In the 15-year period of 2005 through 2019, canines killed 521 Americans. Pit bulls contributed to 66% (346) of these deaths. Combined, pit bulls and rottweilers contributed to 76% of the total recorded deaths. | More »
Lee Becham, 76, died after being brutally attacked by pit bulls in Crawford County.
Manslaughter Charges UPDATE 03/10/20: A couple has been arrested in connection to the mauling death of a 76-year old man last month, the Crawford County sheriff said Tuesday. Samuel Arthur Brown, 55, and Angel Ann Brown, 52, were arrested on involuntary manslaughter charges after Lee Becham was discovered dead in the yard of his residence in the 1900 block of Marshall Mill Road on February 23. The autopsy results showed Becham died of "traumatic injuries due to dog attack."
Authorities later seized three dogs from the Brown's care, a pair of pit bulls and a Labrador retriever-mix, Sheriff Lewis Walker confirmed. Currently, the Browns are "awaiting their first appearance hearing at the time of this press release," Walker stated Tuesday. The last felony charges related to a fatal dog mauling in Georgia occurred in December after three pit bulls viciously attacked 47-year old Lorena Cordova on September 16 in Gwinnett County.
WMAZ spoke to Walker, who said, "As this investigation took its course, there wasn't any disagreements about the involvements the dogs had in it." The Browns reside on Atkinson Road, just feet away from Becham's home. WMAZ also spoke to Monty Beverely, who previously shot at the dogs to defend himself. "We all just want justice done," he said. "It's just a horrible way to die." The judge set the couple's bond at $20,000 each. Their next court date is set for May 22.
A Crawford County couple appears in court Tuesday in connection with a fatal dog mauling.
Two pit bulls and a Labrador seen on the Facebook page of the girlfriend of the owner's son.
03/05/20: Preliminary Autopsy Results
Preliminary autopsy results show that a 76-year old man found mauled and dead last month died of injuries he sustained in a dog attack. "The preliminary autopsy results for Lee Alvin Becham was traumatic injuries due to dog attack," Sheriff Lewis Walker stated in an updated March 5 press release. "Three dogs that are suspected in this case have been removed from their owners." Becham was discovered dead in the yard of his home on Marshall Mill Road on February 23.
Deputy Coroner Kenneth Winslett pronounced Becham dead at the scene. On February 24, Coroner Sheldon Mattox confirmed that Becham had "severe dog bite marks" on both of his extremities. According to family members, the three dogs, all described as pit bulls, approached investigators at the scene growling, but the suspected dogs were not taken into custody at that time. Walker said that no canines would be seized until a cause of death was determined.
02/27/20: Victim was a War Veteran
There has been no new information since February 24. At that time, Sheriff Lewis Walker said the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) would conduct the autopsy. Many times, the GBI takes over the investigation of a fatal dog mauling in rural Georgia jurisdictions. This law enforcement agency has seen many of these cases. We hope the same is true after the death of 76-year old Lee Becham. He died after being brutally attacked in his own yard by one or more loose pit bulls.
A relative provided unconfirmed information on the WMAZ Facebook post several days ago. She said the dogs approached officials growling at the crime scene while they were investigating. She commented on how the dogs were not killed or quarantined and wondered why. To answer her question, it is unheard of for law enforcement to not seize suspected dogs after a death shows "severe dog bite marks." These dogs are routinely seized before autopsy results are known.
Becham served in the U.S. Army and was a Vietnam War veteran, according to his obituary. He went on to attend technical school and began working as a plumber's apprentice in Lizella. He later established his own business, "Becham Plumbing." He worked for over four decades and eventually became a certified plumber inspector. Becham loved the outdoors, working in his yard and riding his Harley Davidson. His celebration of life service will be held Saturday afternoon.
Friday Evening Update
On Friday evening, WGXA reported that GBI has completed the autopsy of 76-year old Lee Becham. The man was discovered dead in his yard covered in "severe dog bite marks" last week. Crawford County Sheriff Lewis Walker said the cause of death would not be released because this is an ongoing investigation. When Becham was found unresponsive in his yard on February 23, sheriff's officials declined to seize the suspected three or four pit bulls belonging to a neighbor.
02/24/20: Sheriff's News Release
Crawford County, GA - Earlier today, Crawford County Sheriff Lewis Walker confirmed that a 76-year old man was found unresponsive in his own yard in the 1900 block of Marshall Mill Road on February 23 at about 5:08 pm. Deputy Coroner Kenneth Winslett pronounced Lee Alvin Becham dead at the scene. There were "signs of bite marks" on his body, Walker said. Coroner Sheldon Mattox later confirmed that Becham had severe dog bite marks on both of his extremities.
Neighbors said that a pack of pit bulls have been a problem in the area. The man even had to shoot at the dogs last week. An autopsy is being conducted to determine his cause of death. Google Earth shows that on a property close to Becham's home, there appears to be a "yard" of pit bulls. Those look like chaining circles in the photograph and at the side of each is a doghouse or barrel. This is a common set up for breeders of fighting dogs; we call them crop circles.
Evening Updates
County officials said that three or four pit bulls live next-door to Becham's home, reports WMAZ. Neighbor Monty Beverly said the dogs have been problematic since the owners moved in less than a year ago. He was forced to fetch his shotgun to ward off one of the dogs. He eventually shot at one to defend himself and his wife. Beverly was Becham's neighbor and his friend. "If I knew them dogs were going to jump on my buddy down there, he'd be a dead dog," he said.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) will conduct the autopsy. "He did have bite marks on his body," Sheriff Lewis Walker said, so we are going to send his body to the GBI crime lab. The autopsy has been rescheduled for Tuesday morning, Coroner Maddox said. Currently, none of the canines have been seized. Walker said they would not take the dogs until a cause of death is determined. This is apparently under the assumption the dogs will still be around at that time.
A nearby property appears to show chaining circles for at least a dozen staked out pit bulls.
View typical "yards" of fighting dogs we have collected over the years here and here.
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.
Denver dog bite statistics over a three year period: 2017, 2018 and 2019.
UPDATE: On February 24, the attempt to overturn Mayor Michael Hancock's veto of the pit bull ban repeal failed in an 8 to 5 vote. Nine votes were needed to overcome the veto. The repeal's sponsor, Councilman Chris Herndon, will now try to place the initiative on the November ballot.
Denver, CO - On February 24, Denver City Council members will determine if they can override the mayor's veto of the pit bull ban repeal. Nine votes are required to overrule the veto. On February 14, Mayor Michael Hancock vetoed the legislation, slowing the rushed repeal effort. The proposed repeal, sponsored by City Councilman Chris Herndon, would have rescinded the city's 30-year old pit bull ban and allowed ownership of pit bulls under a "breed-restricted license."
Last week, we obtained Denver dog bite statistical data by breed and injury severity over a 3-year period through a public records request. The data shows that across all four injury severity categories, Levels 2, 3, 4 and 5, pit bulls are among the top six biting breeds. Despite their low population in Denver, pit bulls are also among the top three biting breeds for Level 4 and 5 bites, 5 being the most severe, and classified by a recent scientific medical study as a "mauling injury."1
Level 2: Contact with the skin without puncture, or, at most, a shallow puncture with slight bleeding.
Level 3: One to four punctures from a single bite, with no puncture deeper than half of the dog's canine tooth. There may be a laceration from the dog or person pulling away.
Level 4: One to four punctures from a single bite with at least one being deeper than half the length of the dog's canine tooth. May include bruising if dog bore down, and may include lacerations in more than one direction.
Level 5: Multiple bites with at least two Level 4 bites.
Due to the fluctuation in the number of dog bites annually, we combined three years of data to analyze. There were a total of 704 biting incidents in 2017, 495 biting incidents in 2018 and 518 biting incidents in 2019. The combined total for the period was 1717 bites. Our main concern is the Level 3 to 5 bites. In the Level 3 bite category, pit bulls were the top fourth biting breed, inflicting 29 of these bites. The top most biter, Labrador retrievers, were responsible for 61 bites.
In the Level 4 bite category, pit bulls ranked third among the top biting breeds in Denver, inflicting 19 bites, surpassed by Labrador retrievers (25) and American bulldogs (21), a close cousin of the pit bull. Pit bulls even had more Level 4 bites than German shepherds. In the Level 5 bite category, pit bulls tied with boxers for second among the top biting breeds. Both breeds inflicted 5 of these severe bites, surpassed only by the American bulldog, which accounted for 8 bites.
Pit bulls have a small population in Denver because of the longstanding ban, but this did not stop them from achieving the title of a top biting breed. Last year in Kansas City, Missouri, which has a mandatory pit bull sterilization law, pit bulls still inflicted over four times more bites than any other breed. More ominously, five years after Pawtucket, Rhode Island was forced to lift its pit bull ban due to a state preemption law, annual bites by pit bulls increased by more than 10 times.
This is what Denver can expect to see if their ban is repealed, at least a 4-fold increase in pit bull bites across all injury levels in just 5 years.
Page two of our analysis shows Level 2 bites and bites with an unknown level of injury severity. Pit bulls rank within the top six biting breeds in both categories. In Denver, where pit bulls are banned, the breed even has a presence in the lowest bite level, inflicting 9% (35) among the top biting breeds. All common biting breeds outpaced pit bulls, including chihuahuas, Labrador retrievers and German shepherds. Pit bulls rank fourth in the unknown injury severity category as well.
The All Data Summary shows top biting breeds versus all other dog breeds combined. Of the total number of bites, 1717, pit bulls inflicted 5% of all Level 2 bites, 6% of Level 3 bites, 12% of Level 4 bites and 12% of Level 5 bites. About a quarter of all reported dog bites in Denver have unknown injury severity. Among the top biting breeds, only 8% (25) of bites by pit bulls had unknown injury severity, surpassed by both Labrador retrievers 13% (39) and German shepherds 11% (33).
Pit Bulls Routinely Lead Bites
Since 2013, pit bulls have led all biting incidents in jurisdictions in 19 states. From Louisville, Kentucky, where pit bulls inflicted nearly 3 times more bites than all other breeds, to Sacramento, California, where pit bulls inflicted over one-third of all bites, 4 times more than any other breed, to New York City, where pit bulls inflicted nearly 7 times more bites than the next closest breed, and to Gulfport, Mississippi, where pit bulls inflicted 10 times more bites than any other dog breed.
Most of the jurisdictions in our national bite report do not have breed-specific laws, but some do, including Kansas City and San Bernardino County, California, both of which have mandatory pit bull sterilization laws. Pit bulls are still the leading biters in both places. As Denver bite statistics show, pit bulls only need a small population to appear among the top biting breeds in a city or county. Only a small population is needed to appear in the most severe injury categories too.
Our analysis of Denver dog bite statistics is three years combined. So a 4-fold increase in Level 4 bites by pit bulls in a single year would move from 9 to 36 bites, obliterating the other top biting breeds in that category. Despite the modest enforcement of the Denver's ban, it is still preventing Level 4 and 5 bites by pit bulls and death. One motto for the public health industry is, "Laws can have a beneficial effect, even when there is little enforcement and some people flout the law."2
A Note on Top Biting Breeds
Similar to dog bite fatalities, where a small group of dog breeds inflict the vast majority of attacks, top biting breeds by far inflict more bites than other breeds. The 2019 dog bite chart from Kansas City clearly shows this. One sees 5 breeds (each inflicting 10 or more bites) producing a combined 234 bites, which is 70% of the total recorded dog bites (336), compared to 40 other dog breeds inflicting 9 and fewer bites each. It is statistically reasonable to focus on the top biting breeds.
The popularity of a dog breed within a community also plays a role in top biting breeds. In Denver, like in many other cities, Labrador retrievers and German shepherds are among the most popular dog breeds. As we see in Denver's dog bite statistics, function also plays a role. Fighting and baiting breeds like the American bulldog and pit bull terrier, show up disproportionately to their population numbers, likewise as do the robust herding breeds, like the Australian cattle dog.
San Francisco Dog Bite Statistics by Breed, Severity, Gender and Reproductive Status Over a Five Year Period (2014-2018)
In 2005, San Francisco became the first city to enact a mandatory pit bull sterilization law. In January 2019, we obtained five years of dog bite statistics from the city (2014-2018). California state law requires cities with breed-specific laws to track injury severity and reproductive status for all dog bites. The caveat of San Francisco's data is that it combines bites on humans and pets -- the two are indistinguishable. The city also has an inordinately high chihuahua population.
San Francisco tracks injury severity in five levels, similar to Denver, but with different names and definitions. As our focus on Denver concentrated on the more severe bites, we examined Level 3 Multiple Bites and Level 4 Mauling events in the San Francisco data. Pit bulls inflicted 46% (149 of 326) of injuries in this combined injury category, over twice the rate of any other top biting breed and over twice the rate of all other breeds combined, which includes 135 different dog breeds.
0 Single Nip: Tooth contact on skin, puncture with possible bruising or skin scrapes due to lateral movement of teeth against the skin
1 Single Bite: Single puncture with quick release. Possible bruising.
2 Prolonged Bite: Single puncture with long release. Possible bruising. Possible laceration in one direction cause by pulling away, gravity.
3 Multiple Bites: Multiple punctures. Punctures may be shallower than half length of canine teeth or deeper than the length of canine teeth or with slashes in both directions. Possible sutures. Bruising displays instantly. Depth indicates clamping down, slashes indicate grab-and-shake actions. Victim possibly hospitalized.
4 Mauling: Multiple punctures or attack incidents. Punctures may be shallower than half length of canine teeth or deeper than the length of canine teeth or with slashes in both directions. Possible sutures. Bruising displays instantly. Depth indicates clamping down, slashes indicate grab-and-shake actions. Victim hospitalized or killed.
Page one shows the top biting breeds in all five bite levels. Noticeable right away is the large volume of chihuahua bites. Chihuahuas make up over one-third of all bites to humans and pets in the city and no doubt are highly popular. Chihuahuas, the "purse dog," have long had an extremely high population in California, so much so that even Hollister, 90 miles south of San Francisco, mandates the sterilization of pit bulls and chihuahuas to reduce their breeding.
Predictably, chihuahuas make up the bulk of the Level 0 and 1 bite categories combined, 39% (1,024 of 2,607). Pit bulls followed with 15% (393). Chihuahuas take a nosedive in the 2 Prolonged Bite category and dive even further as injury severity increases. Pit bulls lead all other breeds in Level 3 Multiple Bites, inflicting nearly 6 times more bites than German shepherds. In Level 4 Mauling injuries, pit bulls inflicted bites 9 times more frequently than Labrador retrievers.
Page two shows data of the reproductive status among biters, which is neutered, spayed and male and female unsterilized. Neutered dogs inflicted 55% of all dog bites to humans and pets. This held true, on average, across all injury severity levels too. In San Francisco, one is more likely to be bitten by a neutered dog than any other type. Neutered and spayed dogs combined inflicted 69% (162 of 236) of Level 3 Multiple Bites and 83% (75 of 90) of Level 4 Mauling events.
Page three shows the reproductive status broken down by the top four biting breeds. Here one can see the exceedingly high number of neutered, biting chihuahuas, making up 91% of all chihuahua bites -- 91%. The other three top biting breeds, pit bulls, German shepherds and Labrador retrievers have a more normalized biting ratio with 61% of biting pit bulls sterilized, 49% of biting German shepherds sterilized and 52.5% of biting Labrador retrievers sterilized.
Summary
As Denver dog bite statistics show, pit bulls only need a small population to rise to a top biting breed in a large city. Pit bulls already rank forth in Level 3 bites, third in Level 4 bites and rank second in Level 5 maulings, surpassed only by another pit bull-type, the American bulldog. Lifting the Denver ban, with or without a sterilization requirement, could result in a 4 or 5-fold increase in Level 3, 4 and 5 bite injuries in just five years. The citizens of Denver deserve better than that.
As statistics from San Francisco show, a mandatory pit bull sterilization law is not nearly as effective in reducing serious injuries as a ban. Pit bulls comprise 46% of attacks involving the most serious injuries in San Francisco, but only comprise 12% of these injuries in Denver. Even an imperfect pit bull ban with modest enforcement is better than no ban at all. Because, "laws can have a beneficial effect, even when there is little enforcement and some people flout the law."
Councilman Herndon has billed his repeal ordinance as a "compromise," but a compromise must involve two sides, victims of pit bull attacks and pit bull owners. The repeal legislation has no protections for victims whatsoever. The majority of pit bull owners are either uninsured renters or have a homeowner's policy that excludes pit bulls. Victims of pit bull attacks will not have access to civil recourse. A mandatory insurance requirement of $300,000 is the only true "compromise."
Without mandatory insurance, as was required under Denver's ordinance when existing pit bulls were grandfathered in back in 1989, few of these victims will be compensated for their injuries. It is clear that Herndon has no interest in the rights of pit bull mauling victims. His sole agenda is promoting the interests of pit bull owners over the health and safety of the Denver public and their pets. Some of these pets will be the first to suffer death inflicted by pit bulls under his repeal.
Corey Godsey, 13, was found dead after being attacked by dogs in Knott County.
Boy Killed by Dogs UPDATE 08/13/20: After six months of investigating, Kentucky State Police (KSP) have determined the cause of death of 13-year old Corey Godsey. The teenager was found dead on February 18 in a suspected animal attack. His body was located 1,500 feet up a hillside behind a residence. With the assistance of Fish and Wildlife officers, KSP detectives utilized wildlife cameras to locate multiple dogs on an old mine site near the area where Godsey was found.
The dogs were transported to Kentucky River Animal Shelter in Hazard, where DNA samples were collected. The DNA samples were compared to evidence located on the victim. The lab results showed that specimens from several of the dogs matched those found on the victim. Authorities stated they did not know the types of dogs involved, reports the Troublesome Creek Times. Other news outlets are calling the dogs "wild." In other words, the dogs likely do not have owners.
Ownerless dogs involved in fatal attacks mainly occurrs on Indian reservations. In those few cases, it is more likely the dogs were owned and were roaming without collars. The limited media coverage in those cases makes it impossible to be sure. In the two non-reservation attacks involving stray dogs (< .4% of all fatalities since 2005), one involved multiple people feeding the dogs and the other was a pit bull in Detroit thought to be a stray abandoned by its owner.
A stray dog is not a feral dog. A stray dog is born and kept by humans and is either roaming at large or was abandoned by its owner. A feral dog is a domestic dog born to roaming dogs outside of any human care or contact. A "feral" dog can be first generation, second, etc -- but a feral dog was never kept or owned by a human. A "wild" dog and a "feral" dog are not interchangeable. A wild dog (See: African wild dog), is an individual of a species that has never been domesticated.
There are behavioral differences. Owned dogs and stray dogs have inflicted virtually all, if not all, fatal attacks in the U.S. "A stray will more easily make contact with a human, in a good or bad way depending on its experience with humans. A feral dog will be extremely shy of humans, as dogs tend to be of anything they weren't exposed to in the first six months of their lives," according to animal behaviorist Alexandra Semyonova. The investigation into Godsey's death remains ongoing.
02/19/20: Minor Found Dead; Dogs Suspected
Knott County, KY - Kentucky State Police confirm a juvenile died in a suspected animal attack in Knott County, an area in Eastern Kentucky. State troopers were called to the scene on KY-1102, also known as Montgomery Creek Road about 6:30 pm Tuesday. The minor was discovered dead in a wooded area several hundred feet up a hillside near a home in the Emmalena community, according to Trooper Jody Sims. Rain and dark conditions made finding the minor difficult.
"One person I thought said several hundred feet 300-400 feet up the hill. You know it was very steep, you know so it was a pretty good distance," Trooper Sims told WYMT. No confirmation of the type of animal involved in the attack was available late Tuesday. Though, Knott County Coroner Corey Watson was called to the scene of a suspected "canine attack involving a child." An autopsy is scheduled to be conducted Wednesday to determine the exact cause of death.
Speculation on Social Media
Destiny Caldwell, a woman who lives just up the road from the scene of the attack, said she heard a woman screaming for help and for someone to call 911. She called 911 while a male adult drove down the road to see if he could assist. The man returned once emergency services arrived and said that a child had been mauled by a pack of dogs. Caldwell was later told the boy was 13-years old and had died in the attack. Caldwell did not know the boy or any of the people involved.
Teenage Age Group Victims
Once again in the last 14 months we are writing about another possible teenage victim. In our 14-year data set of 471 dog bite fatalities (2005 to 2018), teenage deaths (12 to 18 years old) are exceptionally rare. There are only three teenage victims in this age group. Yet over the last 14 months, there may now be four of these deaths. That would mean that the number of teenagers killed by dogs during this 14-month period is more than during the previous 14 years combined.
Each of the attacks involving teenage victims in 2019 involved multiple dogs, and in each case the victim was male. In two deaths, Texas and Massachusetts, the victims had some familiarity with the dogs, but were killed on the dog owner's property. The most recent death occurred in December when 12-year old Victor Garces was killed by two loose pit bulls while walking home from school in Hollis, Oklahoma. The owners of the dogs were later charged with manslaughter.
Wednesday Autopsy Results
An autopsy performed at the State Medical Examiner's Office in Frankfort on Wednesday confirmed the cause of death, but a specific animal has not been determined. "Their initial determination was this was caused by injuries consistent with an animal attack," said Trooper Sims. At the time of the attack, the teenager was staying at a relative's home, but he was familiar with the area. Officials continue to withhold the boy's name until they can rule out a criminal act.
Troopers say people in the area should remain "hyper vigilant", especially at night, but there is no immediate threat to the community.1
Meanwhile, a relative or friend of the boy's family has started a GoFundMe to help pay for funeral costs. "13 Year-old Corey Godsey was tragically killed yesterday during an animal attack. I am asking our county, communities and friends to please help with the expenses of this sweet child's funeral," states the page. Just hours after starting the fund, the organizer states, "I'm speechless, and completely at a loss for words. We have already met our goal for the initial down payment."
Note: We understand that police need to call this a suspected "animal attack" until they have more information, but frankly that only fuels unfounded rumors about coyotes or other wild animals.
A teenage boy was found dead in Knott County, Kentucky after a suspected canine attack.
A celebration of life for Corey Godsey was held at Hindman Funeral Services on February 23.
1Which means they shot and killed the suspected animal or have the animal in custody. Additionally, police stated, "this is not suspected to be anything other than a terrible accident," which again indicates a domesticated dog.
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.
The History of the Pit Bull Ban Repeal Effort Since Mid-January
Mayor Michael Hancock's press conference after he vetoed the pit bull ban repeal legislation.
UPDATE: On February 24, the attempt to overturn Mayor Michael Hancock's veto of the pit bull ban repeal failed in an 8 to 5 vote. Nine votes were needed to overcome the veto. The repeal's sponsor, Councilman Chris Herndon, will now try to place the initiative on the November ballot.
Denver Mayor Vetoes Repeal
Denver, CO - On February 14, Mayor Michael Hancock vetoed a bill that would have rescinded the city's 30-year old pit bull ban. The rabid repeal effort began in January driven by Denver City Councilman Chris Herndon. Council Bill 20-0071 proposed allowing pit bulls if an owner obtained a "breed-restricted license," showed proof the dog was microchipped, had a current rabies vaccination (as is already required under Denver statute), and limited households to two pit bulls.
The meager ordinance, which requires little more than what all Denver dog owners are already required to do, can be read in full here. Herndon championed his repeal legislation as a "compromise." But a compromise involves at least two sides, in this case, future victims of violent pit bull maulings and the owners of pit bulls. Herndon's legislation offered "zero" protections for future pit bull victims. Mayor Hancock agreed the legislation, in its current form, is not adequate.
"The difficulty in the numbers of the fatal attacks by pit bulls was really one of the things that stuck with me as I kept going back and forth on whether or not I would sign this legislation." - Mayor Hancock press conference
Mayor Hancock is in his 3rd and final term as the mayor of Denver. Herndon's pit bull ban repeal is the first time he has ever vetoed any legislation during his tenure. "I did not take it lightly," Hancock said during the February 14 press conference. "I hope that council takes a re-look at this" and will reconsider their position in regards to this ordinance, he said. There are broader issues that must be dealt with in this city, such as a low licensure rate and dogs running at large, Hancock said.
In a statement released Friday afternoon, Mayor Hancock stated, "Over the past several days, I have heard from thousands of residents passionately expressing their opinions on both sides of this issue." After deep reflection, "I find that I cannot, in good conscience, support this legislation and will exercise my authority as Mayor to veto it." We cannot "diminish the very real, very traumatic experiences of those who have reached out to me to share their stories," he stated.
We cannot diminish the very real, very traumatic experiences of those who have reached out to me to share their stories. While I appreciate the effort that Councilman Herndon has put in to crafting this ordinance and its guardrails, I do not believe this ordinance fully addresses the very real risk to severe injury that can result from attacks from these particular dog breeds, especially should they happen to a child.
At the end of the day, I must ask whether passage of this ordinance would make our homes and neighborhoods safer or pose an increased risk to public safety? I have concluded that it would pose an increased risk. I encourage members of City Council to reconsider their approach to this ordinance, which has been in the municipal code for over three decades. If we were to make this change now, and harm comes to someone as a result, then we have done a disservice to the people of this great city. - Mayor Hancock press conference
How to Thank the Mayor
We strongly urge our readers to thank Mayor Hancock for his brave and honest decision to veto this "rushed" repeal legislation. You can leave a a nice comment on his Facebook page, the post containing his official statement and you can also email [email protected]. If you are a Twitter fan, send him a thank you Tweet or comment on the Tweet containing his official statement. Also, handwritten notes never go out of "vogue." Send your letter snail mail here:
Mayor Michael Hancock
City & County of Denver
1437 Bannock St #350
Denver, CO 80202
How the Repeal Emerged
On January 22, the bill sailed out of the Safety, Housing, Education and Homelessness Committee in a unanimous 7-0 vote (see full video). That same day, the grandmother of Daxton Borchardt, who was brutally killed by two pit bulls in 2013, spoke against the repeal. "If 186 Americans have been killed in the last seven years by pit bulls, what does that say?" Sharon Sucharski asked CBS Denver. She added, "If the ban is working to keep the number of attacks down, why change it?"
The bill was scheduled before the full council on February 3. In the meanwhile, letters opposing and supporting the bill began pouring into the inboxes of city council members. However, when a bill moves this quickly, it's typically a "done deal." The legislation has the required votes to prevail. A "one hour courtesy" public hearing was held on February 10, where a handful of people opposed the repeal legislation, including Paul Vranas (1:25:30) and Reginald Norman (1:31:00).
Finally, the third problem that I have with this bill is its impact on marginalized citizens. I was surprised to hear that a lot of pit bull complaints in Denver have been coming from some of our poorest citizens … What impact is this bill going to have on these citizens of ours? … When we are crafting a law that disproportionately impacts a marginalized group of people, we should be going into these neighborhoods and having these conversations, especially when it is a matter of public safety. Without these answers, I don’t believe we have enough information on this topic to move forward.
In closing, the issue of reintroducing pit bulls to Denver is a complex, multi-dimensional, high-stakes issue. This bill over simplifies the process of this reintroduction without addressing public safety outcomes, without data to support it or engagement with the most marginalized Denverites on a matter of life and death. - Paul Vranas
Interestingly, Tom Moe also spoke (3:24:33), who drafted the original ordinance in 1989. A council member asked him if he heard any different arguments tonight than what came up in this same chamber 30-years ago when city council adopted the ordinance. He answered, "Not really." Though he noted the growing trend of "pit bull designer" breeds (pit bulls on steroids) and the American bully. Mole was also asked if the city could be sued if it reverses its pit bull ban.
That's a strong possibility … The first time it got tested, there were a bunch of organizations, including the American pit bull breeders and also the UKC or AKC, at least one of them was involved. There were about four different organizations, so a lot of evidence was presented on both sides, hours and hours. With some modifications to the ordinance, the judge decided it was constitutional. It was appealed again, all the way up to the state supreme court. The state supreme court found it constitutional. In my testimony, I mentioned all of the characteristics of pit bulls. The supreme court agreed. That it made [pit bulls] more dangerous…
Then it got challenged again when the state of Colorado said it was their purview [after passing a state preemption law], not the localities to decide whether there could be breed-specific legislation. So, once again, Kory Nelson, who is still in the city attorney's office, handled that. And once again, the court upheld the ordinance.
One of the dangers that I see here is that all this law indicates that pit bulls are a dangerous dog. That [pit bulls] have a higher propensity to inflict a severe bites. Not number of bites, but severity of bites. This has been supported in a lot of other places. So, given that, if we pass this ordinance and somebody gets attacked, they could sue the city. And, based on the law, if the city is viewed as reckless, then the recklessness pierces the governmental immunity that protects the city from being sued, and allows somebody who is the victim of [a pit bull attack] to sue the city. And, get taxpayer dollars as a result of that suit. - Tom Moe
A noteworthy legal argument arose after this as well (3:36:00). When Denver banned pit bulls they grandfathered in existing pit bulls under strict requirements, practically none of which exist in the proposed repeal, including: mandatory insurance, muzzling when off property, mandatory spay and neutering1 and secure enclosure requirements. Thus, Herndon's repeal ordinance might place the city in the liability equation for failing to include similar safety restrictions in the repeal.
The fundamental problem of Herndon's proposal is that it offers no protections for victims. Without mandatory insurance, few or no victims of violent pit bull attacks will receive compensation for their medical bills. Without mandatory muzzling when off property, there is little to prevent the bite. Legislative counsel said the city would be immune from any future lawsuits -- don't bank on that. Further, the repeal ordinance opens up a new avenue for pit bull organizations to file a lawsuit.
The legislation states, "WHEREAS, since Denver adopted its ban, there has been a review of controlled studies by the American Veterinary Medical Association ("AVMA") that document that pit bulls are not disproportionately dangerous compared with other dogs." Thus, under this ordinance, Denver would no longer have a legal "rational basis" for regulating pit bulls. A breed-specific pit bull ordinance is only viable if a city can prove that pit bulls pose a unique danger to the public.
The Vote and the Petition
After the courtesy hearing on February 10, city council members passed the bill in a 7-4 vote. On this same day, 5-year old Sterling Vermeer of Oro Grande, California was brutally killed by a family pit bull of 12-years after the dog latched onto his neck. On this same day, 25-year old Devin White died after his own pit bull attacked him and three other family members in Plainfield, Illinois. All four individuals were transported to local hospitals after this family pit bull "rampage attack."
By February 11, the conversation began to change, noting that Mayor Hancock could veto the repeal ordinance. The arguments to veto were solid. Erring on the side of safety is always best. As Vranas stated during the hearing, "There is nothing urgent about this topic requiring it to pass tonight." Also, less than 20% of pets in Denver are licensed. Thus, the vast majority of dog owners in Denver are not in compliance with the current law. Shouldn't the city tackle that problem first?
On February 12, Vranas started an online petition, urging Mayor Hancock not to sign the ordinance into the city’s code. The petition notes the two recent fatal pit bull maulings in California and Illinois. "We believe that a similar deadly attack will happen in Denver as a direct result of the passage of this law," states the petition. Vranas had asked council members to state in writing, to "unconditionally swear to the people of Denver" that Herndon's bill will make Denver a "safer city."
We hereby personally and unconditionally swear to the people of Denver that:
1) Bill 20-071 will create for a safer city than currently exists in Denver related to pit bull attacks.
2) At a minimum, the results from the passage of this bill will meet the safety levels previously attained prior to the passage of this bill, of zero deaths to Denver residents as a result of a pit bull attack.
None of the seven city council members who voted for the proposed repeal signed the document.
On February 13, Vranas and citizens from Denver's Montbello community delivered the petition to Mayor Hancock. “We are very very threatened by the possibility of this ban being lifted. Just yesterday we witnessed two pit bulls in our community of Montbello, just strolling and roaming freely,” said Pam Jiner. She added, "We have hundreds of pit bulls in Montbello." Residents in this Denver community fear that lifting the ban will result in even more irresponsible pit bull owners.
On Valentine's Day, Mayor Hancock vetoed the legislation. During his 15-minute press conference, he explained why he made this decision. He also stated during it, "I am reading letters and information from pediatricians and emergency room physicians, they were very compelling to me." A veto can be overridden by a super majority of city council members. If that effort fails, Councilman Herndon says he will try to place his repeal measure on the city's November ballot.
American Veterinary Medical Association
In October 2016, we released a special report about the back story of the Montreal pit bull ban. The report explained how The Association of Veterinary Doctors of Quebec omitted key parts of medical studies in their report to the government committee, leaving some of these studies "unrecognizable." We also explained the five levels of the American Pit Bull Lobby. Notably, Level 3: Publication, is the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (JAVMA).
This false passage in the pit bull ban repeal, "WHEREAS, since Denver adopted its ban, there has been a review of controlled studies by the American Veterinary Medical Association ("AVMA") that document that pit bulls are not disproportionately dangerous compared with other dogs," is based upon an outdated, cherry-picked policy paper by the AVMA that is designed to obscure the dangerous breed issue, making it difficult for the public, media and lawmakers to understand.
The principle use of this AVMA paper is to frustrate any city's effort to pass or maintain breed-specific legislation, just as Herndon's pit bull ban repeal shows. Semyonova states in her analysis, "Of the 65 cited 'studies,' more than half (34) are based on data from the previous century, when the pit bull type was extremely rare, constituting at most ≤ 1-2% of the entire pet dog population (as opposed to approximately 6% now). The use of such old data is a serious flaw."
Our nonprofit continues to track modern relevant peer-reviewed medical studies since 2011. Only one study from our modern table (Horswell et al., 2011) is included in the misleading AVMA paper. Criteria for inclusion in our trauma study table requires being a multi-year retrospective study of U.S. Level 1 trauma center dog bite patients (≥ 15 patients), published from 2011 to 2019, the inclusion of dog breed information, and the scientific research conducted by medical doctors.
In the AVMA policy paper, 56% of all cited studies in the tables are from foreign countries.2 We do not accept studies from other countries, as the biting breed population is likely different in "Austria" than it is in a U.S. city. 52% of studies cited by the AVMA are from the last century when the pit bull population was at least five times lower than it is today. The AVMA paper is a sham, designed to obfuscate "bites" versus mauling injuries and to undo breed-specific laws in the United States.
On February 10, Denver council members passed the pit bull ban repeal in a 7-4 vote.
Citizens from Montbello district deliver petition to mayor opposing the pit bull ban repeal.
1A source of deep confusion for us early on was why mandatory spay/neuter was not included in the pit bull ban repeal legislation. It was later explained to us that Denver statute requires all owners who register their dogs to spay/neuter (section 8-55), so the city decided to exclude this language from the repeal. This makes "some" sense until you see that the repeal legislation specifically spells out the requirement for proof of rabies vaccination in order to obtain a breed-restricted license, despite that too already being part of Denver statute. The repeal ordinance states: "(6) Proof that the animal has a current rabies vaccination pursuant to section 8-31." So, we looked into the Denver code. Under section 8-55 spay/neuter is not mandatory. A qualifying dog owner, including a pit bull owner under Herndon's proposal, can obtain an "intact permit" section 8-56. That is simply stunningly irresponsible. 2The 2014 AVMA policy paper has 65 total citations. The tables only list 45 studies. The 56% number is derived from 25 of the 45 studies listed in the tables as being from a foreign country, thus losing significant relevance.
View the DogsBite.org Google Map: Georgia Fatal Pit Bull Maulings.
