Talk:Fatal dog attacks in the United States

Guidelines for Fatal Dog Attacks in the United States

Incidents to include

Please use these guidelines to determine which fatalities should be included in the article's list. The fatality has 1) coverage in a major newspaper, a national newspaper, or a national magazine 2) media coverage outside the immediate area of the incident 3) impacted laws or legislation 4) involved famous or notable people

Standardization of breed names

Please use these guidelines to help keep breed names accurate, consistent, and organized. Currently, the main page contains a variety of different formats (capitalizations, hyphenations, and sometimes spellings) for breed names. For example, the Labrador Retriever is capitalized in a variety of ways including: Labrador Retriever, Labrador retriever, and labrador retriever. While there are a number of different suggested ways to capitalize and hyphenate breed names, the recommendation of this guideline is to follow the format that the American Kennel Club and United Kennel Club use which is to capitalize all names in a breed name, for example: Labrador Retriever. In the case of mixed breeds, the format is also to capitalize all breed names but not the word "mix", for example: Labrador Retriever-Husky mix. In the case of pit bulls, since "pit bull" is not a proper breed but a dog type (a category of dog consisting of at least 4 breeds as listed on the pit bull Wikipedia page), the proper way to capitalize pit bull is with both names lowercase: pit bull (unless it is the first word in a sentence, or it appears as the beginning word(s) in a list/column, then it would be: Pit bull and "bull" should not be capitalized). If one of the proper pit bull breeds is identified, then all of the names in the breed name would be capitalized (like any other proper breed), for example: American Staffordshire Terrier, American Pit Bull Terrier, and Staffordshire Bull Terrier. If the number of dogs involved in an attack is more than one, for consistency it should be listed as: Breed (2). For example, if two German Shepherd dogs are involved, then it would be listed as German Shepherds (2).

Examples of breed name format, as recommended:

• Labrador Retriever
• Labrador Retriever mix
• Labrador Retriever-Husky mix
• Doberman Pinscher
• American Pit Bull Terrier
• pit bull
• pit bull mix
• mixed breed dog
• pack of dogs

Examples if two dogs of the same or mixed breed are involved in an attack, as recommended:

• German Shepherds (2)
• Doberman Pinschers (2)
• mixed breed dogs (2)
• pack of dogs (2)
• pit bulls (2)
• Doberman Pinschers (2), German Shepherds (2), pit bull mixes (2)

Identification of breed(s) involved in incidents

The dog breed(s) or dog type(s) identified in the "Category of Dog" field should match the breed information provided in a news or law enforcement source. In the case that there is a variance (or disagreement) of the breed(s) involved in one or several news sources, then both breeds should be listed in the "Category of Dog" field. For example, if one news source describes the dog as a "mixed breed dog" and another news source describes the dog as a "Mastiff", then the "Category of Dog" field should include both descriptions as: "Mastiff or mixed breed dog". In this case, both news sources should be provided as references - one source to substantiate the breed as a "Mastiff" and the second source to substantiate the breed as a "mixed breed dog".

Note: In the case that a dog's description includes multiple (three more) breeds, then by definition it is a mixed breed dog and should be listed as a "mixed breed dog" in the "Category" field; however, the various breeds (if known) can be described in the "Circumstances" field.

After investigation, sometimes there is a final issued statement about the breed. In such an instance, the breed column should be corrected. The various earlier mentioned breeds MAY be noted in the circumstances, but should NOT be left remaining in the breed column.

Additional deaths

• 2023-09-20 (died 2023-09-21) Kennewick, Washington: Billene "Billi" Cameron, 65 F, 2 pit bulls. Two pit bulls escaped their yard and attacked a neighbor's dog, then attacked Cameron as she tried to save her dog. Cameron was seriously bitten and died a few hours later. Both dogs had a history of getting loose and both had been "declared dangerous" by the county for several attacks on humans and other animals. The owner, Sara Amilia Madrigal, 34, had to file for permits to keep the dogs, though after this killing the dogs were seized and euthanized. Madrigal had kept the dogs in her backyard "because she didn't believe it was safe to have them in the house around her children". Madrigal was charged with "dog attack resulting in injury or death", pled guilty, was sentenced to 10 months with work release, will be subject to restitution, and cannot own a dog for the next five years. [1] [2] [3]

• 2024-04-12 Portsmouth, Virginia, USA: Cindy White, 51 F, 3 pit bulls. A woman walked into a house to visit the male resident and was attacked by 3 pit bulls. The man tried unsuccessfully to stop the attack. Neighbors arrived later and blamed the man and beat him up, sending him to the hospital. The dogs were euthanized. Police noted they had responded three times in the last year for incidents related to those pit bulls, and neighbors recounted several aggressive and biting incidents. [4] [5] [6] [7]

• 2024-04-26 Bronx, New York, USA: Kaheem Robinson, 41 M, pit bull. The dog was biting its owner's throat when responders arrived at his apartment. They shot and killed the dog to stop the attack. Robinson was pronounced dead at the hospital. [8] [9]

• 2024-06-08 Jeremiah, Kentucky: Trina Sandlin, 57 F, dogs (unknown). Sandlin left her home to walk to a neighboring house and did not arrive. Her family found her body a few hours later over an embankment. The coroners said the injuries were consistent with a dog attack, and Sandlin had defensive wounds. [10] [11] [12]

• 2024-06-14 Baltimore, Maryland: Sheelia Jones, 54 F, 2 pit bulls. The dogs attack 3 people, killing Jones and injuring 2 others. Responders shot one, which was euthanized, and the other was taken by animal control. [13]

* 2024-06-14 Villanueva, La Guajira, Colombia: Jesús Hernández Fragoso, 93 M, pit bull. The man was preparing to feed his own dog when it attacked his neck. The dog died from being beaten by neighbors trying to get the dog to release his bite. The man died at the hospital. [14]

• 2024-06-24 Monte Alto, Texas: Geronima Florez, 85 F, pit bull. Florez was attacked and killed by one of her dogs when she went outside to feed them. Her brother walked in on the attack and shot and killed the dog. Florez died at hospital. She would often take in strays, and animal control took the other dogs. [15]

• 2024-06-27 Snyder, Texas: Tony Bryan Berkley, 40 M. Responders found Berkley's body in the road. Two dogs were taken by animal control. [16] [17]

Wikianon3770617 (talk) 17:45, 1 August 2024 (UTC)

See above discussions, where for the purpose of having criteria it was decided that stories should need national/non-local reporting for inclusion. Traumnovelle (talk) 20:04, 1 August 2024 (UTC)

I agree with @Traumnovelle. Please dig deeper and see if any of these recieved national coverage or were in major publications. Also note that the incident in Columbia is not appropriate for a United States list. Rublamb (talk) 20:14, 3 August 2024 (UTC)

My mistake. That Colombia one got on the wrong page. We should also add any fatal events that resulted in someone getting convicted of a criminal offense since those are highly unusual. Wikianon3770617 (talk) 21:13, 6 August 2024 (UTC)

If they're unusual they should receive widespread coverage. Traumnovelle (talk) 21:17, 6 August 2024 (UTC)

That may seem logical, but is just holding on to historic norms that don't hold up in present day. News coverage has changed drastically in just the last few years. You might expect a horrific event to be covered in a newspaper outside its area (don't hold your breath), but you won't find any follow up news such as criminal charges or convictions, or civil suits. Such follow up actions are unusual in this day and age in the USA.

It used to be that fatal dog attacks were unusual and "big news", but now they are just one-news-cycle stories. I suspect that the death count, which has risen to >50, then >80, then >100 in a year (from an average of 30s/40s for many years), might have had something to do with that. Wikianon3770617 (talk) 21:29, 6 August 2024 (UTC)

Which is all the more reason Wikipedia should be selective in the criteria. These are not uncommon events. Traumnovelle (talk) 21:31, 6 August 2024 (UTC)

I want to agree with that. We should only include deaths that have been deemed significant by sources that go beyond the flash in the pan. --Tryptofish (talk) 21:44, 6 August 2024 (UTC)

@Wikianon3770617: Before I worked on the list, that is what others said (that these incidents don't get that kind of coverage). However, I more than doubled the size of the list using this criteria. Newspapers.com, People, and USA Today are great places to look.

I don't think convictiions are going to be helpful as a criteria. Felonies and murder charges, yes. But misdemeanors related to dog licenses, lack of dog control, etc. are hardly significant. I agree that convictions do not always get coverage. However, it would be fine to have a national source about the attack and a local source for the conviction. Rublamb (talk) 00:57, 7 August 2024 (UTC)

I presume apnews.com counts. Thanks, Rublamb, for the tips. Wikianon3770617 (talk) 21:03, 12 August 2024 (UTC)

Yes, the Associated Press would count as international (or maybe national) coverage. It would not count as local coverage anyhow. Traumnovelle (talk) 22:03, 12 August 2024 (UTC)

April Loveless

April died in January 1989. Initially, her parents were charged & convicted of murder, despite insisting 3 dogs were involved (or potentially just one of the three?). Their conviction was overturned when new evidence revealed that April had indeed died of injuries inflicted by a dog/s. Does this case count, or is it still contentious?

Nix D

We need to be able to cite a source for that. --Tryptofish (talk) 18:36, 26 October 2024 (UTC)

April, sometimes went by the surname of 'Tucker'. Her mothers previous surname. There are various sources. The Texas Tribune, Seattle Times, 7 August 1993, Austin American-Statesman, September 2012. The parents were initially convicted of murder. The verdict was quashed, after it was found evidence was not entered or even withheld, with regard to an attack by 3 dogs. Nix D (talk) 15:04, 27 October 2024 (UTC)

Jason Walter

A post referencing this attack, of 26th August 2010 in La Salle, Illinois was removed. However, it seems completely verifiable? Wondering why it was erased? Nix D