Family dogs killed an 8-year old boy in Onslow County over the holiday weekend.
Suffered Neck Bites
Jacksonville, NC - On Monday, the Onslow County Sheriff's Office issued a press release about a child killed by two family dogs over the holiday weekend. On November 29, 2024, at 2:54 pm, deputies responded to a 911 call to Harris Creek Road regarding a dog attacking a minor, states the release. Arriving deputies found the boy, who had sustained "bite marks on the neck." Life-saving measures were performed before transporting the boy to Naval Medical Center Camp Lejeune, where he died.
Investigators said the child and a sibling were letting the dogs out of the home to use the bathroom when the attack occurred. The two dogs were identified as pit bull-great dane mixes. "Family members of the victim stated the dogs did not show signs of aggressive behaviors prior to the attack," states the release. The dogs were not known to Onslow County Animal Control or area law enforcement prior to the fatal mauling. Both canines were secured by animal control and are being held in quarantine.
FATAL DOG ATTACK TRAGICALLY CLAIMS LIFE OF MINOR
Onslow County – It is with profound sadness that the Onslow County Sheriff’s Office reports the death of a minor following a fatal dog attack in Jacksonville last week.
On Friday, November 29, 2024, at 2:54 p.m., deputies responded to a 911 call to Harris Creek Road in Jacksonville regarding a dog attacking a minor.When deputies arrived, they found an 8-year-old boy suffering from bite marks on the neck. Emergency Medical Services performed life-saving measures on the scene before transferring the child to Naval Medical Center Camp Lejeune. Despite swift actions by first responders, the child succumbed to his injuries shortly after arrival.
Investigators determined the child and a sibling were letting the dogs out of the residence to use the bathroom when the attack occurred. Family members of the victim stated the dogs did not show signs of aggressive behaviors prior to the attack. Neither law enforcement nor Onslow County Animal Control has experienced interactions with the dogs prior to the incident.
The dogs were identified as a Pit Bull/Great Dane mix. Both dogs were secured and have been quarantined by animal control.
“This is an unimaginable tragedy for the family and our community. Our thoughts and prayers are with them during this incredibly difficult time,” said Sheriff Chris Thomas.
The case remains an open investigation and additional information will be released as the investigation allows.
We urge residents to remain vigilant and ensure the safety of their families and pets. - Onslow County Sheriff's Office, Dec. 2, 2024
GoFundMe Created for "Caleb"
We were notified over the weekend about two GoFundMe campaigns created for the child victim identified as Caleb. One does not mention the dog attack, "Caleb (8) was a son, brother, grandson, cousin, nephew and the sweetest friend. He was a light in this world, and if you knew him, you were lucky." This fund has raised over $15,000 as of Sunday. The other campaign, created by the boy's uncle, states that Caleb died "unexpectedly to a dog attack." This fund has raised under $1,000.
The funds helped us identify the child's parents on social media. We were able to obtain an image of one of the "pit bull-great dane" mixes. On September 26, 2024, the child's stepmother posted to the Jacksonville NC, Lost and Found Pets Facebook group that her "pit bull Xena" (she did not identify the dog as a "pit bull-great dane" mix) had "run off" again. One commenter even asked, "Is this an old post or did she get loose again?" Xena had gotten loose again. The sex of the other dog is unknown.
One of the family's pit bulls had bolted from the home multiple times before the fatal attack.
The day after Thanksgiving Day, two family dogs killed 8-year old Caleb Brown outside of a residence on Harris Creek Road in Jacksonville, Onslow County, North Carolina.
View the DogsBite.org Google State Map: North Carolina Fatal Pit Bull Attacks.Related articles:
07/04/23: 2023 Dog Bite Fatality: Man Killed by Daughter's Dogs While Dog Sitting in North Carolina
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.
Poor little boy his parents choice of dog cost him his life. Suck he died on the holiday. how many babies have to died in order for knuckled head parents to stop choosing a pitbull as a family pet\dog. Poor boy his must been scared dying by the dog he loved for all his life.I don’t believed for a second that the dog was mixed with great dane I think he’s full pitbull. Last thing pitbull don’t have to show aggressive its a pitbull it still dangerous dog.
If those are the dogs in the picture, I don’t see any great dane in them. I have known a few great danes and they have all been gentle dogs. But also I know, it you mix anything with pit, it’s dangerous. They seem to have very dominant genetics.
This is another horrible unnecessary tragedy. Breeding pitbulls to Great Danes is insane. The Great Dane is a
giant breed once used in hunting. Danes require a lot of obedience training because they are so large and powerful.
The pitbulls may not be very big, but their desire to kill is very high. Dogs of this breeding should be euthanized. They are very dangerous pets. In the doodle era, people will cross any types of dogs without concern for the puppies and their owners.
It gets worse. People are breeding pit bulls with the Cane Corso and Great Dane and calling it the “King Corso”: a nightmare on four legs. We have them here in southern California.
“Thoughts and prayers” from the cops means you can stop worrying about getting arrested, I assume. Aren’t parents getting thrown in jail these days for forgetting a child in a hot car? I do have sympathy for parents in both kinds of tragedies… however I wish society weren’t so forgiving of parents who own large or potentially dangerous dogs. Community standards should be raised – surely we can set higher expectations than this. For instance, why should it be considered normal and fine to allow children around any breed of dog that is known to have killed humans? Dogs are predators, not “fur babies”!
I wonder, if those dogs had killed a neighbors child, would there be charges then?
It would depend upon the dogs’ history of violence, and if the dogs attacked off the owner’s property.
they always say no history of aggression but if asked well do the two dogs fight with each other? or are the friendly with strangers? strange dogs? cats? etc ,,,there’s now suddenly a history of aggression , people of course minimize but dogs who attack other dog have less inhibitions about attacking kids
All that means is the Sheriff was trying to express his sympathies in a socially acceptable manner.
In years passed it was common for officials to offer their prayers for victims of tragedies.
As America has become less religious that became “politically incorrect” and got modified to “thoughts and prayers”.
First responders are not law makers.
Unlike lawmakers they have to see first hand the carnage caused by pits and other dangerous dogs.
I guess police could start ending press conferences with “Your “sky daddy” doesn’t exist and you will never cross my mind again.” but I fail to see how that would be an improvement.
In my mind it’s not about the prayers per se but how the statement grants the parents victim class rather than perpetrator. Yes they are victims, yet it was their son who was the actual the victim here, and they perpetrated this tragedy by owning those dogs. Any one of us would have known better than to do so; we’re better informed than most but the warnings about pits/mixes are out there – I think just about every American adult is aware of their reputation.
I agree!
This Madness has got to stop!
It’s Blatant Child Endangerment to house these vicious dogs!
Anyone with half a brain knows they’re dangerous!
Collies might be considered large dogs, but they aren’t child killers. GSDs, although having killed infants, largely consider children to be their herd to protect. They may go after parents for spanking children. At any rate, comparing those to bullies is like comparing apples to oranges. Children didn’t get killed by dogs until bullies entered the picture.
My son in law is a Navy medic at this Marine base in this Naval Medical Center. Most of Jacksonville is military or contractors for the military. I wonder if this is a military family. It is a terrible loss and I am worried for the surviving sibling and their trauma.
His wife, my daughter, has long been taught that pit bulls are not pets. They are maulers. When they chose their two dogs, they picked Boston Terriers. When they purchased their home, they drove the neighborhood numerous times at numerous times of the day and night looking for what dogs lived there. They were not going to knowingly purchase a house if a neighbor owner a pit bull. When she walks her dogs, she carries bear mace and a knife. It it sad how we alter our lives to avoid being victims of the pit bull machine.
Hello, I also have Boston Terriers and am a recovering pit bull owner of over 2 decades back when the public could barely recognize pit bulls and their rescues didn’t exist. If I knew everything I wanted was in a Boston, I’d have never bothered with APBTs. In fact, Bostons are everything positive that pit bull fans claim their breed possesses without the danger and I suspect it’s the danger aspect that is magnetic to the ownership of the pit bull. And no, there is zero documentation of Bostons being used as fighting dogs in any published book or article from its early inception as a breed, that fallacy spread in the era of the internet as a way to shift terrible temperament from actual fighting dogs to dogs bred solely for show ring and companionship. I also carry weapons and plan my walks with my small friendly Bostons as my apts have pits around every corner including the unit nextdoor where I have to time my walks using my doorbell cam to avoid harm. No love like Boston Terrier love!
I don’t think most folks see aggression until they see blood. That may be just ignorance. I do remember the individual with an overweight, probably altered, older pitbull who walked into doggy school with the dog wearing a muzzle.aaa The dog promptly jumped up and tried to pull a puppy out of the owner’s arms. The pitbull owner took the pitbull back outside permanently. What had this pitbull previously done? Was it court ordered into training? Is the dog with curled lips just trying to smile? Is the growling dog just trying to talk? Is it just a puppy talking in puppy language or not? Does a dog snap just because he wants lunch? Are two dogs having fun roughhousing or actually trying to assert dominance or fighting. Did the dog kill the first cat he saw because he wasn’t used to cats? Did a seizure alarm a pitbull so much that he stopped the seizure by killing? People can make lots of excuses for aggression. Do most people even understand their dogs can kill? Why did these two pit/Danes kill a child? Was it bloodsport coming out?
People need to learn to read dogs and not make excuses. Suppose my GSD is lined up with other dogs on a sit-stay and is licking his chops. Is he hungry? Did I forget to feed him? Does he want a person or a dog to eat? Is this aggression? No. He’s insecure. Maybe I will give him a treat for staying and hope my reinforcement helps. Disciplining that behavior is wrong.
On the other hand, a person with a nervous GSD could not get him to stay in the line in old AKC novice obedience.
What worked for her and her dog? She put peanut butter in his mouth and he was licking peanut butter in the ring. No aggression. No fear.
Let’s take the biggest dog we can find and cross breed it with the most aggressive. What could go wrong?
Really, it should be illegal to breed a pit bull at all. They have NO traits that make it beneficial.
But ,,, “BULLDANE” sounds sooooo
(moronic to me ) and I have googled that mix dogs and they are giant and scarry .
“Looks like Scobie Doo ,,, so cute , lets have not one, but two !! “
Kingdom Bully Kennels in Indianapolis.
Interesting information. Doesn’t give name or address. It’s interesting that a breeder of these can act like they are harmless but must know they have killed people and animals. When shelters are full of bullies, why breed them? Of course, the same can be said for GSDs. However, if I want good structure, good temperament, and a baby puppy to shape temperament, shelters are not the best places to get them.
https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-cover-calebs-funeral-costs?qid=2f4e8430603d62ef1a341fb1f349e66c pretty sure same kid
This post (at the bottom) has been updated with the GoFundMe information and an image of one of the “pit bull-great dane” mix dogs.
As far as Gofundme…telling the truth equals less money. In this case, thousands of dollars. Very few mention the real cause when it comes to the family dog murdering their child.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/507169327980503/user/100022706026667/ ran away wearing its christmas sweater,,,,,,,,,,,,,clearly its was a ‘fur child’ etc