Investigation & Analysis of a Fatal Attack

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Case# 1: 2005 - Fatal Dog Attack - Michigan

• "Family's two Pit bulls kill Hamtramck Girl"
• "Family Pit bulls maul girl, 6, to death"

The newspapers reported that two *family* Pit bulls, with "no history of aggressive behavior" attacked the owner's daughter, killing her. It was also reported that the child had "known the dog since they were puppies". (*See definition at end of page for "family" dog.)

Investigation of Incident - (Law Enforcement, Veterinarian Sources)

Investigation of the incident and necropsy (animal autopsy) of these two dogs reveal:

• The dogs, a male and a female, had originally belonged to the mother’s boyfriend, who was recently deceased.
• Both dogs were 12-18 months old, intact, and the female had signs of a previous pregnancy.
• The dogs were abandoned in the basement of a vacant house, while the mother and girl had moved into another house.
• Upon examination both dogs were found to be underweight.
• No dog food was found throughout the entire gastrointestinal tract of either dog.
• The stomach contents of both dogs were found to contain multiple foreign bodies of varied forms:
  • Male: pieces of paper and cardboard (from a box of rodenticide), plant material, small nails, and a rubber gasket
  • Female: pieces of cardboard (from a box of rodenticide), multiple small rubber bands and black plastic fragments.
• Both dogs tested positive for brodifacoum poisoning (meaning they ingested rat poison)

Analysis -

The two dogs involved in this incident were inaccurately portrayed as "family dogs".* These animals were not maintained as companion animals, but instead were maintained in isolated, abusive conditions which directly contributed to their aggressive behaviors. The physical suffering these dogs experienced (starvation resulting in the ingestion of inedible objects and consuming toxic levels of rat poison) was undoubtedly a major factor in their aggressive behaviors.

The fact that both dogs were intact (not neutered), and the female at less than 2 years old had already shown signs of a previous pregnancy, again indicates that these dogs were not acquired/maintained to be companion animals.

The multiple risk factors which directly contributed to this incident include:

• Lack of humane care (failing to feed, failure to seek medical attention)
• Isolation, poor socialization of dogs (abandonment in vacant home's basement)
• Failure to sterilize (neuter/spay) animals and allowing dogs to breed
• Use in negative functions (status dogs, breeding dogs...)

All the above factors were the result of the owner(s) failing to take reasonable care, caution and responsibility for the humane treatment and maintenance of these dogs.

* "Family Dog" vs. "Resident Dog"

Dogs that have not been afforded the opportunity to socialize, interact and learn appropriate behaviors because they have been acquired for negative functions (guarding, fighting, breeding for financial gain) or maintained in semi-isolated conditions (chained, kenneled, basement/yard dogs) cannot be defined as “family dogs”. These animals are “resident” dogs. Family dogs and resident dogs cannot be expected to exhibit similar behaviors under similar conditions.

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