Here at the 14 2014 dog fatalities. Notice many dachshunds?
2014 dog bite fatalities ::
It often takes several weeks to identify fatal dog attack parameters.1 This is why recent dog bite fatalities may not appear on this page. In the interim, please visit the DogsBite.org blog.
2014 victims
Christina Burleson
43-years old | Houston, TX
Christina Bell Burleson, 43-years old, was brutally killed by at least two pit bulls a few hours before dawn. The loose dogs also attacked two other people, one of whom tried to help Burleson. The Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences determined "blunt and sharp force injuries of the neck and upper extremities," as the preliminary cause of death. Officials captured one 30-pound female pit bull shortly after the attack. That dog was "covered in blood" later determined to match Burleson, according to Christopher Newport, a city spokesman for the BARC animal shelter. A second female pit bull was seized when authorities located a woman who owned both dogs. Tiara Thomas, the dogs' owner, also had four pit bull puppies in her home. Thomas was cited for a litany of misdemeanor violations. Houston Police and the Harris County District Attorney's Office will determine whether to pursue felony criminal charges. [source citations]
Date of death: | January 5, 2014 | Chained: | No |
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Breed of dog: | Pit bull (2) | Relationship to dog: | Non-family |
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Sex of dog: | Female | Owner of dog: | Neighbor |
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Spay/Neuter: | Unknown | Multiple dogs: | Yes |
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On/Off property: | Off | Criminal charges: | Pending |
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Betty Clark
75-years old | Canyon Lake, TX
Betty Clark, 75-years old, was viciously attacked by two pit bulls while delivering Christmas presents in her neighborhood on December 21, 2013. She was discovered unresponsive with bite injuries covering her body. She died on January 6, 2014 at University Hospital having never regained consciousness. The horrific attack in December, just days before Christmas, was never reported by the local media. Her death went unreported to the public until April 13, when University Hospital doctors released information about Clark's death and a second pit bull mauling in the area that resulted in the death of 83-year old Petra Aguirre on April 11. Aguirre also died at University Hospital just under two weeks after being attacked by her neighbor's pit bull. As of April 14, the Comal County Sheriff's Office has declined to release the full incident report about Clark's attack, citing an ongoing investigation. Her doctors and neice, Gayle Dreisbach, said that both attacking dogs were pit bulls. As of April 19, 2014 no other information is available. [source citations]
Date of death: | January 6, 2014 | Chained: | No |
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Breed of dog: | Pit bull (2) | Relationship to dog: | Unknown |
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Sex of dog: | Unknown | Owner of dog: | Unknown |
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Spay/Neuter: | Unknown | Multiple dogs: | Yes |
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On/Off property: | Off | Criminal charges: | Pending |
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Kara Hartrich
4-years old | Bloomington, IL
Kara Hartrich, 4-years old, was attacked and killed by at least two of her family's three pit bulls on her 4th birthday. The attack occurred at her home in the 2000 block of Parker Avenue in Bloomington. Police and fire and rescue were dispatched to the residence after receiving an emergency call. Upon arrival, rescue personnel found an unresponsive 4-year old girl with multiple dog bites. She was transported by ambulance to Advocate BroMenn Medical Center in Normal where she was pronounced dead by emergency department staff. McLean County Coroner Beth Kimmerling said the autopsy the following day determined that she died of massive blood loss and multiple dog bites to her head, neck and arms. At the time of attack, Kara was home with her 2-year old sister being babysat by her grandmother. Mclean County Animal Control seized all three of the family's adult pit bulls -- two unneutered males, the primary attackers, and a female. All three pit bulls were humanely destroyed. [source citations]
Date of death: | January 17, 2014 | Chained: | No |
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Breed of dog: | Pit bull (3) | Relationship to dog: | Family |
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Sex of dog: | Mixed | Owner of dog: | Parents |
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Spay/Neuter: | No/Unknown2 | Multiple dogs: | Yes |
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On/Off property: | On | Criminal charges: | No |
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Annabell Martin
89-years old | Corona, CA
Annabell Martin, 89-years old, was discovered dead in her garage after being fatally mauled by her grandson's three rottweilers. The victim's daughter discovered her badly bitten body, according to a news report. Dispatch received a call about 4:40 pm on January 26 to a home on the 1500 block of Pera Street, according to Corona police Capt. Tom Weeks. They found the woman dead with signs of being attacked by the dogs. Martin died at some unknown time earlier that day, Sgt. Kurt James, of the Riverside County coroner’s office said. The coroner's website listed Martin as a, "victim of dog mauling." When police officers arrived, the rottweilers lunged at them, causing an officer to shoot and kill one of the dogs. The other two dogs were confiscated and euthanized, according to Weeks. The grandson told police his dogs had no history of aggressive behavior. Officials had no record of animal control receiving complaints from the home. [source citations]
Date of death: | January 26, 2014 | Chained: | No |
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Breed of dog: | Rottweiler (3) | Relationship to dog: | Family |
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Sex of dog: | Unknown | Owner of dog: | Grandson |
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Spay/Neuter: | Unknown | Multiple dogs: | Yes |
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On/Off property: | On | Criminal charges: | No |
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Klonda Richey
57-years old | Dayton, OH
Klonda Richey, 57-years old, was brutally attacked, stripped naked and killed by her neighbors two dogs in front of her home. Her death was "very traumatic, and very painful," according to the Montgomery County Coroner's Office. Dayton Police shot and killed both dogs on scene and reported the dogs were pit bulls. Mark Kumpf, the Montgomery County Animal Resource Center (ARC) director, then declared the dogs "mastiff-mixes" to the local media and "cane corsos" to the coroner's office. Despite 13 complaints made by Richey to ARC about these dogs leading up to the lethal attack, no one at ARC had even seen the dogs prior to police killing them. The victim had also called 911 over 16 times to report issues with her neighbor and his dogs, built a two-tiered security fence and installed surveillance cameras for her safety and filed a civil stalking protection order against her neighbor, which was denied. As of February 23, 2014, no criminal charges have been filed against the dogs' owners. [source citations]
Date of death: | February 7, 2014 | Chained: | No |
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Breed of dog: | Mastiff-mix (2) | Relationship to dog: | Non-family |
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Sex of dog: | Male | Owner of dog: | Neighbor |
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Spay/Neuter: | Unknown | Multiple dogs: | Yes |
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On/Off property: | Off | Criminal charges: | Pending |
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Je'vaeh Mayes
2-years old | Temple, TX
Je'vaeh Mayes, 2-years old, was severely mauled by a chained pit bull that her family was watching for a friend. She was pronounced dead at Scott & White Hospital about two hours later. At the time of the attack, the female pit bull, along with her two puppies, were secured in the backyard of her family's home. Je'vaeh entered into the backyard without her family's knowledge, according to police. At some point, the dog attacked her resulting in life-threatening injuries. The little girl's mother, Cherella Lyles, said she left her daughter in the bedroom watching cartoons before the attack. No one knew she had slipped out of the house until it was too late. "The mother of the puppies attacked my baby,” Lyles said. According to neighbors, Je'vaeh's family also owned a pit bull. The owner of the visiting pit bull told police the dog had never shown aggression before. Police had no reports on file of previous attacks by the visiting pit bull. Authorities confiscated the attacking pit bull and her two puppies. [source citations]
Date of death: | February 17, 2014 | Chained: | Yes |
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Breed of dog: | Pit bull | Relationship to dog: | Non-family |
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Sex of dog: | Female | Owner of dog: | Family friend |
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Spay/Neuter: | Unknown | Multiple dogs: | No |
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On/Off property: | On | Criminal charges: | No |
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Braelynn Coulter
3-years old | High Point, NC
Braelynn Coulter, 3-years old, was killed by one of her family's two pit bulls. Police were called to a home on Big Creek Court in connection to a dog bite, but a family member had already taken the child to High Point Regional Hospital. The child suffered traumatic injuries to her lower abdomen and did not survive, according to police. A family spokesperson said the child was "playing when the dog suddenly attacked." A neighbor spoke out right away, saying the dogs had exhibited aggression in the past. Just a few months earlier, both pit bulls had broken through a fence and attacked a dog being walked by its owner, said Katherine Dixon, who has three young children of her own. She said that incident is what "put us on high alert about the dogs." Braelynn's family also had two "Beware of Dog" warning signs on their home. Authorities seized the attacking pit bull; the other pit bull remains in the home. After the little girl's death, local and national media, including Nancy Grace, scrutinized her parents. [source citations]
Date of death: | February 24, 2014 | Chained: | No |
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Breed of dog: | Pit bull | Relationship to dog: | Family |
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Sex of dog: | Male | Owner of dog: | Parents |
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Spay/Neuter: | Unknown | Multiple dogs: | No |
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On/Off property: | On | Criminal charges: | No |
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Summer Sears
4-years old | Tallassee, AL
Summer Sears, 4-years old, was mauled to death by at least one loose dog while playing in the backyard of her grandfather's home. Police responded to a call of a small child being attacked by dogs on Lower Tuskegee Road. When they arrived, they found the girl in the living room of the home covered in bite marks. She was pronounced dead on the scene. After not hearing from Summer for about 30-minutes, her grandfather went outside to check on her and saw a white dog dragging her. He rushed her inside and called 911. Police seized the suspected dog, a white shepherd-mix, and another dog that might have been involved. Tallassee Police Chief, Jimmy Rodgers described her injuries as, "it's what you'd envision when somebody gets attacked by a wild bear." Both dogs belonged to a neighbor. Summer's body was sent to forensic sciences to determine if one or both dogs were involved in the attack. No criminal charges are anticipated; the area where the attack occurred did not have a leash law. [source citations]
Date of death: | February 26, 2014 | Chained: | No |
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Breed of dog: | Shepherd-mix | Relationship to dog: | Non-family |
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Sex of dog: | Unknown | Owner of dog: | Neighbor |
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Spay/Neuter: | Unknown | Multiple dogs: | Pending |
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On/Off property: | Off | Criminal charges: | Pending |
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Kenneth Santillan
13-years old | Paterson, NJ
Kenneth Santillan, 13-years old, was fatally attacked by a bullmastiff that reportedly leaped over its owner's 4-foot fence. The boy had been walking home from school with his best friend, also 13-years old, along a narrow stretch of grass that ran behind the dog owner's home when confronted by the 115-pound dog. Both boys ran in separate directions. His friend was seen running down the street with a bleeding hand at about 4:30 pm by neighbors. Kenneth was discovered 7-hours later, at 11:20 pm, along an embankment of Molly Ann Brook, half-submerged in the water. The brook is also located behind the dog owner's home. Simultaneous to the search being carried out to find Kenneth, animal control was notified at about 10 pm that "at some point" the same dog had attacked its owner, Paul Clarke, and that Clarke in turn stabbed his dog multiple times. The male bullmastiff was euthanized by animal control on the scene. As of March 20, 2014, no criminal charges have been filed. [source citations]
Date of death: | February 28, 2014 | Chained: | No |
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Breed of dog: | Bullmastiff | Relationship to dog: | Non-family |
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Sex of dog: | Male | Owner of dog: | Property owner |
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Spay/Neuter: | Unknown | Multiple dogs: | No |
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On/Off property: | Off | Criminal charges: | Pending |
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Raymane Robinson, Jr.
2-years old | Killeen, TX
Raymane Robinson, Jr., 2-years old, was killed by a bullmastiff while walking home from a playground. The toddler, along with an 8-year old girl and 18-year old man were walking on a sidewalk in a residential neighborhood when the animal charged out of its owner's garage and attacked the girl. Witnesses were able to pry the large dog off the girl, according to police. The dog then attacked the toddler, latching onto him, dragging him down the street. An unknown person fired shots during the attack, scaring the dog, which fled back into its owner's garage. Neighbors rushed to help; one was a nurse who began administering CPR to the injured boy. Both children were transported to Darnall Army Medical Center; Raymane did not survive. The medical examiner said the boy died of penetrating and blunt force injuries. Neighbors said the owner of the dog was away at the time and the dog was being "watched by his mother." In April, police and prosecutors confirmed that no criminal charges would be filed. [source citations]
Date of death: | March 1, 2014 | Chained: | No |
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Breed of dog: | Bullmastiff | Relationship to dog: | Non-family |
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Sex of dog: | Unknown | Owner of dog: | Property tenant |
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Spay/Neuter: | Unknown | Multiple dogs: | No |
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On/Off property: | Off | Criminal charges: | No |
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Nancy Newberry
77-years old | Phoenix, AZ
Nancy Newberry, 77-years old, was attacked by her daughter's pit bull and bled to death. The attack occurred at the victim's home where she lived with her husband and daughter and three family dogs. Maricopa County Animal Care and Control spokesman Melissa Gable said the woman was feeding the dog around 8 p.m. when it attacked her. She was taken to John C. Lincoln North Mountain Hospital with life-threatening injuries where she died. Her husband, **** Newberry, said the dog bit into her abdomen and her hand. **** said he and his daughter pulled the dog off of her then saw "blood gushing out of Nancy." The location of the abdomen injury was the area of a previous operation that required grafting, according to her husband. He added that the dog had "always been a little aggressive" and had "nipped" a couple of his daughter's friends in the past. The 4-year old male pit bull named Titan, which had been neutered, was euthanized at the request of the owner the following day. [source citations]
Date of death: | March 14, 2014 | Chained: | No |
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Breed of dog: | Pit bull | Relationship to dog: | Family |
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Sex of dog: | Male | Owner of dog: | Daughter |
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Spay/Neuter: | Yes | Multiple dogs: | No |
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On/Off property: | On | Criminal charges: | No |
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Mia DeRouen
4-years old | Houma, LA
Mia DeRouen, 4-years old, was horrifically killed by her family's pit bull that police officers categorized as a "monster." Mia and her mother were watching TV in their apartment when the 130-pound male pit bull suddenly attacked the girl. The mother was able to free Mia from the dog then barricaded herself and her daughter inside a bedroom and called 911. The dog was still aggressive and running wild in the apartment when emergency responders arrived; the mother had to hand her daughter to paramedics through the bedroom window. Police shot the dog through a different window three times. When police entered the unit, the dog jumped up and attacked the officers and bolted outside. The officers gunned the animal down by firing 10 more shots into it. Authorities seized a second pit bull from the home that was not involved in the attack. As of April 13, 2014, neither the mother or her boyfriend, who owned the attacker, have spoken to police on the advice of their attorneys. No criminal charges have been filed. [source citations]
Date of death: | March 25, 2014 | Chained: | No |
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Breed of dog: | Pit bull | Relationship to dog: | Family |
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Sex of dog: | Male | Owner of dog: | Mother's boyfriend |
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Spay/Neuter: | No | Multiple dogs: | No |
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On/Off property: | On | Criminal charges: | Pending |
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Christopher Malone
3-years old | Holmes County, MS
Christopher Malone, 3-years old, was mauled to death by two pit bulls owned by family members. The attack occurred in the unincorporated community of Thornton. The dogs had been secured in a chain-linked pen behind the home, but somehow escaped and attacked the child who was playing nearby, according to family members. "The dogs just jumped him and took him down and drugged him in the back and killed him, ate him up," said Lucy Mayze, the victim's aunt. The boy's mother discovered his body behind the family's home. She was hospitalized for injuries she suffered when she tried to pull the dogs off her son. Holmes County Sheriff Willie March said, "When the deputies made it there, they found a young kid that'd been deceased from two pit bulls." Animal control officers seized both pit bulls, each about a year old. Currently, there is no pit bull ordinance in Holmes County, but Sheriff March voiced his support for a countywide ban after the boy's death. Criminal charges are not anticipated. [source citations]
Date of death: | March 31, 2014 | Chained: | No |
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Breed of dog: | Pit bull (2) | Relationship to dog: | Family |
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Sex of dog: | Unknown | Owner of dog: | Family member |
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Spay/Neuter: | Unknown | Multiple dogs: | Yes |
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On/Off property: | On | Criminal charges: | Pending |
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Dorothy Hamilton
85-years old | Kaufman, TX
Dorothy Hamilton, 85-years old, was fatally attacked by her son's two pit bulls inside a home they shared. Her son, Michael Hamilton, was away at the time of the attack. He arrived home and found his mother dead. He called 911 at approximately 4:46 pm. Kaufman police arrived on scene two minutes later and discovered the victim deceased in the living room area. There were two large, "very aggressive pit bulls" inside the home, police said, and it appeared the animals had attacked her. The victim's son told police the dogs were normally locked in a bedroom. Police believe the dogs broke through the door and attacked the woman. Authorities seized a total of 8 pit bulls from the home. The other six were being housed in substandard pens outside. All eight pit bulls were euthanized. Neighbors had complained about the dogs running loose and acting aggressive in the past. On April 14, the Dallas County Medical Examiner's Office ruled the cause of death as "dog mauling with lacerations and puncture wounds." [source citations]
Date of death: | March 31, 2014 | Chained: | No |
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Breed of dog: | Pit bull (2) | Relationship to dog: | Family |
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Sex of dog: | Unknown | Owner of dog: | Son |
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Spay/Neuter: | Unknown | Multiple dogs: | Yes |
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On/Off property: | On | Criminal charges: | Pending |
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John Harvard
5-years old | Riverside, AL
John Harvard, 5-years old, was attacked and killed by his neighbor's pit bull. At the time of the attack, he was playing in his yard on Honeysuckle Way when the animal came onto his property. His 9-year old brother, Bradley, was on his way home from a nearby friend's house when he saw the vicious attack. Bradley drove his bicycle right into the fray and began kicking and pounding on the dog. Then he ran inside to get his father for help. The boy's father grabbed a gun and shot at the dog, causing the animal to flee. The father then rushed his injured son to St. Vincent's St. Clair Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The father later told reporters it was the "most horrific thing a parent could ever see." The pit bull was 8-months old and belonged to the next-door neighbor. The two brothers had played with the dog in the past. The City of Riverside does not have a leash law, but had discussed the issue twice in the past; both times having failed. The city began discussing one again after the boy's death. [source citations]
Date of death: | April 6, 2014 | Chained: | No |
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Breed of dog: | Pit bull | Relationship to dog: | Non-family |
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Sex of dog: | Unknown | Owner of dog: | Neighbor |
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Spay/Neuter: | Unknown | Multiple dogs: | No |
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On/Off property: | Off | Criminal charges: | Pending |
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Petra Aguirre
83-years old | San Antonio, TX
Petra Aguirre, 83-years old, was viciously attacked by her neighbor's pit bull while feeding her cats in her own backyard. She died while still hospitalized just under two weeks later. Family members and authorities said the dog crawled under a fence and mauled the 83-year old woman "from her scalp to her toes." Her nephew, Simon Yanez, said, "She had bites on her arms, on her legs, her neck, her skull, her ear." He could not believe that only one dog was involved. The animal that attacked Petra was a 2-year old unsprayed female pit bull-mix with a history of biting. In May 2013, that dog, along with two others owned by neighbor Perla Rojas-Ibarra, attacked a 13-year old boy who had been walking down the street. Petra was living with two brothers and a nephew at the time of the attack. The nephew was away at work and her two brothers could not hear what was happening, according to her son Chris Aguirre. Police continue to investigate. As of April 19, 2014 no criminal charges have been brought. [source citations]