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Young Boy Killed in Dog Attack - USA's 2nd Fatality in 2009
Four-year-old Alex Angulo of Chicago, Illinois, was mauled to death by a Rottweiler on January 11, 2009. The dog belonged to his foster parents. The child was killed in his own back yard. There were three dogs present, two of them being Rottweilers. No adults were present.
The full story of this particular boy is heartbreaking (Read it.)
The circumstances of this attack included three of the factors on my Dog Attack Danger Scale:
* More than one dog in their own yard, and no master present. In 2008, 78% of the human fatalities were by dogs in their own yard.
* Pit bull, Rottweiler, Akita or Chow. Most fatal dog attacks are by pit bulls. In 2008, 65% of the fatalities were by pit bulls.
* The pack mentality. Three dogs are worse than 2, 4 are worse than 3, etc. Docile dogs often become uncharacteristically violent and vicious when they are in a pack. In 2008, 39% of the fatalities involved multiple dogs.
To evaluate the potential danger in any situation involving dogs, see my Dog Attack Danger Scale on the home page of Dog Bite Law.
The full story of this particular boy is heartbreaking (Read it.)
The circumstances of this attack included three of the factors on my Dog Attack Danger Scale:
* More than one dog in their own yard, and no master present. In 2008, 78% of the human fatalities were by dogs in their own yard.
* Pit bull, Rottweiler, Akita or Chow. Most fatal dog attacks are by pit bulls. In 2008, 65% of the fatalities were by pit bulls.
* The pack mentality. Three dogs are worse than 2, 4 are worse than 3, etc. Docile dogs often become uncharacteristically violent and vicious when they are in a pack. In 2008, 39% of the fatalities involved multiple dogs.
To evaluate the potential danger in any situation involving dogs, see my Dog Attack Danger Scale on the home page of Dog Bite Law.
Man Stabs Pitbull To Death As It Was Attacking His Wife On Street
Yesterday an ex-Marine stabbed a pit bull to death in Anaheim, California, after it attacked his wife and dogs. It had latched onto his wife's hand, prompting the man to run to a neighbor's house and grab a knife. There were wounds on his and his wife's hands. Police confirmed that the man was within his rights. This was an exercise in self-defense.
When we weigh the rights of dog owners and members of the community, we have to consider whether it is fair to open our streets to dogs that cannot be defended against except by knife-wielding Marines. Children and seniors are killed by rampaging dangerous dogs every month. For this reason, every city and county needs to have a law controlling and restricting dangerous dogs. For one such law that is balanced fairly, see my Model Dangerous Dog Law. If your community does not have such a law or has a weak law, lobby for the passage of my model law, for the sake of your children and neighbors.
When we weigh the rights of dog owners and members of the community, we have to consider whether it is fair to open our streets to dogs that cannot be defended against except by knife-wielding Marines. Children and seniors are killed by rampaging dangerous dogs every month. For this reason, every city and county needs to have a law controlling and restricting dangerous dogs. For one such law that is balanced fairly, see my Model Dangerous Dog Law. If your community does not have such a law or has a weak law, lobby for the passage of my model law, for the sake of your children and neighbors.
Young girl killed in dog attack - USA Fatality #1 for 2009
On January 6, 2008, a five year old girl in Thomasville, Georgia, was mauled to death by her parent's pit bulls while she was playing in her own back yard. Chyenne Peppers was playing in the yard of her home when the family's three pit bulls attacked her. Her parents were home at the time, but were inside their house. (The short article is here.
The child was unreasonably exposed to danger, as indicated on my Dog Attack Danger Scale (see the home page of Dog Bite Law). Three dangerous factors were present:
* More than one dog in their own yard, and no master present. In 2008, 78% of the human fatalities were by dogs in their own yard.
* Pit bull, Rottweiler, Akita or Chow. Most fatal dog attacks are by pit bulls. In 2008, 65% of the fatalities were by pit bulls.
* The pack mentality. Three dogs are worse than 2, 4 are worse than 3, etc. Docile dogs often become uncharacteristically violent and vicious when they are in a pack. In 2008, 39% of the fatalities involved multiple dogs.
Because the above factors are commonly known, the conduct of the parents of this child was negligent at best. This warrants prosecution for negligent homicide and child endangerment.
Furthermore, everyone in the State of Georgia shares some degree of responsibility for this death, because the state is following the 17th century dog law of England, namely the so-called one-bite rule. Georgia's dog bite statute incorporates the one-bite rule. The statute is convoluted, requiring two grounds for liability in most cases. I have litigated more than one case in Georgia and fought against not only the statute itself but also the 19th century judicial opinions that further limit Georgia's protection of its children from dogs.
Georgia needs to adopt a dog bite statute that is AMERICAN and is in line with modern views of personal responsibility. The one bite rule needs to be stricken from Georgia's law, and the judicial opinions that say that NO dog owner can be held liable for negligence need to be overturned. To accomplish these goals, Georgia needs to adopt my Model Dog Bite Statute.
The child was unreasonably exposed to danger, as indicated on my Dog Attack Danger Scale (see the home page of Dog Bite Law). Three dangerous factors were present:
* More than one dog in their own yard, and no master present. In 2008, 78% of the human fatalities were by dogs in their own yard.
* Pit bull, Rottweiler, Akita or Chow. Most fatal dog attacks are by pit bulls. In 2008, 65% of the fatalities were by pit bulls.
* The pack mentality. Three dogs are worse than 2, 4 are worse than 3, etc. Docile dogs often become uncharacteristically violent and vicious when they are in a pack. In 2008, 39% of the fatalities involved multiple dogs.
Because the above factors are commonly known, the conduct of the parents of this child was negligent at best. This warrants prosecution for negligent homicide and child endangerment.
Furthermore, everyone in the State of Georgia shares some degree of responsibility for this death, because the state is following the 17th century dog law of England, namely the so-called one-bite rule. Georgia's dog bite statute incorporates the one-bite rule. The statute is convoluted, requiring two grounds for liability in most cases. I have litigated more than one case in Georgia and fought against not only the statute itself but also the 19th century judicial opinions that further limit Georgia's protection of its children from dogs.
Georgia needs to adopt a dog bite statute that is AMERICAN and is in line with modern views of personal responsibility. The one bite rule needs to be stricken from Georgia's law, and the judicial opinions that say that NO dog owner can be held liable for negligence need to be overturned. To accomplish these goals, Georgia needs to adopt my Model Dog Bite Statute.
Horror as girl killed, baby mauled by pack of dogs (Australia)
Melbourne Herald Sun - Australia. TWO little sisters had no hope when they were savaged by a pack of bull mastiff dogs in a house. Neighbors broke down the door to find a three-year-old dead and her 16-month-old sister covered in blood as she tried to crawl away from the four baying dogs. (Read the article.)
Wrong: leaving toddlers and infants alone with bull mastiffs. What were the parents thinking?
Wrong: leaving toddlers and infants alone with bull mastiffs. What were the parents thinking?
A Treasure Trove of Information Just Posted At DogsBite.org
Beginning July 2006, the Dog Bite Law web site began summarizing, on a monthly basis, canine homicides in the USA. The focus of my interest as the author of Dog Bite Law has been the laws that will prevent violent dog attacks upon people. In particular, my research strongly suggests that repealing the English one-bite law in the USA will reduce fatal dog attacks and, therefore by implication, all dog attacks.
While I have been doing this, Colleen Lynn of Seattle, Washington, has been building a web site (www.dogsbite.org) and organization called Dogs Bite. The focus of DogsBite.org is the dangerousness of pit bull type dogs. Among other things, DogsBite.org has published detailed facts about canine homicides in the USA for the past three years. That information strongly supports the view that pit bulls are the nation's most vicious breed of dog.
DogsBite.org recommends banning the pit bull breed and taking several other steps to curtail dog attacks upon people. I also am of the view that as violent as these dogs can be, merely banning them will not solve the dog bite problem. The root of this problem is not dogs but people, meaning the dangerous and often vicious owners of dangerous and vicious dogs. Tthe dog bite plague will not end until we embark upon the 10-step program that I outline on Dog Bite Law.
Whether pit bulls should be banned under the law is a controversial topic. For it or against it, I recommend that you bookmark DogsBite.org.
While I have been doing this, Colleen Lynn of Seattle, Washington, has been building a web site (www.dogsbite.org) and organization called Dogs Bite. The focus of DogsBite.org is the dangerousness of pit bull type dogs. Among other things, DogsBite.org has published detailed facts about canine homicides in the USA for the past three years. That information strongly supports the view that pit bulls are the nation's most vicious breed of dog.
DogsBite.org recommends banning the pit bull breed and taking several other steps to curtail dog attacks upon people. I also am of the view that as violent as these dogs can be, merely banning them will not solve the dog bite problem. The root of this problem is not dogs but people, meaning the dangerous and often vicious owners of dangerous and vicious dogs. Tthe dog bite plague will not end until we embark upon the 10-step program that I outline on Dog Bite Law.
Whether pit bulls should be banned under the law is a controversial topic. For it or against it, I recommend that you bookmark DogsBite.org.
USA Death #24 - 60-Year-Old Man Killed By Pit Bulls At Home Of A Friend
On December 19, 2008, a 60-year-old man was attacked and killed by two pit bulls in Rubidoux, California. The name of the man has not been released. He was in a back yard of a friend, as were the dogs and their numerous puppies. (Click here to read the article.)
"The two dogs, one of them being a very large [male] pit bull, and the other one is a female pit bull, are family pets," said a police spokesman. "He was in the back yard smoking a cigarette, and for unknown reason, the two dogs that were known to him just attacked him."
This is the 24th USA fatality in 2008.
"The two dogs, one of them being a very large [male] pit bull, and the other one is a female pit bull, are family pets," said a police spokesman. "He was in the back yard smoking a cigarette, and for unknown reason, the two dogs that were known to him just attacked him."
This is the 24th USA fatality in 2008.
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