Posted on August 11, 2021 by Colleen Lynn

2021 Dog Bite Fatality: Baby Boy Killed by Family Rottweiler with a Reported Bite History in Brooklyn

Ryan Foster, 19-months old, was mauled to death by a family rottweiler in Brooklyn.

Mother Speaks Out
UPDATE 08/12/21: On Tuesday night, 19-month old Ryan Foster was killed by a family rottweiler used for “security.” His older brothers, 9 and 11 years old, were not injured. On Wednesday, the child’s father, Vernon Foster, was arrested and charged with manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide and acting in a manner injurious to a child after leaving his children unattended with the dog. Now the child’s mother, Susan Hyre, is speaking out, who has custody of the children.

Hyre told WPIX that Ryan was her “miracle baby.” I never thought I would have children again, she explained, “because I had a very complicated pregnancy.” Hyre, who is currently separated from Foster, said that Foster picked up the children on Monday for regular visitation. She was unaware of Foster’s plans to bring the children to his own parent’s apartment in the 300 block of East 17th, where the rottweiler is kept. The boy’s grandparents were out of the country at the time.

Hyre told the Daily News that Buster had previously bitten her 11-year old son, Jayden, in 2019. “My child literally has bite marks from that dog and the marks are still there,” Hyre said. “He was bit on the leg by the same dog.” Hyre described Buster as “a guard dog, not a dog meant to be around children.” She called Foster’s actions “the ultimate betrayal.” When “you know this dog is a vicious dog and you left the kids there,” Hyre said, referring to Foster. “That’s careless.”

According to a Brooklyn Criminal Complaint, Foster was accused in February of pushing Hyre so hard it left a hole in the wall. The case was dismissed with a requirement that Foster remain out of trouble. Five months later, Foster is now facing multiple felonies in connection to the mauling death of his youngest son. The rottweiler attacked the baby’s head, neck and shoulder at about 10:45 pm Tuesday. An ambulance rushed Ryan to an area hospital, where he later died.

08/11/21: Rottweiler Kills Baby
Brooklyn, NY - Charges are pending after a 19-month old boy was mauled to death by a family rottweiler. The attack occurred late Tuesday night at a home in Flatbush. The child’s father left the baby at the home with his two brothers, ages 9 and 11, when he went to work Tuesday evening. Police were dispatched to the family’s ground floor apartment in the 300 block of East 17th Street about 10:45 pm after the family’s rottweiler attacked the baby’s head, neck and shoulder.

“When the officers arrived here, they went to an apartment on the first floor. They encountered a child with multiple wounds to his body, bleeding heavily,” - Assistant Chief Michael Kemper, the commanding officer of Patrol Borough Brooklyn South

According to police, the older brothers fled the home after the attack to flag down a passerby. Officers arrived to find the baby “bleeding heavily” in the lobby of the building with his brothers. The baby was rushed to Maimonides Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead just before 11:30 pm. Police said the 11-year old sibling was previously bitten by the dog, named “Buster,” in the past and was afraid of the dog. The father was taken into custody and charges are anticipated.

The two older brothers were able to lock Buster in the bathroom before police arrived. NYPD Emergency Services officers tranquilized the dog, which was then taken into custody by Animal Care Centers of NYC. The Daily News reports the father, who has visitation rights with the children, was taken into custody when he and the child’s mother showed up at the hospital. Regarding the previous bite, it was never reported to authorities and police are investigating.

CBS New York footage shows the two brothers running outside as a crowd of adults come to their aid. Police quickly appear and carry the injured boy to an ambulance. One neighbor commented, “Baby not supposed to be home by itself. I know it’s hard times, it’s pandemic times. We try to make ends meet.” CBS also reported that the father, who has not yet been identified by police, has one other unrelated assault charge and now could face a charge of child endangerment.

WABC reports in a Wednesday update that the apartment and the rottweiler belong to the children’s grandparents, who are currently out of the country. The grandparents are also the superintendents of the apartment building on East 17th Street where the attack occurred, and they reportedly had the dog for “security” because they have been burglarized in the past. Back in May, 4-year old Elliot Sherwin was fatally attacked by his grandparents two rottweilers in Montana.

Child's Father Charged

By late Wednesday, both WABC and WPIX reported that the boy's father, Vernon Foster, was arrested on charges of manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide and acting in a manner injurious to a child. "Detectives from the 70th Precinct and Brooklyn South Homicide Squad are fully engaged in the investigation," Kemper said earlier. "It's very active right now, pending a search warrant for the apartment" and we are working with the DA's Office in relation to charges.

Entrance to the building where a family rottweiler killed a baby boy in Brooklyn Tuesday night.

Photographs showing NYPD officers at the scene after a family rottweiler killed a baby boy.

View the DogsBite.org Google Map: U.S. Fatal Rottweiler Attacks By State

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 August 10, 2021 by Boni

Whose "Freedom" Exactly?

By Boni
A guest writer for the DogsBite.org Blog.

When it comes to pit bulls and other dangerous dogs, much heated debate revolves around opposing concepts of “freedom”.

The freedom of a citizen to buy whatever dog they choose vs. the freedom of every other citizen to walk around free of violence inflicted by someone else’s choice of breed--notorious for a history of dangerous outbursts.

The freedom of a dog to roam free vs. terrorising the neighbours imprisoned in their houses because they can’t trust that loose, wandering dogs won’t bite.

What defines “freedom” in regards to owning a dog? The choice to own a dog involves limiting future choices, not expanding them. Dog ownership isn’t about freedom. If so, dog owners could take a week-long vacation in Bali, leave an open kibble bag, raise the toilet seat then let the dog crap and pee all over until returning home to clean up the results along with sofa remnants.

The question for owners of dogs is, “How seriously do you take your responsibilities to your dog, your family and your community?”

Dog ownership is about responsibility.

The reason one takes on the responsibility of a dog is that, generally, the relationship is worth the effort. A responsible dog owner puts effort into training a dog that will exist harmoniously in human society. They ensure the safety and comfort of people and pets that inhabit their community. The question for owners of unmanageable dogs is, “how much of your freedom are you willing to sacrifice to maintain everyone’s safety from a vicious dog or a breed with a proven history of unprovoked violence?

Some communities outlaw certain breeds of dogs statistically proven to be the most dangerous. Such communities view the freedom of their citizens to interact safely as more important than the freedom of a select few to own dangerous dog breeds.

Breed lobbyists attempt to overturn such bans or enact legislation that prohibits breed banning claiming that such bans infringe on the “rights” or “freedoms” of certain individuals or their genetically engineered breed of dog.

Yes, I see a problem with this. Many do.

An individual cannot be allowed to impinge on the rights of the many due to their personal choice of dog breed. It’s not uncommon to legislate for the “greater good”.

The freedom of to drink alcohol then drive a car is curtailed while the freedom to imbibe in one’s own home is not. Dangerous products are forced off the market by legislation—because the right of the individual to own a product that endangers lives is restricted for the common good. It’s perfectly legal for an individual to shove a rock off an isolated cliff. It’s not legal to shove a rock off a city skyscraper onto a busy sidewalk endangering those below who did not consent to dodging rocks. It is a matter of public safety. The rights of the pedestrians vs. The freedom of the rock tosser.

“Freedom” is the siren call often shilled loudest by those desiring to impinge on the rights of others who seek a reasonable level of justice, peace and safety in their communities.

It’s not unfair to demand that owners of dangerous dog breeds define what level of “freedom” they expect from everyone else.

Including their victims.

Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs
CC BY-NC-ND August 10, 2021

Related articles:
06/25/21: What Are Pit Bulls Good At? - By Boni
09/30/20: Are Sensible Dog People A Dying Breed? - By Boni

Posted on August 5, 2021 by Colleen Lynn

2021 Dog Bite Fatality: Woman Killed by Three Pit Bulls She was Dog Sitting in Perry County, Pennsylvania

Rhoda Marie Wagner, 60, was killed by three pit bulls she was dog sitting.

Woman Killed by Pit Bulls
Perry County, PA - A 60-year woman is dead after being mauled by three pit bulls she was dog sitting. A passerby reported a female lying in the front yard on July 28; the first media report of her death was not until August 4. Pennsylvania State Police are in charge of the investigation. At the time of the attack, Rhoda Marie Wagner was caring for her roommates three pit bulls when the dogs attacked her for an unknown reason. Wagner's Facebook page shows two of the pit bulls.

Wagner was alone when the attack occurred, according to state police, but had been caring for the pit bulls at her residence at 29 Henry Road in Miller Township for over a month. The dogs were running loose in the yard when Wagner's body was discovered. Though the dogs' owner was not identified by police, he or she surrendered the dogs to the Humane Society of Harrisburg Area and all three dogs have since been euthanized. No other information has been released by police.

“When emergency medical personnel and state troopers arrived on scene, it was apparent that the woman was deceased. The three dogs, all pit bull terriers, were subsequently captured and secured with the assistance of the Perry County Animal Response Team,” state police said in a statement.

Dog Sitting Deaths

This year there have been several high profile attacks involving a dog sitter killed by pit bulls, including 7-year old Jayden Henderson in North Carolina and 28-year old Rebecca McCurdy in Oklahoma. As we stated after Jayden's death, "Nearly every year, one or two deaths are added to our "dog sitting" pit bulls archives. We cannot stress how dangerous this endeavor is." Caring for not just one pit bull, but in this case three pit bulls, while the owner is away, is a high-risk activity.

According to Wagner's Facebook page, she also identified with the pit bull breed. She posted a meme on May 29 indicating that a pit bull most closely matched her personality. Because Wagner is "100% LOYAL," Wagner "loves with all of her heart," Wagner is "sometimes misunderstood," and Wagner "has a gentle heart." Russian Roulette is a game readers. As Angela Rutledge said after her pit bull named "Kissyface" killed her son, "Some people win and some people die."

Friday Updates

A Friday update by WHP-TV stated that Wagner owned at least two pit bulls. Thus, the photos on her Facebook page are presumably her own dogs. One of Wagner’s pit bulls was inside the home at the time of the fatal attack. That dog is now being cared for by her son. It’s unclear where her other pit bull was? State police said the three attacking pit bulls belonged to her roommate. Her best friend, Carla Mae Snow, said that Wagner was an advocate for pit bulls and loved her own.

“I know if she would be alive today, we should not want to see pit bulls to be brought down any more than they already are.” - Carla Mae Snow

Family and friends “speculated” that Wagner had been breaking up a dogfight at the time. Yet, there were no witnesses to the attack and state police offered no speculation, except to say the dogs attacked for an “unknown reason.” It is also worth commenting that no one knows what Wagner would or would not want if she were still alive today. A pit bull mauling death is a poor time to defend pit bulls, of which one news report stated Wagner was partially eaten by the dogs.

Only one of Rhoda's pit bulls was inside her home and uninvolved in the fatal dog mauling.

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

Posted on July 22, 2021 by Colleen Lynn

2021 Dog Bite Fatality: 31-Year Old Woman Fatally Bitten in the Neck by Pet Pit Bull in Toledo, Ohio

Emily Kahl, 31, was fatally bitten in the neck by a family pit bull in Toledo, Ohio.

Pit Bull Kills Woman
Toledo, OH - A fourth person in the United States was killed by a dog on Sunday, July 18. Earlier today, the Lucas County Coroner's Office confirmed the death of Emily Kahl, 31-years old. She died due to "bite trauma to the neck, caused by a dog." The manner of death was ruled an accident. Lucas County Canine Care & Control did not respond to the incident. However, director Kelly Sears identified the dog named "Romeo" and said her office has since euthanized the dog.

Public information officer Lt. Paul Davis of the Toledo Police Department identified the dog as a pit bull. The attack occurred at a home in the 600 block of Hamilton Street. The Toldeo Blade, which has a long history of sympathizing with the pit bull breed, provided additional information. Lucas County Canine Care & Control seized "Romeo" on Monday from a relative who had been caring for the dog and Kahl's own dog named "Nash" since the fatal neck biting attack on Sunday.

Romeo's owner, Thomas Holloway, who also lives at the same Hamilton Street home, surrendered his dog for euthanasia Wednesday. The pit bull was put down Thursday. Holloway told The Blade he was not home at the time of the attack. Holloway predictably conjured up the story that the dogs must have been trying to "save her" from someone else who was inside the home. His Facebook page shows a male pit bull named Romeo and a breeding female pit bull named Angel.

In April 2019, while Angel was pregnant, both dogs scaled Holloway's 7-foot fence and escaped the property. Romeo turned up the next day, according to a public Facebook post. It's unknown what became of pregnant Angel. Lucas County shelter records show that Romeo escaped again in October 2019. The dog was taken to the shelter as a stray then reclaimed by Holloway. There were no other reports with the agency regarding this pit bull before the fatal attack on July 18.

In a follow up article by The Blade, part of the 911 call is heard. Holloway is yet another pit bull owner who believed a seizure was the cause of death. "I just got home and I think my roommate had a seizure, fell and hit her head, and she’s cold," Holloway told the operator. When asked about his address he responds: "They know this house they have been here a hundred times." Possibly seeing her neck injury for the first time, he next abruptly states: "Oh my 'effing' God!"

Dr. Cynthia Beisser, a deputy Lucas County coroner, who determined the cause of death was dog bite trauma to the neck, stopped the "seizure theory" in its tracks. Dr. Beisser said the incident was reportedly unwitnessed and that it is impossible to determine if Kahl had a seizure before or during the time she was bitten, reports The Blade. Echoing what this nonprofit has been saying about the seizure theories disseminated by pit bull owners after fatal pit bull maulings for over a decade.

Emily Kahl was fatally bitten in the neck by "Romeo," a male pit bull seen on the left.

The home in the 600 block of Hamilton Street where the fatal pit bull attack occurred.

Thomas Holloway, the owner of the pit bull that killed Emily, was also a pit bull advocate. However, these kinder appearing pit bulls look nothing like Holloway's "hulking" Romeo.

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

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