Posted on August 13, 2021 by Colleen Lynn

2021 Dog Bite Fatality: 26-Year Old Man Killed by Pit Bull During a Grand Mal Seizure in East Toledo

Javon Stokes, 26-years old, was fatally bitten in the neck while suffering a grand mal seizure.

Pit Bull Kills Man
Toledo, OH – On the heels of 31-year old Emily Kahl being killed by a pet pit bull in Toledo in July, a 26-year old man suffered the same fate Thursday. Javon Stokes was killed by a pit bull while suffering a grand mal seizure, according to the coroner -- a rare coroner ruling. Typically pit bull owners, as in the case of Emily Kahl last month, do not witness the event, but speculate “the victim must have had a seizure,” which caused the pit bull to violently attack and kill the person.

Stokes seizure was not witnessed by anyone either, a condition for which he was supposed to be taking medication, reports The Toledo Blade.

Police were dispatched to a home in the 500 block of Potter Street at 9:45 am on Thursday, reports the Toledo Blade, a newspaper that has long been sympathetic to “pit bulls.”1 Lucas County Coroner Dr. Diane Scala-Barnett said Stokes was visiting friends with his wife and two children when he suffered a grand mal seizure and the dog attacked his neck, killing him. Stokes was transported to Mercy Health St. Vincent Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

The owner of the pit bull, Austin Dotson, surrendered the dog to Lucas County Canine Care and Control. Kelly Sears, the director of the shelter, said the pit bull named “Jackson” will likely be euthanized. Sears, who has no medical expertise and did not witness the event, “speculated” that the pit bull interpreted Stokes unwitnessed seizure as a threat and responded to it by attacking him. Is this why there are seizure alert service dogs, so they can attack and kill their owner?

Jackson also had a bite history, according to Lucas County shelter records. As recently as August 2, 2021, the dog bolted from the front porch of the Potter Street home and bit a neighbor on the hand, causing a puncture wound to his thumb. Amanda Knezevich, who co-owns the pit bull with Dotson, believes the dog was “trying to help Stokes and wake him up.” She also claimed the dog was Stokes’ “best friend” and that he even “slept with him,” totally ignoring the bite to the neck.

To add insult to injury, Knezevich barely even knew the dog. Knezevich told canine officers on August 2 the dog had only been in the couple’s home for two weeks after he was acquired from a family member. At that time, Knezevich was cited for a dog running at large and was “warned” for failure to vaccinate the dog for rabies and failure to license the new dog. The county shelter had planned to check back in with the owners on August 23 to ensure that both had happened.

According to Toledo Fire audio log records from Broadcastify.com, the location of the home is 545 Potter Street. On July 19, 2021 Toledo police received an unconfirmed report of a vicious dog loose at 545 Potter Street, according to Citizen.com. July 19 is right about the time when Knezevich and Dotson acquired this pit bull. In a matter of a few weeks, this allegedly "young" pit bull had a loose vicious dog call, an off-property documented bite and a fatal neck injury bite.

Pit Bull Owners Take Note

A handful of pit bull owners and family members have been killed by their pit bull during an alleged seizure over the years. We say alleged because the seizure is rarely, if ever, witnessed. The seizure is primarily speculated after the fatal attack. As deputy Lucas County coroner Dr. Cynthia Beisser stated last month about Emily Kahl’s death, 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.

What are the odds that two young people, ages 26 and 31, from the same city were killed by pet pit bulls while having a seizure in the last month? Both were killed in the same manner as well, the pit bull executed the killing bite, attacking the victim’s neck. Notably, the audio from Toledo Fire only stated they were responding to a person with a seizure. There was no mention of a dog attack. So, emergency responders entered that home with no knowledge of a violent dog.

Owners and family members killed by a family pit bull during an alleged seizure include: Javon Stokes, 26-years old (Toledo, OH, 2021), Emily Kahl, 31-years old (Toledo, OH, 2021), Miguel Ángel Aguilar, 18-years old (Saltillo, Mexico, 2020) Dustin Bryan, 21-years old (Modesto, CA, 2019) Melissa Astacio, 44-years old (Somerset, MA, 2019), Homer Utterback, 52-years old (Uniontown, PA, 2019); Teena Mawhorter, 74-years old (Mount Shasta, CA, 2018); Della Riley, 42-years old (Cleveland, OH, 2018); Jamie Owsley, 21-years old (Quincy, IL, 2017); Daisie Bradshaw, 68-years old (New York City, NY, 2016); Susan Shawl, 60-years old (Conifer, CO, 2016); Charles Hagerman, 44-years old (Chicago, IL, 2012); Tonia Parks, 39-years old (Rockford, IL, 2011); Kelli Chapman, 24-years old (Longville, LA, 2008); Brandon Coleman, 25-years old (Morgantown, WV, 2006); Lorinze Reddings, 42-years old (St. Louis, MO, 2005) and likely others.

killed by pit bull during grand mal seizure

The home on Potter Street where a pit bull attacked a man's neck during a grand mal seizure.

1The Blade always places quote marks around the term "pit bull" to emphasize that a pit bull is not a breed of dog.

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

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 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

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.

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