Posted on February 17, 2022 by Colleen Lynn

2022 Dog Bite Fatality: Hulking Pit Bull-Type Dog Kills Woman, Injures Another at Rescue Dog Facility in Florida

A hulking pit bull-type dog killed Pam Robb at a rescue dog facility in Oakland Park.

Civil Lawsuit Filed
UPDATE 12/08/22: In early December, we became aware of a civil lawsuit that was filed against 100+ Abandoned Dogs of Everglades Florida in connection to the mauling death of 71-year old Pam Robb, who had been volunteering at the rescue. On February 17, Robb was violently attacked by a 125-pound pit bull-mastiff type dog that the rescue had "saved" from the Everglades on January 18. The lawsuit was filed in July by Angela Anobile, the surviving spouse of Robb.

The legal name of the defendant is 100 Plus Animal Rescue, Inc. The wrongful death lawsuit alleges that under statute 767.04 of Florida code, the defendant is strictly liable for the damages caused by the subject dog to Robb. The lawsuit seeks damages in excess of $30,000 and demands a jury trial. The lawsuit, unsurprisingly, focuses on the rescue’s lack of safety protocols and safety equipment on the premises and the lack of training for when a dog attacks.

Pages 4-6 itemize the alleged breaches of duty and safety failures, including: failing to euthanize the dog “immediately upon learning of its dangerous propensities,” failing to train employees for dog attacks on the premises, “luring members of the general public,” including Robb, onto the premises by stating that the subject dog "needs your love and support," and failing to provide Robb with the “proper protective equipment.” Also, for failing to call 911 in a timely manner.

Since apparently no one on the premises had any training for when a dog attacks, much less for a hulking 125 pound dog, they resorted to “throwing food” at the dog, “splashing water” on it and “placing a bone in its mouth.” The lawsuit alleges the rescue had no equipment on the premises to separate the attacking dog from Robb. The lawsuit also alleges that 100 Plus Animal Rescue breached their duty of care for Robb by failing to “render first aid” to her after the brutal attack.

02/18/22: Outside When Attacked
Local news station WPLG watched additional videos of "Gladys from the Glades," a hulking pit bull-type dog that was rescued from the Everglades on January 18 by 100+ Abandoned Dogs of Everglades Florida. On February 17, the dog attacked and killed 71-year old Pam Robb who was volunteering at the facility on Commercial Boulevard. In a February 5 video, WPLG noted that an employee admits that the dog's fear issues "might be out of our hands, a little over our heads."

"It has been slow and steady with Gladys (5:43) … Since we have had her in the house, she is good with certain people. She is not good with others (6:00) ... She has got tremendous, tremendous fear ... She is afraid to leave this room. It is a battle to get her out of this room every single day. If we can get her out in the yard, she's terrified out there. She does not want to be out there. She paces, tail is tucked. She's just a nervous wreck (6:27) She's got so much anxiety and fear. We are trying to manage it (7:06) As I said, there are only a few of us that can work with Gladys right now, because she's got some fear issues of our other volunteers … We are doing the best that we can [to get her over her anxiety]. It might be out of our hands, a little over our heads. (13:38)” - Gladys Update, slow and steady

The Sun-Sentinel reports that Robb had volunteered at the rescue for the last six years after she retired from teaching at a high school. According to her wife, Angie Anobile, Robb was outside with the dog when the attack happened. Gladys first latched onto Robb's arm before taking Robb to the ground. Despite this violent act, Anobile said, Robb "was one of the few that the dog resonated with. She was just starting to build trust with the dog." (See February 14 video of dog outside.)

Clearly, the dog did not "resonate" with Robb or possibly any human being. Though, it appears the dog "tolerated" some people. Confusing the two cost Robb her life. The dog was also outside at the time of the attack, a place where Tiffany explained, "She's terrified out there. She does not want to be out there." Certainly, all of the signs were apparent that this dog posed a safety threat to staffers and volunteers while outside and inside. "Wishful thinking" did not remove this threat.

The Sun-Sentinel also spoke to Ana Campos, a private investigator and animal activist. Campos was critical of the rescue for not enough people wearing bite sleeves or other safety equipment during the "Divine Intervention" rescue of the dog on January 18, along with people who visited the dog after the Everglades rescue. “I’ve got to tell you when I watched the video of the rescue along with everybody else, I had concerns about basic safety protocols being ignored,” Campos said.

Finally, as predicted by our own commenters, the claim that Robb "died doing what she loved," has manifested, as it has after other female rescuers were fatally attacked by dangerous dogs they were trying to rehab. “Pam loved what she was doing and died loving what she was doing,” Anobile told WPLG. Indeed, love would have been throbbing from her heart as the 125 pound "Gladys from the Glades" latched onto her arm, took her to the ground, and fatally mauled her.

02/17/22: Rescue Dog Kills
Oakland Park, FL - One woman is dead and another injured after being mauled by a dog at a rescue facility. The multi-victim attack occurred at 100+ Abandoned Dogs of Everglades Florida, located at 345 East Commercial Boulevard. The female dog, a pit bull-mastiff combination, was rescued from the Everglades on January 18. She was named "Gladys of the Glades" by her rescuers, which is recorded in a January 18 rescue video on the group's Facebook page.

At 1:24, the woman who is filming tells the rescue story. She calls it a "Divine Intervention," and that a group of women prayed together, "and one of the members of her prayer group, gave her my number. She called me. And here we are." Just under one month later, after multiple fundraising videos were posted for the dog, Gladys inflicted a fatal attack. "Our Hearts are Broken for our Dear Friend Pam. Our deepest condolences to her family & friends," states a recent post.

"We are here with Tammy and Tiffany and Jan and a couple that reached out to me last night. The couple's two boys were out here fishing -- talk about Divine Intervention. They were out here fishing and came home and told their parents that they saw a dog in the middle of the Everglades -- I am telling you there is absolutely nothing around. She is a big girl. She's a big girl. She's got nipples. We don't know if she's pregnant. We don’t know if she recently had a litter. We don't know if she was dumped out here. There is not a house anywhere in sight … The couple came out here all day yesterday, she would not come with them. She said she reached out to her prayer group and prayed with her prayer group and one of the members of her prayer group, gave her my number. She called me. And here we are." - PLEASE DONATE FOR GLADYS & OUR ONGOING MISSION

Oakland Park Fire Rescue crews and Broward Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to the scene at the rescue dog facility on East Commercial Boulevard just before 11:00 am, reports WSVN. The 71-year old female victim, identified as Pam Robb, was transported to Broward Health Medical Center with serious bite injuries. Shortly thereafter, she succumbed to her injuries. The other female victim, who intervened to help, suffered minor injuries and was taken to Holy Cross Health.

WSVN captured footage of the dog being removed from the facility by animal control officers. Broward Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Claudinne Caro shared the results of the preliminary investigation. "The preliminary investigation reveals that the two adult females are workers, and one of them was working with the dog when apparently the dog suddenly snapped,” Caro said. “The second adult female tried to aid that first worker, and in the process she herself got injured.”

Oakland Park is located 100 miles south of Fort Pierce, where a volunteer of the Humane Society of St. Lucie County was discovered "mutilated and dead" after being attacked by a pit bull-mix named "Amos" in 2019. That dog had been found wandering the streets a month earlier and was available for adoption prior to killing 52-year old Christine Liquori. David Robertson, who was the Executive Director at that time, said that Amos had never shown any signs of aggression before.

The most recent video of Gladys posted on the rescue's Facebook page, was published February 14. The 16 minute video shows Gladys outside with little interest in the woman who is filming. Gladys is yet another XL pit bull designer breed/American Bully involved in a fatal dog mauling. The most recent being the pit bull-cane corso mix that killed Tiffany Frangione, 48, in November and the massive pit bull-American bulldog mix that killed Amber LaBelle, 42, in September.

In a January 25 video, one commenter inquires about adopting Gladys. Terry Kemp replied, "make sure you can have the breed she is at your home also, she is a American bully" [sic]. The American bully XL is an "extension" of the pit bull terrier and is interchangeable with XL pit bulls, which are typically crossed with mastiffs, cane corsos, American bulldogs or a combination thereof. Calling this dog a "large mixed-breed" is an omission of up to four bully breeds.

The hulking pit bull-type dog, named "Gladys from the Glades," was rescued on January 18.

The hulking pit bull-type dog seen being removed from the rescue facility by animal control.

"Gladys" seen at the 100+ Abandoned Dogs of Everglades Florida facility in Oakland Park.

The rescue tagged this dog with hashtags #bullmastiff #pit bull #rescue on their Tiktok page.

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 February 8, 2022 by Colleen Lynn

2022 Dog Bite Fatality: Man Dies After Attack by Two Chained German Shepherds in Doña Ana County, New Mexico

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."

Posted on February 7, 2022 by Colleen Lynn

2022 Dog Bite Fatality: Baby Dies After Attack by Relative's Pit Bull in Marion County, Mississippi; Mother Shares Story

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.

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

Posted on February 1, 2022 by Colleen Lynn

Victim Reveals Facial Injuries; Amended Petition Filed

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."

Donate to the Jacqueline Durand GoFundMe campaign today and receive update notices.

Jacqueline Durand - mauled by Crazy Dogs

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

Ashley and Justin Bishop - Crazy Dogs sign

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).

Read Court Documents: Trial Court Cause No. DD2022-0104-1 (127 pages)

Bender and Lucy - Crazy Dogs belonging to Bishops

"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.

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