Posted on June 5, 2020 by Colleen Lynn

2020 Dog Bite Fatality: Unreported Fatal Pit Bull Mauling of 2-Year Old Boy in Stockton, California

Brice Sanders, 2-years old, died on June 1 after being attacked by a pit bull.

Animal History Summary
UPDATE 07/22/20: In mid July, we obtained information from our June 10 records request to Stockton Animal Services. The dog that attacked and killed Brice Sanders on May 31 was a male intact pit bull named "Rocko." The animal history documents we obtained from animal services also stated the dog had Taser needles on his hind right backside and the left side of his neck -- the latter only penetrated the dog's harness. It's clear that arriving police used a Taser on this dog.

Rocko did not belong to a person at the residence in the 4400 block of Giselle Lane, where Brice and his mother were visiting. A member of that residence was "watching" Rocko for its owner, whose home was listed as being several blocks away. In our statistics, this is called a "double" visiting scenario. This is an exceptionally high-risk scenario for children: The child is visiting where the dog is being kept and the dog is being "watched" at the location while its owner is away.1

By combining these two scenarios are in our statistics, we located 55 deaths over a 15-year period (2005-2019) that met the criteria. Pit bulls carried out 80% (44) of these attacks, which is 9 times more frequently than rottweilers (5 deaths) and 44 times more frequently than any other breed (1 death each) involved in "double" visiting scenarios. Of the 44 pit bull attacks, 57% (25) involved the dog killing a family or household member. There is no other dog breed to compare this to.

Though the breed identification photograph provided in the animal history records is dismal, we were able to locate "Rocko" on the dog owner's Facebook page. Rocko was taken to the shelter on May 31, became an owner surrender on June 4 and was euthanized on June 17, according to shelter records. The records also indicate the dog was 4-years old, but it was not. Rocko was at least 7-years old. Along with photos, the owner has a 2014 video of this dog calling it "Rocko."

Photographs of the male, intact pit bull named "Rocko" that killed Brice Sanders in Stockton.

06/11/20: Fatal Dog Attack Confirmed
Stockton police confirmed that a pit bull killed a 2-year old boy. The attack occurred about 9:00 pm on May 31, while the boy's family was visiting a home in the 4400 block of Giselle Lane in Weston Ranch. Brice Sanders was airlifted to University of California, Davis Medical Center, where he died early the next morning. The pit bull continues to be held in bite quarantine at Stockton Animal Services. Police Department spokesman Officer Joe Silva was unable to provide further details.

"The fatal incident was not reported by Stockton police at the time," reports The Record. The attack occurred on the same night that officers were responding to multiple locations on reports of large protests and looting in the city. Stockton police Tweeted five warnings between 8:18 pm and 8:45 pm, including one that states: "Large protest occurring in Downtown Stockton. Do not endanger yourself, stay away from the area. Large amount of protestors and police presence."

The fund organized for his mother, Shantoya Cruze, to help pay funeral costs, has now reached over $41,000. Services for Brice were held in San Francisco on June 5. Yesterday, we submitted a public information request to Stockton Animal Services. The agency must respond within 10 days. Prior to learning the location of this fatal attack in Stockton, we confirmed the attack did not take place in San Francisco County, Suisun City, Gilroy, Sacramento County or Solano County.

06/10/20: On June 10, we became aware of the location of this deadly attack. We are preparing to request records from this Central Valley jurisdiction in San Joaquin County right now. Previously, we confirmed this tragic attack did not take place in San Francisco County, Suisun City, Gilroy, Sacramento County or Solano County. As suspected, this fatal dog mauling involves a pit bull.

06/05/20: Young Boy Identified
California - On June 1, a GoFundMe organized by Monica Lopez and Kelly Marriott for Shantoya Cruze was started. "It is with very heavy hearts, that we are informing you of our dear friend Shantoya’s loss of her precious two-year old son, Brice. He passed away early on the morning of June 1st." In just four days, the fund has nearly reached $40,000. Cruze and her family appear to be based in the Bay Area, and her name has numerous references to San Francisco addresses.

We first became aware of this possible fatal dog mauling on June 2, after a San Francisco-based father, whose son knows the victim's older brother, posted: "As if there isn't enough terrible stuff going on. A basketball teammate of Theo had a very tragic and traumatic couple of days. His little brother, 2-year old Brice, was killed in a dog attack. Here's a link to the family's GoFundMe page." Through social media comments, we learned that the attack occurred outside of the Bay Area.2

The victim's older brother, Tim, is an 8th grader and plays on the Bay City Basketball team in San Francisco. On June 5, we were able to learn the victim's full name, Brice Sanders. "We would like to offer our dearest condolences to the family of 2-year old Brice Sanders, who passed earlier this week. Brice’s brother Tim is a beloved 8th grader in our program … Rest in paradise, Brice." Without knowing the jurisdiction of where this fatal dog attack occurred, our hands are tied.

This is not only a lack of media reporting. This is a lack of police reporting, which typically issues news releases to the media, especially after a young child has been killed by a dog. Outrageously, that did not happen in this case. On June 3, San Francisco Animal Care and Control confirmed the fatal attack did not occur in their jurisdiction. The only other information that we have about family members is Brice's uncle, Edwin Rosario, who also publicly posted the family's GoFundMe.

Fund grows for family of 2-year old Brice Sanders, who was mauled to death by a dog.

A family member posted photographs of the memorial program for Brice Sanders to Facebook.

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

1The "double" visiting scenario is the combination of a "watcher," such as a babysitter or a person dog-sitting and the victim "visiting" or temporarily living with the dog owner/dog harborer at the time of the fatal attack.
2It does not make sense for a person who knows the family to fabricate a child "was killed in a dog attack."

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 June 5, 2020 by Colleen Lynn

2020 Dog Bite Fatality: 70-Year Old Woman Mauled to Death by Dogs in Country Club Hills, Illinois

Katie Amos, 70-years old, was mauled to death in her driveway by up to four dogs.

Woman Killed by Dogs
Country Club Hills, IL - A 70-year old woman was mauled to death by one or more dogs, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office. Katie Amos was fatally attacked in the 3900 block of 167th Place at about 10:35 am on June 3. An autopsy determined that she died of her injuries. The manner of death was an accident. Country Club Hills police have not yet responded to a request for additional details. Amos' death marks the third fatal dog attack in Illinois this year.

Audio dispatch logs from Tinley Park and Orland Park Police, Fire / EMS show a call for an animal bite came in at 10:38 am. Ambulance 14 was dispatched to the scene. While en route, he reports, "An adult female being attacked by a group of large dogs. Police are en route." When the ambulance arrives at the scene, he reports, "The patient is in the rear yard." Google Maps shows that Amos lived at a residence with a gated area behind the home that leads to a garage.1

Afternoon Updates

Country Club Hills police said that Amos died after being attacked by four dogs in her driveway on 167th Place. Responding officers open fired on the dogs so they could enter the gated area in the back of the driveway where Amos was located. One of the dogs was shot and killed and the other three fled the driveway into the neighbor's yard. Cook County Animal Control took custody of all four dogs, which all belonged to Amos, and resided at the location where the attack occurred.

Merrill Amos also resides at this location on 167th Place and runs a backyard pit bull breeding operation, according to his Facebook page. As recently as February, he called four pit bull puppies "champions" and his asking price was $700. Police have not released the breeds of dogs involved.

A person living at the victim's home was selling pit bulls on Facebook as recently as February.

Katie Amos, 70, was killed by up to four family dogs on her own property in Country Club Hills.

The fatal dog mauling occurred in the 3900 block of 167th Place, near Pulaski Road.

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

1The audio dispatch logs do not say "West 167th Place," as media outlets are reporting, just "167th Place." Google Maps shows that 167th Place and Sunset Ridge Drive overlap, and that 167th Street runs parallel. Also, Fire and EMS were called to an address that was actually next door to the victim's home. The attack location was essentially in between the two homes behind a gated area that leads to a garage on the victim's property.

Posted on June 2, 2020 by Colleen Lynn

2020 Dog Bite Fatality: Two Family Neapolitan Mastiffs Kill 11-Year Old Girl in Murray County, Georgia

Skylar Headrick, 11-years old, was mauled to death by two family Neapolitan mastiffs.

Killed by Large Mastiffs
Crandall, GA - Two family dogs killed an 11-year old girl over the weekend, the Murray County Sheriff's Office said. The fatal attack occurred on May 30 after 11:00 pm at the family's home on Dunn Road West. A police report obtained by WTVC states the girl's sister returned from work and went down to the basement, where she discovered her younger sister on the floor lifeless. She ran and told her father, who told police that he saw blood on the fur of both of his Neapolitan mastiffs.

The Murray County Deputy Coroner said the preliminary cause of death is blunt and sharp force trauma. The manner of death was an accident.

The father told investigators he believed the dogs attacked her, but said they had "never been aggressive to humans before;" they had only been aggressive to each other. The father's social media page shows one of the Neapolitans at 10-weeks old in February 2019 and possibly a different one, named "Tank," in 2018. He also has a video of one of the Neapolitans from a year ago that shows the adult dog running in slow motion. The family owns two St. Bernards too.1

The last time the father had seen his daughter was about 11:00 pm, when she came upstairs to get a bandage for her heel after one of the dogs had scratched her. She returned to the basement afterward, where both Neapolitans were. She was never seen alive again. Northwest Elementary School identified her as one of their students, Skylar Headrick. The child's family has set up a GoFundMe. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) is also assisting in the investigation.

Skylar's mother, Cecelia Dowis Headrick, posted to Facebook on May 31, "Last night at 1:45 am my sweet beautiful and smart 11-year old baby girl was killed by her own Neapolitan mastiff. Her older sister found her, but it was too late. I am a mother of three beautiful daughters. And I am devastated. I want her back in my arms safe at home with me. I want to hold her and never let her go." She added, "This pain is unreal." The post only indicated one Neapolitan mastiff, not two.

Neapolitan mastiffs

The Neapolitan mastiff is a large heavy-boned mastiff. It's ancient ancestor, the Molossus (molosser), was a war dog used to fight other animals, including lions and tigers, as well as people, during times of war. They were known as "war dogs, gladiators, and guardians." Many dangerous dog breeds descended from the molosser, including: pit bull terriers, rottweilers, American bulldogs, South African boerboels, cane corsos, dogo Argentinos, and more.

The Neapolitan mastiff is grouped within our annual and combined year dog bite fatality statistics under the mastiff/bullmastiff category. During the 15-year period of 2005 to 2019, the combination of large molosser breeds -- pit bull terriers, rottweilers, and mastiff-type guard dogs and war dogs, specifically, the types used to create "baiting" bull breeds and fighting breeds -- contributed to 84% of all U.S. dog bite fatalities. From inherited function to conformation, no one should be surprised.

Recent Photographs

The obituary for Skylar Headrick states that one of her sisters is named Kirsten. Recently, a "Kirsten H" posted photographs of one St. Bernard and two Neapolitan mastiffs to KingPet.com, a pet contest website. The same photograph of "Nessie" the St. Bernard is also seen on the father's Facebook page. Gracie and Tank appear to be the family's two Neapolitan mastiffs as adults. We previously identified that "Tank" was the name of one of the family's two Neapolitan mastiffs.

Late Wednesday, we confirmed that Skylar's father linked to this same pet contest with "Tank."

Gracie and Tank, recently posted to a contest on KingPet, appear to be the family's two Neos.

Four days after her death, Skylar's father posted these images as his Facebook cover and profile pictures, showing his daughter with the dog that killed her. This is a form of mental illness.

1It would not surprise us that by the age of 1.5 or 2 years old, both Neapolitans became "downstairs dogs," relegated to the basement. Separating the four large dogs into pairs is a distinct possibility.

Posted on May 31, 2020 by Colleen Lynn

Call-To-Action: Send in Your Stories of Scofflaw Dog Owners

Scofflaw dog owner Amy Cooper reacts after being told to leash her dog in the Ramble.

On October 14, 2020, it was reported that Amy Cooper made two false 911 calls that day. In the second call, previously unreported, Cooper claimed the man tried to assault her. "The defendant twice reported that an African American man was putting her in danger, first by stating that he was threatening her and her dog, then making a second call indicating that he tried to assault her in the Ramble area of the park," said Joan Illuzzi, a senior prosecutor. Read the DA's full statement.

Overview of Confrontation
New York, NY - On Monday, a video went viral showing a female dog owner "calling the cops" on a black man after he asked her to leash her dog in an area that requires leashes. The woman is white and her intent is clear, "I'm going to tell [the cops] there is an African American man threatening my life." Amy Cooper becomes agitated after Christian Cooper (no relation) begins filming her. Christian tells her, "Please don't come close to me" and "Please call the cops."

Amy proceeds to call the police, as Christian continues to film her. For the safety of his own life, Christian should continue filming her. Amy tells dispatchers, "There is a man, an African American … He's recording me and threatening me and my dog." Amy feels so "infringed upon" and "fragile" she nearly chokes her own dog, while trying to hold onto its collar -- she still has not leashed her dog either. In a matter of seconds, Amy manages to threaten the life of Christian and her own dog.

Monday, May 25, 2020 - The Ramble in Central Park

Central Park this morning: This woman's dog is tearing through the plantings in the Ramble.
ME: Ma'am, dogs in the Ramble have to be on the leash at all times. The sign is right there.
HER: The dog runs are closed. He needs his exercise.
ME: All you have to do is take him to the other side of the drive, outside the Ramble, and you can let him run off leash all you want.
HER: It's too dangerous.
ME: Look, if you're going to do what you want, I'm going to do what I want, but you're not going to like it.
HER: What's that?
ME (to the dog): Come here, puppy!
HER: He won't come to you.
ME: We'll see about that...
I pull out the dog treats I carry for just for such intransigence. I didn't even get a chance to toss any treats to the pooch before Karen scrambled to grab the dog.
HER: DON'T YOU TOUCH MY DOG!!!!!
That's when I started video recording with my iPhone, and when her inner Karen fully emerged and took a dark turn...

Intimidation, rage, assault1 -- even fatal assault -- after telling a dog owner, who is flouting a leash law, to leash his or her pet is nothing new to us. Threats of calling the cops and worse, frequently come in the wake of telling a scofflaw dog owner to adhere to the law. The degree of "entitlement" these dog owners express, just like Amy did, should put the public on notice that scofflaw dog owners often engage in escalating hostile behavior when a person asks that they leash their pet.

Within 24 hours of the filming, Amy had surrendered her dog to the rescue group she had adopted him from, and had been fired from her high-level finance job at Franklin Templeton. Christian, who graduated from Harvard, expressed conflict about her fate. "I'm not excusing racism," he told media outlets. "But I don't know if her life needed to be torn apart." Amy later admitted in a statement that she was the one who had acted "inappropriately by not having my dog on a leash."

In 2017, the Seattle Times examined the attitudes of dog owners and those who aren't wild about dogs. Some in the latter category "vent their frustration about 'self-absorbed dog owners' on Internet forums." Others have "resigned themselves to being yelled at" when they speak up in public spaces. "My biggest gripe is all the dogs who are let off leash in parks despite the leash laws and the hostile reaction you frequently get if you say anything," a retired English teacher said.

Colleen Lynn, the founder and president of DogsBite.org, a nonprofit public education website, said the conversation is often erroneously cast as being for or against canines when it should be about entitlement.

"I don't think this is an issue of 'not liking' dogs," she wrote in an email exchange. "What alarms and annoys people are negligent dog owners and their careless, thoughtless attitude toward others. - June 9, 2017

Finding instances of dog owners being filmed after being told to leash their pet on YouTube proved to be difficult.2 But Carolin von Petzholdt has several videos dedicated to it. Like Christian, she is a bird lover. One incident of taking her parrot to a county park nearly resulted in assault. This particular dog owner is the antithesis of what we mean when we say that scofflaw dog owners will often engage in escalating hostile behavior when a person politely asks them to leash their dog.

Leash laws are a simple public safety measure. Scofflaw dog owners take pride in breaking the law and are the first to declare "victimhood."

This dog owner classically projects his own wrongdoing onto Carolin (failure to leash, presuming he has the right to come to a public space and "take it over"). Carolin is assertive, but knows the situation is escalating. After taking a photo of her license plate, the male dog owner eventually saunters away. She states, "Some dog owners are really inconsiderate and really jerks." When Carolin returns home, she calls the police to understand what she should do if this occurs again.

When Carolin free-flies her parrot named Hope, she reminds dog owners to leash their pet.

Exponential Entitlement

Central Park is 843 acres. The Ramble is a heavily wooded 38-acre section described as a "wild garden" and supports over 230 bird species. Dogs are only allowed in the Ramble leashed. In many parts of Central Park, dogs are allowed off-leash from 6:00 am to 9:00 am and from 9:00 pm to 1:00 am when the park closes. At the time of Amy Cooper's "entitlement meltdown," it was between 7:30 am and 8:00 am, when hundreds of park acres were open for off-leash dogs.

Amy wanted a private oasis for her dog smack dab in the middle of a protected environmental area. Christian Cooper is not only a birdwatcher; he is a board member of the New York City Audubon Society. So when Christian said the dog was "tearing through the plantings" and he told Amy to leash her dog, he was speaking as an expert. Unlike members of the public who are not or would only be "silent and stew" after seeing such an activity, Christian spoke up immediately.

Amy did not only lose her job and dog, she may face criminal charges for falsely reporting an incident. The NYC Commission on Human Rights has also opened an investigation into the incident. The Central Park Civic Association even issued a statement asking the mayor to impose a lifetime Central Park ban on this lady "for her deliberate, racial misleading of law enforcement and violating behavioral guidelines set so that all can enjoy our city’s most famous park."

Call-To-Action: Send Your Stories

For 13 years we have been fielding complaints about scofflaw dog owners, who flout leash laws, and complaints about dogs "tearing up" ecologically fragile areas. Virtually all remain in private email exchanges. The viral video involving the two Coopers during Covid-19 shows that these issues should be written about more, and certainly, they should be recorded more. "Entitled" dog owner Amy is nothing new to us, but she weaponized racism too, sinking her own career.

Despite this incident becoming a national issue, dominating media coverage, a major factor is being left out of every story. Scofflaw dog owners like Amy are a dime-a-dozen. Such owners routinely engage in escalating hostile behavior after being asked to leash their pet. If more dog owners followed leash laws, an insurmountable number of injuries could be prevented each year. This includes bite injuries and non bite injuries, especially to bicyclists, caused by unleashed dogs.

We want to hear your stories about hostile responses from scofflaw dog owners who flout leash laws. After learning about the Central Park incident, one person told us, "I was chased by a man using his leash as a whip when I was pregnant, simply because I asked him to leash his dog." Another said, "Just a couple of weeks ago, after I told a man his dog was supposed to be on a leash (again on a public sidewalk near my home), he yelled at me, 'Just die! Just die!'"

Send us your stories of hostile dog owners flouting leash laws or leave them in comments!

Dog owner Amy Cooper called the cops on a black man who asked her to leash her dog.

Christian Cooper gave an interview with The View. "The Ramble is an area of Central Park, which is protected because there is a lot of wildlife there and a lot of delicate plantings," he said. "So it is posted all over the Ramble that dogs are supposed to be on a leash at all times. Unfortunately, we've had a problem with this for many, many years. People think, "Ah well, it doesn't really apply to me." We've been fighting for awhile to get enforcement," Cooper said. "A lot of us have been recording these incidences of scofflaw behavior regarding the leash laws, so I pulled out my mine to document it so that we would have some evidence of what's going on in the Ramble."

1The context for the assault video is here: "Terrier-able" Behavior: Dog Owner Attacks Woman in Historic Fourth Ward Skate Park. Louis Rivera was arrested for simple battery by the Atlanta Police Department.
2By contrast, Youtube is filled with stories of irresponsible dog owners who lash out after being confronted by animal lovers for leaving their dog in a hot car.

DogsBite blog ::

2020 Dog Bite Fatality: Unreported Fatal Pit Bull Mauling of 2-Year Old Boy in Stockton, California

2020 Dog Bite Fatality: 70-Year Old Woman Mauled to Death by Dogs in Country Club Hills, Illinois

2020 Dog Bite Fatality: Two Family Neapolitan Mastiffs Kill 11-Year Old Girl in Murray County, Georgia

Viral Video Shows Extreme 'Entitlement' of White, Female Scofflaw Dog Owner, Who Quickly Plays the Race Card

Call-To-Action: Send in Your Stories of Scofflaw Dog Owners