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 »
Two German shepherds that escaped a fenced enclosure and attacked the victim.
Owner Talks to Media
Fairacres, NM - Back in January, we were alerted to a local resident's public Facebook posts. "Our neighbor was attacked by two dogs last night in his own yard," Stoney wrote. "The neighbor's dogs jumped his fence." Another neighbor heard the attack and pulled the dogs off of him. "They were eating him! He actually lost pieces of his body. They took chunks out of him. He died twice before they got him to the hospital," he wrote. Three days later, Stoney posted that the man had died.
We sent the Facebook posts to the Las Cruces Sun-News, but saw nothing further until a KVIA news report emerged February 7. The victim has been identified as 56-year old Saad Alanazi. He was attacked on January 27 in the 5200 block of Freese Lane, according to the Doña Ana County Sheriff's Office. The same police agency that investigated the death of 6-year old Avery Jackson-Dunphy, who was killed by multiple dogs being fostered by his grandparents in November.
KVIA spoke to the owner of the dogs, Maria Kelley, who kept her two German shepherds chained inside a fenced-in yard. Kelly was at work when one of her chained dogs jumped the high fence, and may have been left hanging from the fence, choking. Kelley suspected her second chained dog might have pushed through a hole in the fence, reports KVIA. For a perspective of Kelley's property, see her two penned in dogs next to the fence photographs in the KVIA video footage.
No one witnessed the beginning of the attack. Neighbor Rudy Clark saw the dogs attacking Alanazi and was able to get the dogs off by striking one on the head with a walking cane. "They destroyed him," Clark said. "This man was suffering. They were tearing him apart.” The dogs inflicted deep wounds in Alanazi's legs. He was rushed to MountainView Regional Medical Center, where he died after losing a large amount of blood, according to documents obtained by KVIA.
Doña Ana County Sheriff Kim Stewart said the bites were not significant enough to cause the man's death and that Alanazi had pre-existing health conditions that also contributed to his death. Kelley was cited for several ordinance violations by animal control after the attack, but no criminal charges are expected. Kelley said she was deeply disturbed by what happened, but she also claimed to have "no idea" how the dogs got out, except that "someone" had unclipped her dogs.
Chained Fence Jumper
Perhaps in the history of this nonprofit, we have not seen a fatal dog attack involving two chained German shepherds, where one leaped over an 8-foot fence and nearly choked itself to death. That level of chaining frustration and climbing agility typically involves pit bulls. Kelley has many photos of her backyard on her Facebook page, which is filled with herb plants, flowers, trees, bird feeders, a windmill and more. Kelley is clearly quite proud of it and has spent many hours caring for it.
The dogs, however, are not part of her lovely garden. They are relegated to and cordoned off in a bleak section of the property. Her dogs are merely a cheap security system. Kelley calls them that too, "My security guards." Not only were the dogs in a fenced area; they were chained, indicating they had escaped before. Whether they escaped to tear up her garden, to go after her many chickens, which are cordoned off in a separate section, or escaped to go off-property is unknown.
That Alanazi may have tried to unclip the dog hanging from the fence, choking itself, is certainly possible and is a circumstance we have seen in a fatal dog attack before. In 2007, Amber Jones, 10-years old, saw that her neighbor's pit bull had once again gotten its collar caught on the chain-link fence while trying to jump the fence. She had helped the dog in the past by unhooking the collar. But this time when she tried to help, the dog attacked her neck and stomach, killing her.1
Additional Reporting
As we were writing this post on February 8, the Sun-News reported this fatal attack and a severe injury attack. We continue to be weary of Doña Ana County Sheriff Kim Stewart, who told the Sun-News, "Some kind of intent to let the dogs loose on anyone or command the dogs (is required)," in order to file criminal charges. According to the New Mexico state felony dog attack law, that's not true. Prosecution only needs to prove the owner had knowledge of the dog's vicious propensities.
C. An owner of a dangerous or potentially dangerous dog that causes serious injury or death to a domestic animal, without provocation, is guilty of a fourth degree felony and shall be sentenced in accordance with the provisions of Section 31-18-15 NMSA 1978.
D. An owner of a dangerous or potentially dangerous dog that causes serious injury to a human being, without provocation, is guilty of a third degree felony and shall be sentenced in accordance with the provisions of Section 31-18-15 NMSA 1978.
E. An owner of a dangerous or potentially dangerous dog that causes the death of a human being, without provocation, is guilty of a third degree felony resulting in the death of a human being and shall be sentenced in accordance with the provisions of Section 31-18-15 NMSA 1978.
F. Prosecution pursuant to this section requires a showing that: (1) an owner knew of the propensity of a dog to inflict serious injury; or (2) the dog had previously been found by a court to be a dangerous or potentially dangerous dog.
A neighbor of the victim publicly posted to Facebook about the vicious attack on January 28.
The owner's approximately 8-foot high damaged fence with the dog's chain hanging over it.
1The pit bull that killed Amber had a history of being chained. But it is unclear if it was chained at the time of the attack. An article published at that time stated: "Banda said Chuey could 'easily' leap over his chain-link fence, so he kept the dog chained to a tree whenever he and his wife were away. No one was at the Banda home when Amber Jones was attacked, he said. It's unclear if the pit bull was chained when the attack occurred, said Lisa Norwood, spokeswoman for Animal Care Services."
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.
Lola Farr died after being attacked by her aunt's pit bull in Marion County, Mississippi.
Life After Lola Fund UPDATE 06/23/23: In a heartbreaking update, the mother of Lola recently started a GoFundMe titled, "Life After Lola." Wendi Oxner is asking for the public's help to get back on her feet. "Life has been so hard this past year with grief and anxiety and posttraumatic stress," she writes. "We are trying our best to get back on our feet." She adds, "We just a need a little bit of help." In February of 2022, Lola was killed by a family member's pit bull while under the care of a relative.
Oxner also created a post on Reddit. Oxner tells the full story of what happened that day. There was only one media report about her daughter's death, which was published a month later. "Like many others, I did not know much about pit bulls," she writes. "I had never owned one and had never heard of attacks or the dangers and carnage they bring. Honestly, I thought they were just like any other dog. I found out on that cold February day that was not the case at all," she writes.
Lola was a Covid baby, and Oxner was a stay-at-home mom. In January, Oxner decided to return to work. She was about to start her fifth day of work, and she needed a babysitter. Her sister's mother-in-law offered to watch Lola at her sister's house. Her sister owned the dog involved, but was not present during the attack. Unbeknownst to Oxner, her sister's mother-in-law left Lola and two other children under the care of her 88-year old mother when the dog attacked unprovoked.
"It was my 5th day at work, I needed a baby sitter and my sister’s mother-in-law offered to watch Lola at my sister’s house. I never could have imagined what would happen that day. Without my permission and my knowledge my sister's MIL left my child plus two other children with her 88-year-old mother without my knowledge or my permission.
The dog was kept in a fenced in backyard - NOWHERE near my child. This dog was raised as part of my sister’s family, treated very well, and was raised around 3 children. The old lady took the kids out to the front yard to play, the dog; from my understanding heard the kids playing and dug under the fence in the backyard and went straight to the front yard where my sweet Lola was playing and attacked her; completely unprovoked for no reason at all." - Wendi Oxner
Upon learning of the attack, Oxner rushed to the hospital unaware of the life-threatening injuries Lola had sustained. When she arrived, "they sat me down and a nurse grabbed my hand and said it’s very critical" and that "they had just gotten her pulse back." The nurse then told her, "she had coded 3 times, and we are trying to get her stable enough to fly her to the Children’s hospital." At that point, "I lost it," Oxner writes. "My whole world fell apart in that little conference room."
After Lola was flown to Batson Children's Hospital in Jackson, Mississippi, Oxner was finally allowed to see her. At that time, Lola was showing signs of severe brain damage and doctors said that her odds of survival were low. When Oxner did see her, she said her baby's face was ripped apart. "She had no ears, the main nerves in her face were gone, her tear ducts sliced, her brain was swelling," she writes. "Seeing what that pit bull did to my child made me sick," she writes.
"I dropped my healthy, happy baby off to go to work and the next time I saw her she was torn to pieces and barely hanging on. I didn’t know the dangers, I wasn’t educated. It wasn’t until Lola was attacked that I dived into research and started joining the groups and pages against pit bulls and when I did, what I found was absolutely sickening and horrifying. How could I have not known any of this?" - Wendi Oxner
While Lola was at Children's, Oxner learned from her aunt about a baby undergoing complete liver failure with only a few weeks to live. "When my aunt told me this, she sent me pictures of the little girl who was 9 months younger than my Lola," she writes. "I fought for Lola’s liver to go to baby Raelyn," she writes. "They told me their blood types didn’t match and that it probably wouldn’t work but it did and she is thriving and doing great today." Lola lives on today through baby Raelyn.
Oxner said that she is ashamed to ask the public for help. But she in no way should be! She and her daughter are both courageous heroes. She also states this sobering reality: "I will never forget the way my baby’s wounds smelled when they let me hold her for the last time, how heavy she was because of all of the built-up fluid on her little body." She writes that her mind is traumatized, and her heart is broken. We encourage our readers to donate to help Oxner get back on her feet!
02/07/22: Baby Dies After Dog Attack
Columbia, MS - On February 1, the mother of Lola Jayde Farr began sharing on Facebook that her daughter "got attacked by my sister’s pit bull." She coded twice while being transported to a local hospital, and again after being airlifted to a hospital in Jackson, according to her mother. "The dog got her on the back of the neck and head and on her face." She suffered irreversible brain damage in the attack. "The damage is done and it’s beyond repair," her mother wrote.
Initially, doctors operated on Lola. They tried to reattach her right ear, repair the wounds on her face and stop the bleeding. By February 3, the brain damage became more clear. "Lola’s heart just stopped she is completely brain dead we have to say our goodbyes. I can’t do this," her mother wrote. One family friend, Ev Pender, reshared many updates posted by the mother. After several days of running more tests, they removed her from life support. Lola died on February 6.
The baby's mother is Wendi Oxner of Foxworth. The pit bull belonged to Oxner's sister, MaKayla Stringer of Columbia. The male pit bull, "Ace," was about three years old. In February 2020, MaKayla tried to rehome the dog. Apparently, that never worked out. Despite the many family members and friends publicly sharing about baby Lola on Facebook, we still have been unable to find any media reports about this attack. The circumstances of the attack also remain unknown.
A 2020 photograph of the suspected male pit bull, "Ace," which belonged to the baby's aunt.
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.
Jacqueline Durand, 22-years old, suffered catastrophic injuries in a violent dog attack.
Victim Gives Interview UPDATE 03/20/22: On March 16, 2022, one day after the Amended Petition was filed, CBS Mornings aired a segment featuring Jacqueline Durand, a 22-year old college student, who was nearly killed by two dogs she had agreed to pet sit. The vicious attack occurred on December 23. The dogs inflicted over 800 bites, resulting in catastrophic disfigurement. She was released from the hospital in February. The segment also aired parts of police bodycam footage at the scene.
The two dogs pinned her down and tore off her nose, ears, lips and cheeks to the bone. The dogs, as the CBS correspondent states, nearly erased her face. Bloody crime scene images are shown in the segment as well. Durand was attacked as soon as she opened the front door. The dogs then drug her into the living room, where they mauled her extensively. By the time responders entered the residence to rescue her, 37 minutes after arriving, she had lost 30% of the blood in her body.
Durand's parents said that after she arrived at the trauma center, she had to be "resuscitated on the trauma table multiple times." She was placed into an induced coma for over a week. Durand states during her interview, "I feel like I did not ask for this. So, I think that it's time to show who I am now, and I can't be scared of it." She is seated in a wheelchair and the injuries to her face are devastating to witness. Durand does not want to be seen as a victim, but rather as an example.
The Instagram Chat
CBS correspondent David Begnaud also hosted a 54 minute Instagram Live with Durand and her father, where Begnaud responded to people's questions. We encourage readers to watch it in full. Durand is breathtakingly courageous and inspiring. At 27:50, Durand shares that she had a near death experience four times while on the operating table. At 29:00, Begnaud addresses how police were notified of the attack, what they knew when they arrived, and the "37 minutes" delay issue.
"Now, I want to do a little bit of reporting here," Begnaud said. "I called the Coppell Police Department and I asked them, 'Why did it take 37 minutes?' ... It's a relevant question to ask, because they had a gun, the dogs didn't.
The cops knew the following things when they arrived. That the neighbor had been bit. That the dog sitter was likely the person inside. That there was no one else inside, but the dog sitter ... and the dogs were clearly being vicious toward the police officers. Again, the cops had a gun. They could have shot the dog. And there is a moment in the video where you hear the officer say, 'I see her feet.' And there are points at which they're asking Jacqueline questions and Jacqueline is moaning the answer. She's clearly in pain ...
Anyway, the police sent a statement to CBS News and basically they said they did not go in because they didn't know how bad her injuries were.
Not the most sufficient answer to Jacqueline and her family," Begnaud said. - CBS correspondent David Begnaud
The Amended Petition
The Amended Petition against the owners of the dogs, Ashley and Justin Bishop, was filed on March 15. Additional defendants include: Big Dog Haven, Inc., the Tennessee-based legal owner of "Lucy," a German shepherd-mix the Bishops were fostering; National Veterinary Associates, Inc.; and NVA 1-20 AMC Veterinary Management, LLC. The latter two, referred to as the "NVA Defendants," were responsible for treating Lucy's severe wounds after getting into a dog fight.
14. Upon information and belief, Defendant Big Dog Haven -- a canine-rescue organization located in eastern Tennessee -- took legal ownership of Lucy and assumed financial responsibility for her, thereby paying the NVA Defendants several thousand dollars for Lucy’s 11 days of intensive care and treatment. In exchange, Big Dog Haven exploited Lucy by using graphic images of her wounds on social media to raise money for its continued operations. - Durand v. Bishop, Amended Petition
The crux of the allegations against Big Dog Haven and the NVA Defendants comes next. Lucy never made it to Tennessee; she was not a transport dog either. On November 16, 2020, Dallas Animal Services picked up Lucy, "who had sustained a severe, infected leg wound following a fight with another dog," states the Petition. That same day, Lucy was transferred to an NVA animal hospital, where she would continue to receive treatment in intensive care over the next 11 days.
15. Despite this, upon information and belief, Big Dog Haven never took possession of Lucy; she never made it to the mountains of eastern Tennessee. And, despite having been wounded in a vicious fight with another dog, neither Big Dog Haven nor the NVA Defendants made any effort to assess Lucy for aggression. Upon information and belief, any scientifically-sound assessment protocol would have identified Lucy as a dangerous and behaviorally-unsound dog who was not suitable for placement as a foster or adopted pet.
16. But there is no money to be made in the responsible euthanization of dangerous dogs. As a result, neither Big Dog Haven nor the NVA Defendants made any effort to determine whether Lucy was behaviorally sound or fit to be placed as a foster animal. Instead, with donations flowing to Big Dog Haven and the NVA Defendants’ bills paid, Lucy was simply recycled back into an unsuspecting community of dog lovers -- where this preventable attack occurred -- ultimately coming into the possession of the Bishop Defendants as a foster pet. - Durand v. Bishop, Amended Petition
The NVA Defendants and Big Dog Haven are being sued for negligence, in part, for: failing to assess and classify aggression thresholds for Lucy; failing to conduct any behavioral or sociability assessment of Lucy; failing to evaluate and document Lucy’s prior adoption and rescue history; failing to warn of Lucy’s dangerous propensities; failing to conduct sufficient due diligence regarding dogs received from animal services; and failing to euthanize a dangerous dog.
They are also being sued under "joint enterprise." The entities are "jointly liable herein for the negligence alleged above, pursuant to the doctrine of joint enterprise," because "an express or implied agreement existed" between them; they had "a common purpose to carry out together;" the entites had "a community of pecuniary interest in that common purpose;" and each "had an equal right to a voice in the direction of the enterprise, arising to an equal right of control."
Jacqueline Durand seen before the vicious dog mauling and about 10 weeks afterward.
02/01/22: Petition: Durand v. Bishop
Dallas County, TX - On January 25, a Petition was filed in a Dallas County court against Ashley Jo Bishop, individually and as trustee of the Bishop Family Trust, and Justin Avery Bishop, MD, individually and as trustee of the Bishop Family Trust, after their two dogs inflicted catastrophic injuries to Jacqueline Durand, a 22-year old college student. Durand had been hired to dog sit the Bishop's dogs over the Christmas and New Year's holidays at the Bishop home in Coppell, Texas.
How this pleading was explained to us is the following: The victim is suing the dog owners who resided in the home and the family trust, which owns the residence. So there are technically (conceptually) two different defendants. The owners or harborers of the dogs, who caused the accident by allowing the dogs to reach the victim and the other being an "entity," which knew that vicious dogs resided on the property, but did nothing to eliminate the danger posed by these dogs.
Petition Summary
Jacqueline Durand loves dogs. She loves dogs so much that she started working as a dog sitter and walker to earn extra money while a full-time student at the University of Texas at Dallas. But Jacqueline never expected that her love of dogs would cost her so much.
On December 23, 2021, Jacqueline went to the home of Ashley Bishop and Dr. Justin Bishop to walk their dogs -- including Lucy, a German Shepherd mix-breed, and Bender, a Pit Bull mix-breed (collectively, the “Dogs”). As soon as Jacqueline opened the front door -- without provocation -- the Dogs, who the Bishops had left out of their kennels, pushed the door open and brutally attacked Jacqueline.
The Dogs knocked Jacqueline off balance, causing her to fall and drop her cell phone. Then, the Dogs violently attacked her head and face -- mauling her catastrophically. The Dogs were so violent and blood thirsty that they pulled all of Jacqueline’s clothes off, including her blue jeans. The Dogs tore off and ate both of Jacqueline’s ears, her nose, her lips, and most of her face below her eyes. In their prolonged attack, the Dogs left puncture wounds over most of her entire body. When she was finally pulled out of the house, Jacqueline was taken immediately to a Level 1 trauma center where she has since undergone multiple surgeries.
Despite their Dogs’ vicious attack and mauling of Jacqueline, the Bishops continue to defend their Dogs. However, an ominous sign on the Bishops’ front door shows that they actually knew or reasonably should have known of the Dogs’ dangerous propensities. - Durand v. Bishop, CC-22-00369-D
A sign hanging on the Bishop's door warned of "Crazy Dogs." Please don't knock or ring the bell.
Reviewing the Petition
Texas is a "one bite rule" state. Victims of dog attacks have to prove the owners knew, or reasonably should have known of the dogs' vicious propensities in order to recover compensation. It is a two-part rule, as explained on Dogbitelaw.com. "This doctrine holds that a victim can recover compensation from the owner, harborer or keeper of a dog if (a) the dog previously bit a person or acted like it wanted to, and (b) the defendant was aware of the dog's previous conduct."
"If either of those conditions are not met, however, the victim cannot employ this doctrine as a ground for recovery." - Kenneth Phillips, Dogbitelaw.com
There are three causes of action in this pleading. The Petition cites premises liability as the first. "Defendants created and maintained an unreasonably dangerous condition on their premises," states the Petition, "by -- among other negligent acts or omissions and without limitation -- (i) maintaining, possessing, and exercising control over the dogs, (ii) failing to warn Plaintiff of the dogs’ dangerous propensities, and (iii) leaving the two dogs unsecured outside of their kennels."
Texas also permits dog attack victims to recover compensation on the ground of negligence. "The owner of a non-vicious animal can be 'subject to liability for his negligent handling of such an animal,'" states Dogbitelaw.com. Negligence is the "absence of the kind of care a reasonably prudent and careful person would exercise in similar circumstances," states the site. The defendant owed a duty to exercise reasonable care and the defendant breached that duty.
Under the negligence cause of action, the Petition cites multiple items, including: maintaining and possessing dangerous dogs; failing to warn Plaintiff of the dogs’ dangerous propensities; failing to kennel the dogs while unattended; failing to conduct sufficient due diligence on their foster animals; owning, keeping, or harboring more than four animals over six months of age; failing to exercise ordinary care and prudence; and failing to provide a safe environment for their invitees.
Prior to Durand arriving at the Bishop home on December 23, Bishop texted and informed Durand that -- "inconsistent with the Bishop’s normal practice -- they left the dogs outside their kennels," states the Petition.
The third and final cause of action is negligence per se, which is negligence based on violating an animal control law. "To prevail on a claim, the litigant alleging negligence per se must show that there was a violation of a statute or an ordinance," states Dogbitelaw.com. "The plaintiff must prove that the violation was the cause of his injuries," states the site. The Petition cites the violation of two regulations, § 9-1-5 -- Registration, License and § 9-1-18 -- Dangerous Dogs.
The Bishop's "Crazy Dogs"
Court records pertaining to the seizure of both dogs and the dangerous dog hearing, state the male pit bull, "Bender" was owned by the Bishops. The female German shepherd-mix, "Lucy" was under the care of the Bishops through a foster program at the time of the attack. The owner of Lucy is Big Dog Haven, Inc., of Greenville, Tennessee (page 34). Lucy is seen on the Big Haven Facebook page in a March 25 post. Both dogs are still being held at the Coppell Animal Shelter.
It is unknown why Big Dog Haven, Inc., is not named as a defendant in the Petition or why the Petition was filed so quickly after the attack.
According to affidavits filed for the seizure of the dogs, veterinary records stated that "Bender" had black and white coloring, weighed about 90 pounds and was 4-years old. "Lucy" had tan coloring, weighed about 65 pounds and was 5-years old. Both dogs were observed to have blood evidence on their neck and muzzle. A third smaller dog was not observed to have blood evidence. The Bishops told investigators there was no previous bite history for any of the dogs (page 6).
"Crazy Dogs" Bender and Lucy seen in court documents filed in a Dallas County court.
Victim and Dog Owners
Jacqueline Durand is a 22-year old college student at the University of Texas at Dallas, who earns extra money by dog sitting and walking. Prior to December 23, 2021, Durand met with Ashley Bishop at the Bishop’s home to discuss a potential dog sitting job. With Bishop present, Durand met the dogs without incident. Other than the “Crazy Dogs” sign on the front door of the Bishop’s home, Durand was not given any warning about the dogs' vicious propensities, states the Petition.
We located the inquiry that Bishop posted to the Pet Owners of Coppell Facebook group on December 7. "Hey guys. I am in desperate need of a dog sitter for my 3 dogs from Dec 23-Dec 31," Bishop states. After securing Durand as a dog sitter, Bishop wrote, "This is the first Christmas vacation I have taken with our entire family in almost 20 years." Both statements might indicate that Bishop knew she could not send her "Crazy Dogs" to a kennel. A sitter was her only choice.
The demographics of the people who responded to Bishop's "desperate" dog sitting inquiry for the Christmas and New Year's holidays are also telling. All visible responders were females about 35-years and older, except for Durand, who was only 22 and still a student. One of the responders asked Bishop to share a photo of her dogs. Bishop did not do so on the thread. It is by chance that Bishop picked the youngest and most inexperienced female to dog sit her "Crazy Dogs?"
The December 7 inquiry posted by Bishop in the Pet Owners of Coppell Facebook group.
Prayer from Family Friend
On January 8, a prayer from a family friend was left on Durand's Facebook page, which included the possibility of a facial transplant. "Oh good Father, we can't imagine this travesty! We hurt for Jacqueline and all those who care about her. Please give the medical staff acute knowledge of what they need to do to restore the face of this young woman. If a face transplant is Your will, please provide the perfect size face and skin tone to match Jacqueline's coloring," states the post.
In a pale and somber face, John Durand, Jacqueline's father, told news outlets that as soon as she opened that door that day, the dogs immediately took her down. She was "dragged throughout the home," he said. Her "clothes ripped off. 800 to 1,000 bites around her body. Her ears, nose, upper lip and face, from cheek bone to cheek bone, were pulled off of her face," he said. Below is the video clip that is featured on Jacqueline's GoFundMe, which has so far raised over $68,000.
"My daughter was on a pet sitting assignment," her father said. "She opened the door. Immediately, she was taken down. Dragged throughout the home. Clothes ripped off. 800 to 1,000 bites around her body. Her ears, nose, upper lip and face, from cheek bone to cheek bone, were pulled off of her face," he said.
"She remembers everything about the attack," her father said. "She has been forever changed and disfigured by the results of this vicious mauling by these two dogs," he said. "We just hope that she can return to whatever her normalcy will be one day. We will be with her every step of the way."
Summary
This is so clearly a case where the owners of two vicious dogs created the conditions for this catastrophic injury attack of a college student. If a neighbor had not been alerted and called 911, Durand would have died in the Bishop home after being dragged throughout the residence, stripped naked by the dogs and bitten up to 1,000 times. It is a miracle this attack did not result in Durand's death. Now Durand faces the lifelong aftermath of devastating, disfiguring injuries.
We encourage readers to donate to the Jacqueline Durand GoFundMe page to receive updates to it, to follow her Facebook page and to remember her in your prayers. She will need community support for years to come. We also caution all young women and the parents of young women about the dangers of "dog sitting" at multi-dog homes involving large dogs. There are very serious safety issues involved when visiting a dog owner's home without the presence of the owners.
John Durand, the victim's father, states in this video that Jacqueline suffered 800 to 1,000 bites.
Waynesboro Grandparents Plead Guilty to Felony Charges
Olivia Floyd, 7, was killed by a relative's rottweiler in Waynesboro, Virginia.
Grandparents Plead Guilty UPDATE 02/06/23: Waynesboro Circuit court records show that on February 3, 2023 the step-grandfather and paternal grandmother of a child who was killed by a rottweiler last year, pleaded guilty to several charges. Stephen Kachmar, 61, pleaded guilty to one count of felony harboring a vicious canine. Penny Bashlor, 65, pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and felony cruelty injury to a child. Prison sentences were suspended, and both began a 3-year probation term.
Had a jury trial been held, Waynesboro Commonwealth’s Attorney David Ledbetter said he would have had witness testimony that the couple's rottweiler, "Ranger," had bitten five different people. Even more damaging would have been the testimony of the dog’s trainer, who on two occasions told the couple to get rid of a gate between the house and family area because the dog was guarding it. The trainer also would have said the dog "was a ticking time bomb," Ledbetter said.
The child’s parents, Brooks Anthony Floyd and Alicia Rene Floyd, each face one count of felony cruelty injury to a child. Hearings in both cases are set for March 13. All four individuals were indicted by a Waynesboro Circuit Court Special Grand Jury in May of 2022 after Kachmar’s neutered rottweiler, which had a history of aggression, fatally attacked 7-year old Olivia Floyd on January 29, 2022, while she was visiting her grandparent’s home on Parker Heights Road.
Note: Two weeks after the child’s grandparents pleaded guilty, charges against the child’s parents were dropped. Ledbetter said he opted not to prosecute. "We've got to be respectful of the fact that the parents suffer their own unique punishment everyday through the loss of a child."
05/17/22: Extensive Criminal Charges
On May 13, 2022, multiple arrests were carried out by Waynesboro and Augusta County law enforcement officers in connection to the death of a 7-year old girl. Olivia Floyd was mauled and killed by a rottweiler while visiting her step-grandfather's home in January. One day after the deadly attack, police charged Stephen Christopher Kachmar with harboring a dangerous dog. Now Kachmar and his wife, the child's paternal grandmother, are facing murder charges.
Kachmar, 60, and Penny Lee Bashlor, 64, of Waynesboro, who co-owned the neutered rottweiler, "Ranger," are each being charged with five felony offenses: non-capital murder; involuntary manslaughter; child abuse and neglect; child cruelty and injuries; and vicious dog, serious injury. These offenses carry a potential sentence of up to 70 years. Ranger had allegedly bitten two people prior to killing Floyd. Given the charges, the dog likely has a more extensive history.
The child's parents are also being charged. Brooks Anthony Floyd, 39, and Alicia Rene Floyd, 37, both of Augusta County, are each being charged with child cruelty and injuries, a felony offense that carries a potential sentence of up to 5 years. Kachmar and Bashlor are currently being held without bond at Middle River Regional Jail. Brooks Floyd is also being held at Middle River Regional Jail. Alicia Floyd was released on a personal recognizance bond after the arrest.
Four Family Members Charged
The last time we saw more than two family members charged after a fatal dog attack was in 2012. Jazilyn Mesa, 15-months old, was killed by her father's pit bull in the backyard of her grandparent's home -- the dog dragged her under a ground-level trampoline while attacking her. The baby's paternal grandmother was charged with negligent child abuse resulting in death. The baby's grandfather and father were each charged with possession of a dangerous dog resulting in death.
WHSV reports the arrests of Kachmar, Bashlor and the child's parents, "follow an extensive investigation by the Waynesboro Police Department and testimony heard before a grand jury." A joint media release from police states the indictments came from a Special Grand Jury, which in Virginia is a specific grand jury that is empaneled to, "investigate any condition which tends to promote criminal activity in the community or by any governmental authority, agency or official."
We know that Penny Bashlor, RN, has been a Nursing Supervisor at the University of Virginia Medical Center since 1998. She may have retired in 2019. Brooks Floyd, PMHNP (Psychiatric- Mental Health Nurse Practitioner), the child's father, "has been in healthcare for over a decade, starting his career as a RN at the University of Virginia's Surgical Trauma Burn ICU," according to his online profile at Comprehensive Behavioral Health (getbacktoyou.com) in Staunton, Virginia.
Media Release - Waynesboro Police Department - May 16, 2022
On May 13, 2022, law enforcement members of the Waynesboro Police Department and the Augusta County Sheriff’s Office arrested several individuals stemming from the incident on January 29, 2022, where a seven-year-old female child of Augusta County was attacked and killed by a four-year-old Rottweiler. The incident occurred at a residence located in the 200 block of Parker Heights Road in the City of Waynesboro, Virginia. These arrests follow an extensive investigation by the Waynesboro Police Department and testimony heard before a Waynesboro Circuit Court Special Grand Jury, assembled at the request of the Waynesboro Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office. Stephen Christopher Kachmar, 60 years old, of Waynesboro, VA, Penny Lee Bashlor, 64 years old, of Waynesboro, VA, Brooks Anthony Floyd, 39 years old, of Augusta County and Alicia Rene Floyd, 37 years old, of Augusta County was indicted by the Special Grand Jury and stand charged for these subsequent offenses...
From left: Stephen Kachmar, Penny Bashlor (grandparents), Brooks and Alicia Floyd (parents).
01/30/22: Pet Rottweiler Kills Child
Waynesboro, VA - A 7-year old girl is dead and an adult female injured after a pet rottweiler attacked them both -- a "domestic" dog attack indicates a family dog. Waynesboro officers were dispatched to a home in the 200 block of Parker Heights Road Saturday at about 2:30 pm. When they arrived, they found the child injured. She was taken to Augusta Health, where she died of the injuries she sustained in the attack. The adult female was treated for her injuries and released.
January 30, 2022 - The Waynesboro Police Department continues to investigate the death of a 7-year-old juvenile female of Augusta County, who was killed in a domestic dog attack on January 29, 2022.
Waynesboro Police officers responded to a residence in the 200 block of Parker Heights Road at about 2:26pm for a reported domestic dog attack. When officers arrived on scene, they discovered that a Rottweiler that belonged to the residence attacked the juvenile female. The juvenile female was then transported by ambulance to Augusta Health where she would later succumb to the injuries sustained in the attack. During this attack, an adult female also suffered injuries. She was treated for her injuries and released.
The rottweiler was subsequently seized by the Waynesboro Police Department for standard quarantine protocol at a local shelter.
This investigation continues. No further information will be released at this time.
Normally, there are three to five fatal dog maulings reported by the media during the month of January. Though, there was only one reported last year -- which was another unusual Covid year. We are currently reviewing two other potential dog mauling deaths this month that received no media coverage (Florida and California). Police did not issue media releases after either death. Since 2005, this is the first fatal dog mauling we have recorded in Augusta County, Virginia.
Monday Updates
Waynesboro police announced Monday that a man was issued a summons after a dog killed a 7-year old girl over the weekend. Stephen Christopher Kachmar, 60, was charged with harboring a dangerous dog on Sunday, a day after the fatal attack. The state statute (§ 3.2-6540 – Dangerous Dog) states that an evidentiary hearing pursuant to the summons shall be held not more than 30 days from the issuance of the summons. Kachmar can also elect to have the dog euthanized.
Police did not identify the child Monday, but did confirm that a family member owns the rottweiler. A GoFundMe created by friends of the family to help pay for funeral costs identifies the child as Olivia Grace Floyd. The animal is currently being held in quarantine at a local shelter. One man walking in the neighborhood, who declined to be named, told the News Leader that he was aware of the dog and said that he'd been warned by a neighbor to keep his distance from the canine.
Stephen Kachmar's male, neutered rottweiler, named "Ranger" was about 4.5-years old.
One of the child's grandmothers made an announcement to her customers on Facebook. Another relative commented on the police thread that the dog had bitten two other people in the past.
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.
View the DogsBite.org Google Map: 
View the DogsBite.org Google Map: 
