In the 15-year period of 2005 through 2019, canines killed 521 Americans. Pit bulls contributed to 66% (346) of these deaths. Combined, pit bulls and rottweilers contributed to 76% of the total recorded deaths. | More »
Discussion on the pros and cons of pit bull banning after multiple children are killed by pit bulls in South Africa in under two weeks. A third child is killed by a pit bull just after this episode aired.
Discussion in South Africa
Here in North America, we need to be having this discussion openly, given the amount of attacks by pit bulls. Clearly, these discussions have been had in countries where pit bulls have been banned and excluded from entering the country. Numerous voices were heard during this one hour program -- the panel discussion starts at 25:45.
What is not covered in this discussion is that pit bulls are overwhelmingly the most likely dogs to attack livestock and other domestic pets.
"If we have to put in place such drastic measures for a so-called pet, a ‘domestic pet,’ to not be a danger to humans, then this should not be a pet." - Panelist Bangilizwe
South Africa recently suffered a spate of pit bulls slaughtering and maiming children. In some cases there's been a vigilante response from the community, especially in cases where Animal Control or the police did not adequately respond to the threat that pit bulls guilty of a deathly mauling, posed to the rest of the community.
A common thread in the discussion is how pit bulls are seen as a form of protection dog. Yet, there is no discussion of how they are any better at protection work than a dog bred and trained to perform such duties or proof they were ever trained at all. Is that just what the owners believe without providing any actual demonstration of fitness to that purpose? Apparently, South Africa has a high crime rate and that's the oft-cited reason for such a high amount of pit bull ownership. Clearly, they're cheap and accessible due to over-breeding.
If we're going to have these discussions, we need to ask the hard questions, too.
For all the areas uncoverable by an hour-long show, it's a program we are unlikely to see any time soon in North America.
Recent Deaths: Three children have been killed by pit bulls in under two weeks in South Africa: an 8-year old boy in Bloemfontein; a 3-year old boy in Free State, and a 15-month old boy in Eastern Cape. That pit bull, according to its owner, had killed two dogs previously.
Sizwe Kupelo of the Sizwe Kupelo Foundation created a petition calling on the South African government to ban the breed after a 10-year old boy was killed by two family pit bulls in September in Nelson Mandela Bay. The petition has received over 125,000 signatures so far.
On November 3, a baby girl was mauled to death by a dog in Springdale, Arkansas.
Toddler Killed by Dog
Springdale, AR - On November 4, KNWA reported that a toddler was killed by a dog in the Nob Hill area in Springdale. The attack occurred on November 3 in the early afternoon in the 20,000 block of Ballerina Road. The baby's body was sent to the Arkansas State Crime lab for an autopsy to determine the cause of death, according to the Washington County Coroner’s Office. The dog involved in the deadly attack was taken into custody and quarantined, according to authorities.
On November 4, the Washington County Prosecutor's Office said the dog will continue to be held at a secure location until the investigation determines the cause of death and whether or not a crime has been committed. KNWA contacted the Washington County Sheriff's Office for more details, but were told that no other information is releasable at this time. The child's name was not released. The breed of dog involved was not released. The investigation is (was) ongoing.
Unconfirmed comments on social media said the victim was a baby girl, a little over 1-year old. Authorities have not released the gender or age of the victim. One person, apparently a family member, who also resides in the 20,000 block of Ballerina Road, stated in comments, "Do you really think they believed the baby was at risk?" She also stated the dog "was an outside pet," and indicated the dog was a pit bull. Both she and her son previously or currently own a pit bull.
Evangeline Brooks, a beloved church leader, died after being mauled by a neighbor's pit bull.
No Felony Charges UPDATE 11/29/22: The criminal investigation after the mauling death of 88-year old Evangeline Brooks has ended. It was determined that no felony charges would be brought against the owner of the dog, Tracey Hicks. On November 7, Brooks was attacked by Hicks’ pit bull after she called out to Hicks while standing in a nearby yard. According to the Richmond Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, the greeting startled Hicks and her unleashed dog suddenlty attacked Books.
A statement from the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office also indicates the pit bull was wearing a shock collar that the canine did not respond to, so Hicks had to beat her own dog with a rake: “The dog did not respond to the Ms. Hicks’ use of the shock collar and Ms. Hicks had to beat her dog with a rake before she was able to drag the dog off of Ms. Brooks. Ms. Hicks put the dog in her house, called 911 and immediately returned to assist Mrs. Brooks,” the statement reads.
Hicks was issued five summonses, including: Dog No Breeder’s Permit, Nuisance Dog, Dog No City License, Dog No Current Rabies Vaccination and Unrestrained Dog. Each infraction is a Class 4 misdemeanor, the lowest level criminal offense in Virginia. Hicks surrendered her dog to Richmond Animal Care and Control directly after the attack and the dog was immediately put down. If found guilty on all five misdemeanor charges, Hicks could face a total penalty of $1,250.
11/10/22: Woman Dies After Dog Attack
Richmond, VA - On Monday, a retired school teacher and beloved church leader was severely mauled by a pit bull in her neighborhood. 88-year old Evangeline Brooks was attacked by the dog as she walked to her late sister's home in the 1500 block of Alaska Drive in South Richmond. She died the following day. Richmond Animal Care and Control (RACC) Director Christie Chipps-Peter confirmed the organization euthanized the attacking dog, which she identified as a pit bull-mix.
First Baptist Church of South Richmond senior pastor and former Richmond Mayor Dwight Jones said Brooks "was the salt of the Earth, she was a wonderful person," and "for a person in their upper 80s to lose their life in such a horrendous way, it is something that really causes us concern on top of our grief." Richmond police are currently working with RACC and will consult with the Commonwealth's Attorney's Office regarding any potential charges. The investigation is ongoing.
Jones served as the Mayor of Richmond from 2009 to 2015 and was a Virginia state delegate from 1994 to 2009. Jones said that local and state officials need to pass stronger laws. "There need to be laws that will dictate the consequences of those dogs when they take the life of a woman in her upper 80s," Jones said. "We think that the General Assembly and city council [take action]. There needs to be some type of laws that will address this kind of issue going forward," Jones said.
Felony Dog Attack Law
In 2006, after an 82-year old woman was killed by her neighbor's pit bulls, the state legislature passed a felony dog attack law. A guilty verdict requires proving beyond a reasonable doubt that any owner whose "willful act or omission in the care, control, or containment of a canine" is "so gross, wanton, and culpable as to show a reckless disregard for human life," and is the proximate cause of such dog or other animal attacking and causing serious bodily injury to any person.
All that is known about the dog's owner at this time is that the person is female. The victim's neighbor, Roxanne Tune, describes what happened when she learned the dog had bitten Brooks in the neck. "I took off running down there. I saw her laying there, and the lady of the dog or the owner was holding her [neck] pressuring…I asked if she was breathing?" Brooks was transported to a local hospital, but according to her son, Howvard Brooks, she was already brain-dead.
Howvard had to make the difficult decision to remove her from life support. "My mother went 30 minutes without breathing when they were working on her," he said. "They said she would not come out of the coma that she was in." He continues to be in shock. "My mother was incredible. She was phenomenal," Howvard said. "It is a big loss. It is a big loss for me. I know that I made up my mind that each day I need to be the best that I can be," Howvard said fighting back tears.
Began as Cat Attack
Early video footage from WIRC states the attack began as an animal attack. "As the 88-year old was in the driveway, a dog next door that was loose initially went after a cat that was near her, but ended up attacking Brooks." Police have not confirmed this scenario. However, this type of redirected attack that began as animal aggression then redirected onto a human is why shelters should never adopt out dogs with serious animal aggression, but they do so routinely anyway.
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.
A migrant woman was found dead Tuesday morning after a suspected dog attack.
Woman Found Dead
Laredo, TX - On Tuesday morning, a woman was found dead with bite marks on the sidewalk of the 300 block of River Front Street. The Webb County Medical Examiner's Office conducted an autopsy. Officials believe the woman was in her 20s, from Guatemala and had crossed the Rio Grande when she was attacked by one or more dogs. She sustained multiple bite marks, which resulted in her death, the medical examiner said. It is unknown what types of dogs attacked her.
“Foul play was not found at this preliminary phase of the investigation nor has an official cause of death been finalized. The investigation has revealed that there was evidence of an animal attack on the victim,” police said in a statement. Police also said the that the victim had crossed the border illegally. Authorities have not identified the victim, pending notification of next of kin. Residents say that issues and attacks by loose and stray dogs is common in the neighborhood.
Age of the Victim
Persons in their 20s is a rare age group for victims of fatal dog attacks. Of the 569 people killed by dogs from 2005 to 2020, only 11 females fell into the 19-29 age group, less than 2% of all deaths. 91% of these attacks (10 of 11) involved pit bulls. A Dogo argentino inflicted the other death. Among males 19-29 years old, there were 10 deaths, also less than 2% of all deaths. 90% of these fatal attacks (9 of 10) were carried out by pit bulls. A rottweiler inflicted the other death.
Earlier this week, Kimberly Dawn Morris, of McLean, was found dead in Gray County, Texas. Authorities initially thought it was a homicide -- they thought the woman had been stabbed. The autopsy results, however, determined it was an "animal attack." Currently, it is unknown what animal species were involved. There were no witnesses to the attack, but it did occur in a rural neighborhood with dirt roads. The most likely culprit is one or more loose dogs, not wildlife.
The area on River Front Street where a woman was found dead after a suspected 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.
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