Part III: Doretta Zinke, 39, Killed by 9 Pit Bulls (1945)

From left: Joe Munn, Charles Smallwood, Doretta Zinke, Jennifer Lowe. Dade County, FL - On May 16, 1945, Doretta Zinke was savagely killed by a pack of pit bulls in the state of Florida. Headlines of the grisly attack covered newspapers across the county. Authorities seized and killed Joe Munn's 27 dogs. Deputy Sheriff Mark Richardson testified that Munn admitted he had been raising fighting dogs and that he knew the dogs were vicious. Munn was convicted of manslaughter and s… [Read full blog post]

Part II: Doretta Zinke, 39, Killed by 9 Pit Bulls (1945)

Dade County, FL - In part II of Doretta Zinke's story, we learn that she is a world traveler and that the dog owner, Joe Munn, is a laundry truck driver. We also learn that Munn is a breeder of fighting dogs. Not only did his dogs attack and kill a human being, witnesses came forth at his trial and reported attacks on children. Munn did not cull his "human aggressive" dogs, as pit bull lovers claim. One article revealed that his dogs had attacked horses and their riders as well. From lef… [Read full blog post]

Part I: Doretta Zinke, 39, Killed by 9 Pit Bulls (1945)

Dade County, FL - In what may be one of the earliest recorded cases of an adult fatally attacked by dogs in the U.S., Doretta Zinke was brutally killed by a pack of pit bulls May 16, 1945. Headlines of the grisly attack covered hundreds of newspapers. Florida authorities were horrified by the attack. They acted fast by arresting the owner of the dogs, Joe Munn, and killing the dogs. These events occur 10 days after Germany surrenders unconditionally in World War II. Death due to a v… [Read full blog post]