Posted on May 5, 2020 by Colleen Lynn

Nonprofit Announces GoFundMe Charity Campaign on New Global Day of Giving - Staying the Course During Covid-19

Nonprofit announces first GoFundMe campaign: Staying the course during Covid-19.

Did You Know?
DogsBite.org - In response to the unprecedented need caused by Covid-19, the creators of Giving Tuesday, an annual day of giving that occurs in early December, have launched Giving Tuesday Now. This new global day of giving takes place today, on May 5, 2020. You can pin your story of giving -- whatever that may be, including volunteering and showing kindness -- to the global map. The Giving Tuesday Now website also offers a number of different giving ideas and themes.

We wanted to take this day to tell our readers about our new GoFundMe Charity page, where you can donate directly to DogsBite.org, but more importantly, you can start a GoFundMe Charity campaign for our nonprofit. GoFundMe has long been the leader in raising funds for individuals, families, small businesses and pets in need. However, these are not 501(c)(3) tax-exempt public charity organizations. Last October, GoFundMe launched this charity fundraising platform.

Our First Campaign

On May 5, DogsBite.org will be fundraising for "Staying the course during Covid-19," in our first GoFundMe Charity campaign. We need your help to ensure that our many research projects continue. We will primarily be sharing on social media. We are asking our supporters to help us reach our goal of $1,000 on this global giving day. No amount of giving is too little! Supporters can also simply share our campaign on social media, enabling our cause to reach new supporters.

The campaign reminds readers that our nonprofit was requested to provide comments to the Department of Transportation about pit bulls flying in the cabin by a major airline. Our data was also central to comments made by airlines. Despite Covid-19, between January and March 2020, our cause accomplished more big-ticket items than in multiple years combined: the DOT's about face on banning pit bulls and the mayor of Denver's veto of the pit bull ban repeal legislation.

Finally, the campaign reminds supporters that one public health crisis being interrupted by a much larger public health crisis does not remove the first crisis. It just adds to it! In mid-April, Denver reported a tripling of dog bites in March after the stay-at-home order went into affect. Minneapolis saw an 87% spike in dog bite reports compared to last year. "Emergency responders have been running from dog bite call to dog bite call during the Covid-19 crisis," reports Fox 9 News.

In late April, one of these attacks involved a family pit bull severely attacking its owner and her baby. The mother was attacked when she intervened to save her 8-month old child. Both victims were in critical condition when police arrived. Minneapolis police released very few details, but later stated they are investigating "child endangerment" and a dog bite. This likely indicates the dog had a history of aggression. This child remains on our Dog Bite Fatality Watch list.

It Takes a Village

Just like it often takes a village to stop a violent dog attack, right now it will take a village to uncover severe dog maulings that are not being reported by the media. If bites rose two and three times during shelter-in-place, then severe attacks rose too. Be sure to leave links in comments for serious dog maulings in the coming months. We have over 100 Google alerts set up to capture media reports, but attacks right now are more likely to be found on GoFundMe and social media.

Thank you to our dedicated readers and supporters during this time! We love you!

Staying the course during Covid-19. Our first fundraiser on the GoFundMe Charity platform.

Posted on May 1, 2020 by Colleen Lynn

Shooter's Mail Had Been Suspended Due to Vicious Dog

Angela Summers was murdered after a dispute involving a vicious dog escalated.

Criminal Complaint
Indianapolis, IN - On April 27, 2020, a U.S. Postal Service (USPS) carrier was shot and killed while delivering mail in the 400 block of North Denny Street. Angela Summers, 45-years old, was taken to Eskenazi Hospital, where she died. Summers was shot outside a home where she had complained about a vicious dog. Mail service at the suspect's home had already been halted for two weeks. The USPS issued a $50,000 reward for information leading to the suspect's arrest.

On April 28, a 21-year old man was arrested in connection to her death. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) headed the homicide investigation and the Indianapolis Metro Police Department assisted. At that time, no motive was given. However, Paul Toms, president of the National Association of Letter Carriers’ union Indianapolis branch, told media outlets the fatal shooting took place at a home where he believed Summers had issues with an aggressive dog.

On April 29, federal prosecutors filed murder charges against the suspect. Tony Cushingberry-Mays was charged with second-degree murder, assaulting a federal employee and discharging a firearm during a crime, according to court documents. When Summers passed by Cushingberry-Mays' home at about 4:00 pm Monday, he confronted Summers on a neighbor's porch, demanding his mail. Summers sprayed the man with mace and then he shot and killed her, authorities said.

On April 30, Toms told media outlets that two letters warning the family to contain their dog were ignored. "So a third letter went out, your mail will be curtailed until you correct it," he said. Within the undelivered mail to the suspect's home were two long-awaited federal stimulus checks, Toms said. When mail is suspended in this manner, the person can obtain the mail by picking it up at the local post office branch. That office was less than one mile away from Cushingberry-Mays' home.

Affidavit in Criminal Complaint

Now that some readers have already clicked on the news articles that we linked to above, we ask that you compare those articles to the affidavit in support of the criminal complaint, which is vastly richer in details and offers a first hand statement-of-facts from the investigating Postal Inspector, Joseph J. De St Jean, who had previously been a Gary, Indiana Police Officer. This document is far more compelling and informative than any media article we have reviewed about this case.

Detectives learned through interviews that Angela Summers had a confrontation with a black male on the porch located at 422 North Denny Street, Indianapolis, IN 46201. A witness described the male suspect as 6’0 to 6’3” in height, thin to medium build, wearing a black and red long-sleeved shirt, black pants, and a dark colored mask that covered half his face. The witness added that the confrontation escalated and the mail carrier pepper sprayed the male. As a result, the male shot her, striking her once in the chest. The witness heard the occupants standing on the front porch of 426 North Denny Street, Indianapolis, IN 46201, repeatedly screaming, “Tony, no.” The witness stated the male fled in the direction of 426 North Denny Street, Indianapolis, IN 46201.

The USPIS confirmed with USPS management that the occupants of 426 North Denny Street, Indianapolis, IN 46201, have had several issues with their dog. This resulted in a mail hold being placed on the residence. More specifically, on or about April 13, 2020, the USPS Linwood Indianapolis Post Office sent a letter to the Cushingberry residence informing them that they would have to retrieve their mail from the post office due to concerns with their dog. On April 27, 2020, the USPIS confirmed that the mail was still being held at the Linwood Indianapolis Post Office ...

On April 28, 2020, at approximately 9:11 pm, CUSHINGBERRY-MAYS provided a statement to law enforcement officers in the company of his attorney. CUSHINGBERRY- MAYS stated he shot the letter carrier. He stated the letter carrier was not delivering the mail because she was having a problem with the dog at his residence of 426 North Denny Street, Indianapolis, IN. CUSHINGBERRY-MAYS was on the porch as the letter carrier approached his residence of 426 North Denny Street, Indianapolis, IN. The letter carrier walked past his residence, did not deliver their mail, and proceeded to the next residence (422 North Denny Street, Indianapolis, IN) to deliver mail.

CUSHINGBERRY-MAYS stated he approached the letter carrier as she was delivering mail at 422 North Denny Street, Indianapolis, IN and asked for their mail. He asked for their mail several times and the letter carrier did not respond to him. He said he stepped onto the porch steps of 422 North Denny Street, Indianapolis, IN. He was approximately six feet away from the letter carrier. He said the letter carrier turned around, grabbed her mace spray, and sprayed CUSHINGBERRY-MAYS. CUSHINGBERRY-MAYS then pulled his handgun from the right side of his waistband (no holster)1, pointed his handgun at the letter carrier, and fired one shot at the letter carrier. He acknowledged the mace was not deadly, but led to discomfort from his asthma. CUSHINGBERRY-MAYS stated he then fled the scene and went to the residence of his aunt Taylor Hawkings near 21st St in Indianapolis, IN. CUSHINGBERRY-MAYS further stated that he placed the handgun in the garage of his mother’s residence (426 North Denny Street, Indianapolis, IN)...

Cushingberry-Mays claimed that he never spoke to Summers before the shooting and that he had not meant to kill her, but only wanted to scare her (by shooting her). Cushingberry-Mays stated that his mother Acacia Cushingberry and cousin Tiffany Reed witnessed the incident. He stated he wore a black scarf/mask with a multicolored top, states the affidavit. This particular mask aspect might become important during the trial -- was it an identity mask, a coronavirus mask or both?

The Ongoing Dog Dispute

In the aftermath of the shooting, DogsBite.org followers in Indiana began sending in screenshots of private Facebook posts by Summers. The concern and suspicion regarded the type of dog involved. Heavy.com already published most of them. Summers posted on April 25 to an album "Tales from the Route" about a home with a chihuahua -- calling it a "nasty devil." Summers states, "Three times they've gotten a dog warning card in their mail box with their address on it."

"A month ago, the last time the dog was loose and wouldn't stop coming after me, they stopped receiving mail. Now stimulus checks are going out. Guess who did not get one yesterday?" Again, this is two days before Summers was shot. As Summers walked by the house April 25 while the dog barked at her, "A woman stands up hollers for my attention. She tells me that she's the 'lady of this house' and that if I ever mace her dog again, she'll personally mace me," she wrote.

The confrontation escalated from there, including the woman "yelling that if I talk to those kids again she's going to set a pit bull loose on my white bitch ass," Summers wrote. "I am beginning to feel seriously unsafe, how exactly does race factor in this, is she threatening to commit a hate crime against a federal employee?" Meanwhile, throughout all of this, the mail belonging to 426 North Denny Street was obtainable by a visit to the Linwood Indianapolis Post Office.

After the postal service sent multiple warning letters to the home, and the homeowners still did not comply, mail delivery was suspended on or about April 13. Toms, a spokesman for the union, confirmed that the union believed the motive of the shooting was linked to the home not receiving their stimulus check. “Yes, there was a history on this for quite a while, as I understand it," Toms said. "I want something like this to never happen again. It should never happen," Toms said.

Tony Cushingberry-Mays

Cushingberry-Mays already confessed to the shooting. According to federal law, if convicted of murder in the second degree, Cushingberry-Mays could face life in federal prison. He is also charged with assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers or employees and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. In a fatal instant, Cushingberry-Mays literally threw his entire life away by killing Summers in cold blood over a dispute that began with a dog.

Meanwhile, someone has started a Tony Cushingberry Facebook page asking for comments from people who know him, "saying the person he is." If you have "any pictures, memories, or just know him personally had a conversation to show the true heart he had and the sweetest person he was please, please comment inside," states the page. This defendant will indeed need character witnesses during the criminal trial, assuming a plea offer is not reached, and during sentencing.

Angela Summers Fund

By Friday, a fund organized by Melanie Davis had raised over $19,000 for Summers' funeral expenses. "She never got the opportunity to tell her daughter that she loved her one last time," Davis states. "Our daughter wasn't able to see her for a-month-and-a-half due to the coronavirus travel restrictions and Angela's essential worker exposure risk. Now, she never will," she wrote. Davis is honored to be the person to carry out her last wishes and is asking the public for help.

One commenter on the fund, Kathryn Tobacco, wrote, "My heart broke that the reason she was hurt because she had refused to deliver mail to a house with vicious dogs. I hope we can raise enough money to fund her child's college education." Terry Flippo wrote, "I'm a retired postal worker who runs the Deliver Me! Facebook group, of which Angela was a member. I also write and draw a comic strip of the same name. I shared this cartoon on the page in honor of Angela."

A Societal Decline

For the majority of people, the coronavirus is a difficult time. For those eligible and still waiting for a stimulus check, it is an even more difficult time. This does not equate to an escalating dispute over a completely resolvable issue about a nuisance dog -- sign the "dog letter" and put the dog inside your home during mail delivery. Furthermore, the owners of the dog had two warnings prior to their mail being suspended. How difficult was it to simply comply with these warnings?

Notably, according to Summers, the "lady of the house" had greatly upped the ante in the dispute two days before the shooting by threatening to "mace" Summers and threatening "to set a pit bull loose" on her, a dog breed that often inflicts damaging injuries, including death. There is no confirmation that Summers' April 25 Facebook post refers to the residents at 426 North Denny Street. This is simply inferred on our part because the events and dog dispute closely coincide.

Every year there are media reports of neighbor disputes over loose or aggressive dogs ending in gunfire and human death. This case involves a federal employee, who was simply trying to do her job and had issued multiple warnings to the dog owners. This is unacceptable and illustrates a societal decline. Multiple families have now been destroyed -- all for nothing. The suspect's mother's Facebook page shows photographs of him growing up. Now he faces life behind bars.

Angela Summers and Tony Dashaun Cushingberry-Mays, who shot and killed Summers.

vicious dog dispute, united states postal service

Letter carrier Angela Summers was murdered after a vicious dog dispute led to mail suspension.

1It is unclear if Cushingberry-Mays had a license to carry. Open carry is legal in Indiana if you have a license to carry, according to Guns to Carry.

Related articles:
04/15/19: 2019 Dog Bite Prevention Week: Protect Your Postal Carrier from Damaging Dog Bites

Posted on April 28, 2020 by Colleen Lynn

$4,500 Reward for Information Leading to Arrest and Indictment of Pit Bull Owner in Atlanta after 'Dog Attack and Dash'

Video shows the suspect leaving the scene after a vicious "dog attack and dash" in Atlanta.

Police Increase Reward
Atlanta, GA - On April 2, Lane Pilcher and her dog Banjo were walking along a popular trail in Atlanta called the BeltLine when a pit bull "barking very aggressively" broke free from its owner and attacked Pilcher and her dog. "All I had time really to do was grab my dog, pick him up and turn my back toward this dog that was coming at me," Pilcher told CBS 46. She picked up Banjo, but the pit bull latched onto her right arm and "took a whole chunk out of my arm," she said.

"Police say the victim, who is a Buckhead resident in her 30s, and the suspect were each walking their dogs April 2 around 5 p.m. on the BeltLine near the Bitsy Grant Tennis Center at 2125 Northside Drive. According to the police report, the suspect’s dog broke free of its leash and ran toward the victim. The victim said she "picked up her dog and turned her shoulder facing the charging canine," according to the police report. The attacking dog jumped and bit the victim on the upper arm, causing a serious wound that required surgery." - Atlanta In Town

The suspect pulled her dog off Pilcher while several witnesses aided Pilcher, according to police. The suspect said she would secure the dog, but instead fled with her dog and sped off in her vehicle, police said. "The suspect was driving a white BMW car with an Ohio license plate with the number HLM8829 and a front novelty plate reading "535 BMW," reports Atlanta In Town. Police released surveillance video of the suspect leaving the scene with her pit bull on April 14.

The owner is seen in a garage using a retractable leash and holding something in her left hand, but we can't tell what that item is.

The initial reward was $2,000. Police later increased it to $4,500. Pilcher shared an image of her graphic injury on her Facebook page. "The photo of my arm is difficult to look at but we don’t want this to happen to anyone else," she wrote. Her injury is an avulsion; all areas of the skin have been torn away. Commenter Kim Hudson Hall warned her, "We went thru same thing in January 2019. You will find GA laws & county ordinances on dog bites not favorable to you. Good luck!"

Dog Bite Statute

The Georgia dog bite statue is complex and requires a victim to prove the owner had knowledge of the dog's vicious propensities (one bite rule) and prove the owner either "carelessly managed" the dog or allowed it "to go at liberty." The owner can also be found liable on the "ordinance ground," where the victim must prove the dog was not at heel or on a leash as required by a local ordinance, and that the owner either "carelessly managed" the dog or allowed it "to go at liberty."

This suspect had a leashed pit bull that broke free. She did not allow her dog to "go at liberty," such as walking the dog without a leash. "Careless management" is not as simple as it appears either. Carelessness may require a higher degree of irresponsibility, such as "keeping the dog tied to a tree with a chain that extends to the curb" or "entrusting the dog to an incompetent caretaker like a 5-year-old," according to DogBiteLaw.com. We hope Pilcher obtains a good attorney!

Monetary Reward

It is unusual for us to see a monetary reward offered after a violent dog attack.1 Further, owners of pit bulls routinely flee the scene with their dog after an attack, especially when the victim is another animal. Attacks on humans involve the rare possibility of rabies, which has an incubation period of weeks to months, depending upon the location of the bite (the closer to the brain the shorter the period). Once clinical signs appear, it is too late. Rabies is nearly always fatal.

In addition to the surgeries Pilcher underwent, she may have already undergone the rabies vaccine too, which is 4 doses over a 14-day period. It should be a Class A misdemeanor in every state when a dog owner flees the scene after his or her dog bites a human, due to the lethality of rabies and its cost. The vaccine can cost up to $10,000. In the rare cases that we do see urgent police alerts asking the public to help locate a dog owner, it regards the dog's vaccination status.

Criminal Charges

We contacted the Atlanta Police Department to clarify the charges against this female suspect. Officer Anthony Grant told us in an email exchange the "woman could be charged with reckless conduct." Grant also reminded us that the investigation is still open and that charges could change, as the investigation progresses. This charge is far more serious than failure to provide proof of rabies vaccination, which is typically a modest infraction or low-level misdemeanor.

Under Georgia criminal code, reckless conduct is when a person "causes bodily harm to or endangers the bodily safety of another person by consciously disregarding a substantial and unjustifiable risk that his act or omission will cause harm or endanger the safety of the other person and the disregard constitutes a gross deviation from the standard of care" a reasonable person would exercise. It is a misdemeanor that carries up to 12 months in jail and a $1,000 fine.

"A bite really doesn't describe what happened here ... Unbelievable and heartless that she would just leave me badly injured." - Lane Pilcher

Only about 20% of fatal dog maulings result in meaningful criminal charges, which we define as a felony charge or at least 6 months in jail. Criminal charges after severe injury nonfatal maulings may be even less common (no system tracks this, so no one knows). It is clear that the combination of Georgia criminal code and the outrageous acts of this suspect compelled not only criminal charges, but also a reward of $4,500 for information leading to the arrest of this suspect.

Pit Bull Bite Injury

Pilcher said that doctors were not able to "put any stitches in my arm because there was nothing there to reattach." Frequently inflicting avulsion and degloving injuries is yet another way that pit bull injuries are more severe than bites by other breeds; both wound types often require skin grafting. Bordering on tears, Pilcher states the universal prayer of all dog mauling victims: "We all need to do whatever we can to make sure that this doesn't ever happen to somebody else."

The universal prayer of all dog mauling victims, "This cannot ever happen to someone else," is the steadfast conviction that drives our mission.

Pilcher's Facebook page states that she is an RN at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. WSB-TV reported that she treats Covid-19 patients. A similar "dog attack and dash" recently occurred in Massachusetts. Jennifer Rolfs, who is a critical care nurse at Beth Israel Medical Center, nearly lost her dog Oscar to a violent pit bull attack. Those pit bull owners, also captured on video, fled the scene after their dogs attacked. Rolfs told WHDH, "This whole month’s been a bad dream."

Rolfs also describes a possible degloving injury inflicted by one of the pit bulls on Oscar's back leg. "The pit bull must have had the leg in his mouth and they ripped it off, so the skin is pretty torn apart," she said (Notice how her hands imply peeling back skin?). Bridgewater State University Police Chief David Tillinghast said he was upset by the attack. "It’s just no way for people to act, particularly right now." Tillinghast has asked the suspects to come forward -- fat chance!

Summary

It is unusual for us to see a monetary award and criminal charges after a nonfatal dog mauling. The latter type, alone, certainly occur. Georgia's "Responsible Dog Ownership Law" applies to serious injury and death caused by a dog attack. Notably, Atlanta police must know who the female suspect is -- the surveillance camera captured both license plates. The reward of $4,500 pertains to locating the whereabouts of this suspect that leads to an arrest and indictment.

"Dog attack and dash" is a fairly common response by pit bull owners after an attack, especially when the victim is a pet. Covid-19 conditions are not going to change this. This was one of the first behaviors of pit bull owners that we called out during the first year of our operation in 2008. We wrote about this 18 times that year alone. More search results from that period appear for the terms "fled the scene" too. Expecting a behavior change due to Covid-19 is wishful thinking.

Finally, locating the Atlanta suspect does not equate to locating her dog, which would prevent future attacks by this dog. This attack occurred 26 days ago. That dog could be anywhere now, including back in Ohio. An owner that flees the scene of a vicious attack is the same type of owner who will hide their pit bull(s) after an attack.2 Recall what Officer Grant told us: "It is important to note the investigation is still open and charges could change, as the investigation progresses."

The victim, Lane Pilcher, speaks to CBS 46 after a vicious "dog attack and dash" in early April.

The suspect's white BMW seen leaving the scene after a "dog attack and dash" in Atlanta.

1We see plenty of awards involving pit bull cruelty cases -- those are often paid for by animal welfare groups.
2We linked to the Deaunte Nobles case to help readers understand "reckless conduct" in Georgia. Nobles was charged with 3 counts of reckless conduct for allowing his pit bulls to run free, 3 counts for failing to call 911 for the victim and 1 count of reckless conduct left undefined. Nobles hid his pit bulls instead of turning them over to authorities and his dogs had a history of aggression. The victim Dudley Willis, 42, had both arms amputated.

Other news articles:
04/21/20: Police Increase Reward in Dog Attack Along Atlanta BeltLine
04/21/20: Woman Attacked by Dog on BeltLine in Northwest Atlanta

Posted on April 22, 2020 by Colleen Lynn

After Severe Facial Attack by a Relative's Pit Bull, Shame Follows and a Willingness to Suppress Breed Information

Camdon Bozell suffered multiple fractures after being attacked by a relative's pit bull.

Severe Facial Attack
Plainwell, MI - Late Monday, we learned that a 6-year old boy was attacked in the face by a relative's pit bull on Saturday. Camdon Bozell suffered a broken nose, fractured skull and many facial injuries. "He underwent emergency surgery and was pieced back together by a plastic surgeon and taken to ICU for recovery," states Becky Rose, the organizer of his fundraiser. The attack occurred at his paternal grandmother's home, while his mother, Tristin Lent, was at work.

In what we can only term as "bizarre," Lent spoke to Fox 17 about her son's attack, but spent nearly an equal amount of time "defending the breed." Lent was surprised the pit bull "went for his face" in "literally a second." The attack was "totally unprovoked," she said. "This dog has no history of aggression. He's used to being around loud, rambunctious kids," she said. Unknowingly, Lent just ticked off the well-identified risks of why pit bulls are dangerous, especially to children.

Next, Lent defended the breed. "I love pit bulls too and always have," she said. Then she displayed shame and a willingness to suppress breed information. "Now when people are asking 'what breed' he was, and I just don't want to answer them," she said. "Because I know that once I say, 'it's a pit bull'…" Again, this is after Lent stated the reasons why pit bulls are dangerous: an unprovoked violent attack to the face and the pit bull, allegedly, had no history of aggression.

"The data showed that compared with other dog breeds, pit bull terriers inflicted more complex wounds, were often unprovoked, and went off property to attack ... The probability of a bite resulting in a complex wound was 4.4 times higher for pit bulls compared with the other top-biting breeds ... and the odds of an off-property attack by a pit bull was 2.7 times greater than that for all other breeds."1

Though we have not yet done a post devoted to the above West Virginia study (we only show highlights), it has relevant findings given Lent's reaction. The study is the first to define a "mauling event." Mauling injuries were recorded "when 3 or more bites occurred over 2 or more distinct regional anatomic areas, typically the craniofacial region, back, torso, and extremities." Pit bulls were responsible for the most, 12, and 67% (8) of these attacks were inflicted on family members.

The study also examined scienter status, which was "directed at all owners and some relatives whose dog inhabited the domicile in which the attack took place." This status was "recorded as positive if there was knowledge of aggressive behavior of the dog (dogfighting, growling, or posture indicating threat of chasing or biting) or the dog had attacked or bitten a person before the current injury," states the study. Pit bull owners, however, could not be trusted to be honest.

Pit bull owners admitted to a positive scienter status in 14 of the 49 recorded bites. However, knowledge of previous aggression could not be determined for a high number of pit bulls because of the non-family status of the dog or because the owners or family members were ambiguous as to their dog's behavior history or "would not admit such knowledge." One adult who sustained mauling injuries refused to identify the breed of her dog, thus it remained "unknown" in the study.

For the remainder of this post, it is presumed this mauling event was carried out by the female victim's own pit bull, not an "unknown" breed.

Lent is now in the position of doing the same thing. "Now when people are asking 'what breed' he was, and I just don't want to answer them," she said. No doubt due to the person's predictable response. "That is what pit bulls are known for." They will attack without provocation; without a history of aggression (known or otherwise); will inflict complex wounds, and in this case, multiple facial and skull fractures. This was a "mauling event," not a "dog bite" as the fundraiser claims.

Further, of the 9 unreported fatal dog maulings we have uncovered through public records requests, 89% (8) involved pit bulls and 78% (7) involved family pit bulls killing a household member. Thus, the most common scenario of an unreported fatal dog mauling involves a family pit bull. This may be due to the same shame demonstrated by Lent. Pit bull owners and their family members will undermine statistics by suppressing information after a fatal pit bull mauling.

The Creepy Video

In addition to the GoFundMe, the organizer published a disturbing video of the boy in distress. The video, in our eyes, was strictly for fundraising purposes. In the background, one hears the mother attempting to console her son. The creepy fundraising video appears to be exploitive, but perhaps was a necessary evil in the fundraiser's mind to garner more donations. By Wednesday afternoon, the fund for Camdon had reached over $36,000 with the initial goal of reaching only $2,000.

Owner of the Dog

Camdon was visiting his paternal grandmother's home when the attack occurred, but this does not inform readers who owns the dog. The dog could belong to the grandmother or family members who lived at her home or were visiting. The fundraiser only indicates the owner is male. The "ambiguousness" of who owns the pit bull is deliberate by family members, just as pit bull owners or family members were ambiguous about their dog's history of aggression in the medical study.

Alarmingly, the Fox 17 article insinuates the dog is being hidden by the owner as well. "Kalamazoo County Animal Control is investigating the case, but would not comment further," states the article. "The exact whereabouts and future for the dog are unknown at this time," states the article. That was reported Monday evening and the attack occurred on Saturday. Given this outrageous ambiguity, we imagine there is a good chance Camdon is also undergoing rabies vaccination.

That would be one more checkbox from the West Virginia medical study. No provocation, no scienter status, no vaccination, simple wounds: yes, complex wounds: yes, multiple fractures: yes (facial and skull), and in this case, the attack was on property. Among vaccination status in the study, it states: "Most dogs were vaccinated. A disturbing trend was noted, however, among pit bulls: 37% were not vaccinated or could not be confirmed as vaccinated, which was significant."

Table from the medical study, Dog-Bite Injuries to the Craniofacial Region (Kahn, et al., 2020)

Owning a Pit Bull

The stigma of being a defender of the breed, as Lent displayed, or owning a pit bull, as the female in the study displayed by refusing to name her dog breed after it attacked her, most often comes to light after an unprovoked attack by a family pit bull. There is shame because the public has known for many years that pit bulls are a well-identified risk for inflicting severe injury. When an innocent child is the victim, the shame experienced by the owner or their family members is likely worse.

We have also seen denial by family members after a family pit bull has killed a household member: "The family does not blame the breed."2

On the Fox 17 Facebook post, commenter Sierra Moore-Day claimed to "know this particular situation" and stated what other commenters said. The "boy's uncle lives with the grandma and is the owner of the dog."3 Moore-Day defended Lent, calling her a "great mother" and that "it sucks that her interview with the news comes off as that she is still a supporter of the breed." Moore-Day also stated that Lent asked the owner of the dog to put it down and the male owner refused.

Though this information is unconfirmed, Moore-Day is believable. She is also correct that Lent had no control over how Fox 17 edited her interview. Media often picks the most controversial (or emotional) aspects of an interview to create drama or to incite controversy. However, Lent did say what she said. Those words were then juxtaposed against her son's injuries after being mauled by a relative's pit bull that was "used to being around loud, rambunctious kids," according to Lent.

Summary

Pit bull supporters, owners and their family members will suppress breed information, either to lower their feelings of shame or to "protect the breed" after a serious or fatal mauling. The West Virginia study documented that an owner will even do this in a trauma center after being severely attacked by her own dog. When the denial of well-identified risks is confronted by an actual outcome, an unprovoked facial attack resulting in severe injury, humiliation sometimes follows.

Operating on the theory that Moore-Day's information is valid does not remove what Lent said on camera, but it does offer context. Lent did not own the dog, has asked the owner to put it down, and the owner, allegedly the child's uncle, has refused. The child's uncle is the despicable party. Lent said, "I love pit bulls too and always have" at a disastrous time. She also expressed shame and a willingness to suppress breed information when she did not even own the pit bull!

Camdon Bozell needs all of the help that he can get. His road to recovery will be long and insurance only covers reconstructive surgeries, not cosmetic. The GoFundMe states that he may have "possible nerve damage to the left side of his face" too. Throughout his recovery, there will be too many doctor visits to count. As his face and skull grows, he will likely undergo future plastic surgery. This tragedy could have been prevented if the uncle had owned a beagle instead.

camdon bozell, suppress breed information

Camdon Bozell seen in hospital bed after being attacked in the face by a relative's pit bull.

In August, it was confirmed that the male pit bull that attacked Camdon was named "Chaos."

You can make a donation to Camdon Bozell's "Mauling Event" medical fund at GoFundMe.

1Dog-Bite Injuries to the Craniofacial Region: An Epidemiologic and Pattern-of-Injury Review at a Level 1 Trauma Center by by Khan K, Horswell B and Samanta D, MS J Oral Maxillofac Surg, March 2020 [2019 Nov 14, Epub].
2The brother of the victim's full statement after Connie Holley was brutally attacked by her son's pit bull: "The family does not blame the breed. I am her brother. I love pits have only met a couple that have been bad. I personally think the dog a rabies. This dog did not attack like a normal dog. It attracted her drug her into the bushes, brutally ripping her thighs down to the bone. He bit her on the neck and behind her head, he them continued to rip and chew on her for the next 4 hours. It was a horrible tragedy. But I don't blame the breed. So that I squared up maybe you can do something constructive and tell people to vaccinate their pets." [sic]
3 The male pit bull could be "Chaos." We hope we are wrong about this.

DogsBite blog ::

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