Sam Sullivan, 56-years old, was found lying in a ditch covered in bite wounds on November 8 after being attacked by dogs. A woman was attacked by dogs in the same area November 16. Sullivan died of complications related to the attack on November 21. On November 29, animal control took custody of 14 suspected dogs at a nearby home.

Post Publication Identification Photographs

Breed identification photographs discovered after the publication of this post on January 20, 2023. These photographs are not included in our overall analysis; they were unavailable at that time.

Melanie Catley - Hampstead, North Carolina

Photos of both fatally attacking chained dogs (dogsbite.org FOIA)

Melanie Catley fatal pit bull attack, 2022 breed identification photograph

See: Full blog post | Melanie Catley, 70-years old, was attacked by her neighbor’s two chained dogs in Hampstead, North Carolina on December 8, 2022 and died three days later. The dogs, an 8-year old Labrador-pit bull mix and a 5-year old pit bull, both male, were surrendered by their owner, confiscated by Pender County Animal Control and euthanized.

Adult John Doe - Austin, Texas

Photos of two of six fatally attacking pit bulls (dogsbite.org FOIA)

Adult John Doe - fatal pit bull attack, 2022 breed identification photograph

See: Full blog post | John Doe, 41-years old, was killed by multiple unrestrained pit bulls. The dogs' owner lived in an "encampment in the woods with his six pit bulls," states a report from Austin Animal Services. The owner had left the camp with his dogs "tied up." When he returned, he found his dogs had "broke loose from their makeshift leash." The victim died at the scene.

Johan Perez - Channelview, Texas

Photos of one of four suspected fatally attacking pit bulls (dogsbite.org FOIA)

Johan Perez - fatal pit bull attack, 2023 breed identification photograph

See: Full blog post | Johan Perez, 42-years old, was killed by multiple dogs while riding his bike in the 15700 block of Garlang Street. There were no witnesses to the attack. Police questioned the owner of four pit bulls who lived next to the attack scene. One year later, the dogs escaped and attacked another cyclist, severely injuring him, and a passerby. The dogs were impounded.

How We Track Photograph Sources

We track the identification photograph's original source. There may be multiple images of a dog, thus multiple sources may be attributed to a single death. We also track where the image was published. For instance, after Richard Barry's attack, local media outlets obtained video footage of the dogs being captured. We obtained an image of one of those dogs, "Chelsea," on the breeder's Instagram page. Thus, the images were sourced to news media, social media and DogsBite.org.

What is simpler to measure in our tracking and analysis is the rising number of breed identification photographs located on social media, from only 16% of all collected images in 2013 to 79% in 2022, a 394% rise. It is also easy to see the routinely low number of images provided by law enforcement even though the majority of dogs after a fatal attack are held in a quarantine facility. Police released identification photographs after 3 deaths this year, 13%, of cases with images.

Photograph Tracking Categories

  • DogsBite.org published only; no news media republished the photograph
  • U.S. news media supplied original photograph and/or republished photograph
  • Social media website supplied breed identification photograph
  • Law enforcement or animal control department supplied photograph
  • Canines shot to death at the scene of a fatal dog attack
  • Canines held in a quarantine facility after a fatal dog attack
1Technically, that number is higher than 65% too. In 7 deaths, quarantine information was unreleased or unknown. When factoring in the 7 unknown cases, 74% of all deaths (35 of 47) involved dogs taken into quarantine.

Related articles:
01/12/22: 2021 Fatal Dog Attack Breed Identification Photographs - DogsBite.org
01/12/21: 2020 Fatal Dog Attack Breed Identification Photographs - DogsBite.org
01/07/20: 2019 Fatal Dog Attack Breed Identification Photographs - DogsBite.org
01/08/19: 2018 Fatal Dog Attack Breed Identification Photographs - DogsBite.org
08/31/15: Who Can Identify a Pit Bull? A Dog Owner of 'Ordinary Intelligence'...

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.

2023 Dog Bite Fatality: Man Charged with Negligent Homicide After His Unleashed Pit Bull Killed Child in Baton Rouge

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unleashed pit bull kills child - Sadie Davila
Sadie Davila, 7-years old, was mauled and killed by a neighbor's unleashed pit bull.

Child Killed by Dog
Baton Rouge, LA – The owner of a dog that killed a 7-year old girl faces a count of negligent homicide, the East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office confirmed. Erick Lopez, 20, was taken into custody Saturday morning, according to EBRSO spokeswoman Casey Rayborn Hicks. On Friday, emergency responders were dispatched to a home in the 25000 block of Kendalwood Road near Hoo Shoo Too Road shortly after 6:30 pm in response to a child being attacked by a dog.

According to arrest documents, the child had been playing outside of a relative’s home when a neighbor’s dog, identified by authorities as a pit bull, attacked her. A relative tried to intervene by hitting the dog with a walking cane, but the dog continued attacking. She was rushed to a local hospital, where she later died. "This is an awful, heart-breaking tragedy," Sheriff Sid Gautreaux said in a statement. "My heart goes out to this family, and they will remain in my prayers."

On Saturday, the East Baton Rouge Parish School System identified the girl as Sadie Davila, a first-grader at Woodlawn Elementary School.

The Advocate reports that medical staff at the hospital who treated her injuries said she suffered from "numerous dog bites to her face and substantial damage to her skull." EBRSO deputies and East Baton Rouge Animal Control officers located and impounded the dog, which was observed to have blood around his face and mouth area, according to the arrest affidavit. A "substantial" amount of blood was also observed in the yard where the young child had been playing.

The property where the dog resided is about 150 yards away from where the animal attacked. Lopez told investigators he was not home when the attack occurred and that he routinely allowed his dog to roam freely in the neighborhood. The affidavit also states there is no fence of barrier between the two homes. Investigators determined that Lopez "failed to confine or restrain his dog” which unlawfully entered a neighboring property and attacked a child resulting in her death.

In 2009, after the mauling deaths of Luna McDaniel and Michael Blaise Landry, legislation proposed by Rep. Rickey Hardy, known as The "Luna McDaniel and Michael 'Blaise' Landry Act," would allow prosecutors to charge all dog owners with negligent homicide after a fatal attack -- a crime that carries a prison sentence of up to five years and a fine of up to $5,000. The Louisiana legislature passed the bill unanimously in both chambers. Lopez was booked into Parish Prison.

A statement from the East Baton Rouge Parish School System says in part, “Sadie’s teacher, Grace Feucht remains heartbroken about the loss of a student who has made such an impact on her life. ‘Sadie was fierce and spunky, but she was also tender hearted and kind,’ Feucht reflected. ‘She brought energy and joy into my class every single time she stepped in the door.’" Feucht expects "our classroom to feel considerably emptier Monday without her precious presence.”

Read the full statement from the East Baton Rouge Parish School System.

A statement from the family’s attorney, Samuel ‘Chuck’ Ward, Jr., of Ward Law, says in part, “this particular canine had been reported to authorities on previous occasions.” Ward added, “East Baton Rouge is no stranger to problems with pit bull proliferation. In 2006 the parish failed to pass breed specific regulation(s) of pit bull canines. The data shows that in 2007 56 pit bulls accounted for 61% of reported dangerous dog incidents, with the next highest being Rottweilers with 4."

Read the full statement from the family’s Baton Rouge-based attorney at Ward Law.
map iconView the DogsBite.org Google Map: Louisiana Fatal Pit Bull Maulings.

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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.