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.

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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.

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 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.

Posted on July 19, 2021 by Colleen Lynn

2021 Dog Bite Fatality: Woman Killed by Pack of Dogs in Cocke County; Second Fatal Animal Attack in Area Since April

"Person of Interest" Identified, Police Not Releasing Suspect's Name

Amber Miller, 29 and Tony Ahrens, 52, were killed in the same manner 3.5 months apart.

Media Names Suspect
UPDATE 07/22/21: On Thursday, WBIR did the unthinkable. They looked into the owner of the property on Carnation Way where both fatal attacks occurred -- our nonprofit had done so on Monday. Charles Everett Owensby, who goes by "Charlie Dogman" on Facebook, has a history of assault arrests, according to Cocke County online court records. As recently as 2018, he was charged with "aggravated assault - domestic." That case remains "open," according to the site.

Notably, we already linked to Owensby once. He was named in an April 18 Citizen Tribune report after discovering the body of Tony Ahrens near his mailbox on April 1. WRIB examined a 2014 criminal charge that involved Owensby allegedly ordering one of his dogs to attack a man. At that time, police were serving a warrant at his home for possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, reckless endangerment with a weapon, aggravated assault and violating an order of protection.

The charges were the result of a 2014 "gas station brawl," in which Charles Olden told Newport Police that Owensby approached him with a gun, pointed it in his face and screamed "we're going to end this today." Olden then said Owensby struck him in the face with the hand gun, ordered his dog to attack Olden then tried to run over Olden. Most of those counts were dismissed, WRIB reports. Now, it appears that Owensby's dogs have killed two people 3.5 months apart.

Despite Owensby's criminal complaint history -- particularly how he ordered his dog to attack a person -- the Cocke County Sheriff's Office did not seize his dogs after the April 1 fatal attack or the July 12 fatal attack, both of which occurred near Owensby's home. Neighbors said earlier this week the dogs are no longer at Owensby's home. Who is surprised? The dogs are the central evidence and now that evidence has vanished. It's unclear if anyone witnessed either attack.

It is also critical to point out that the sheriff's office likely knew within 72 hours that the April 1 attack involved one or more canines. If the sheriff's office had initially suspected a "wild animal attack" they would have contacted the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. That agency would have quickly ruled out wildlife and tossed the case right back at the sheriff's office (as we have seen occur in other states). TWRA does not handle domesticated animal issues, only wildlife.1

"Person of Interest"

Finally, on July 26, the sheriff's office confirmed they had identified a "person of interest" in the investigation of two separate deadly animal attacks. According to Cocke County Sheriff Armando Fontes, a search warrant has been executed, but officials are not releasing the identity of the person of interest to, "preserve the integrity of the investigation" (which has already been highly compromised). Fonts said that no dogs have been confiscated by law enforcement at this point.

A 2014 police report alleges that Charles Everett Owensby ordered his dog to attack a man.

07/20/21: Dogs Never Captured
WVLT provided clarifications today after receiving a redacted report from the Cocke County Sheriff’s Office. Regarding the attack of Amber Miller, three large dogs (that a witness described as "big old bulldogs") were spotted near Miller '"licking the wounds" where she had been attacked. Witnesses transported Miller to a hospital, where medical staff described her injuries as severe. Her calf was "ripped off" and her arms were "barley attached to her body," the report said.

Most tellingly, the Cocke County Sheriff’s Office issued a warning for those traveling on Jimtown Road, saying to "use caution until the investigation concludes." Since the first attack on April 1, when 52-year old Tony Ahrens was found dead at the intersection of Jimtown Road and Carnation Way, authorities have not seized or captured the suspected dogs -- that is a 3.5 month period. WVLT also spoke to neighbors who said the dogs are no longer at the owner's residence.

07/19/21: Woman Killed by Pack of Dogs
Cocke County, TN - A 29-year old woman died after being viciously attacked by a pack of dogs near the intersection of Jimtown Road and Carnation Way. This is the second fatal animal attack in the same area in four months. On April 1, Tony Allen Ahrens, 52-years old, was also found dead in the area. His body appeared to have been partially devoured by an animal, reported the Citizen Tribune. Police have since been sitting on that case. Now a young woman is also dead.

A comment in the Cocke County Life Facebook group, sums up the horrific scenario. "I'm sorry but had appropriate action been taken with the first incident there wouldn't be have been a need for the public to take action and speak out about what is going on! Everyone has the freedom of speech … Maybe these posts will save another life because I see NOTHING from authorities that states the public is safe and these dogs have been removed from this man or put down!"

Another commenter stated that the dogs' owner is a trainer. "He is a trainer it's obviously he trained them dogs that particular way this is the second time a person lost they life yes he is guilty because he knew what he was doing when he trained them dogs [sic]." A sheriff’s office spokesperson declined to comment when asked if investigators believed the animals involved in the attacks belonged to anyone and if they planned to press charges, reports WATE-TV.

It took the family members of Amber Miller, who was attacked on July 12 and died six days later, speaking to the media in order for the public to learn more information about these two deaths. Miller had "so many wounds that they could not even count them," Miller's great aunt, Regina Jozefek said. Miller fought for her life at UT Medical Center and died on July 18. Meanwhile, the Cocke County Sheriff’s Office said that both fatal attacks were under "strong investigation."

This is a law enforcement failure of epic proportions. Two adults killed by loose dogs in off-property attacks, likely belonging to the same owner, and police move at a snails pace, and make statements like, "The investigation on both attacks is under a strong investigation and long hours are worked each day. The more we put out to the public could devastate the case. We will release as much as we can when feasible but we will not release anything that could jeopardize this case."

Watch Video: Steve Mayes found Amber Miller crying out for help after the vicious attack.

Multi-Victim Fatal Attacks

When a dog pack kills a person, and the dogs are not seized and adjudicated, the pack will kill another person. We have seen this at least two other times -- once in Mississippi and California. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is now assisting the Cocke County Sheriff’s Office in both investigations. That's useless, however, if law enforcement is protecting this dog owner. In 2014, a sheriff's office stonewalled the media after a former police K9 trainer's dog killed his step-child.

Comments left at a post about the attacks in the public Cocke County Life Facebook group.

A dog pen seen on the property of the suspected owner of the dogs that killed Amber Miller.

cocke county fatal dog attack - cane corso

One aggressive cane corso was seized after deputies executed a search warrant in July.

1Several fatal dog attack cases in rural areas (Kentucky and Florida) involved Wildlife officials assisting police, specifically by tracking/locating the suspected dogs on Wildlife cameras.

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"Person of Interest" Identified, Police Not Releasing Suspect's Name