Female arrested after her dementia-stricken mother, 76, was mauled to death in home with 54 dogs



A Colorado woman is facing criminal charges in connection to the mauling death of her elderly mother by 54 dogs in their home, according to authorities.

Officers with the Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office arrested 47-year-old Jessica Hoff on Friday — more than a month after 76-year-old LaVonne Hoff was found mauled to death in the home they shared in Colorado City.

Police said the victim suffered from dementia and 'required 24-hour care.'

The daughter reportedly was charged with criminal negligence resulting in the death of an at-risk adult. She also was charged with 54 counts of aggravated cruelty to animals — one count for each of the dogs found inside the home.

Hoff was booked into the Pueblo County Jail on a $50,000 bond, according to jail records.

On Feb. 3, deputies with the Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of an unconscious woman. Officers found the 76-year-old dead at the crime scene as well as dozens of dogs "running loose in the home."

Autopsy results determined that the cause of the elderly woman's death was wounds suffered during the dog attack.

Police said the victim suffered from dementia and "required 24-hour care."

The Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement, "Sheriff’s detectives conducted an extensive investigation and learned that Jessica Hoff had left her mother at home alone with her dogs that day while she went to Pueblo to run errands."

Detectives determined that the pack of dogs mauled to death the dementia-stricken mother after her at home alone.

Detectives executed a search warrant on the home and reportedly found 54 dogs and seven birds.

The Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office noted that the dogs and birds were found "living in unsanitary conditions, and several of the dogs were in poor health."

A county animal agency later seized the neglected dogs.

Hoff is scheduled to appear in court Thursday.

Approximately 4.5 million dog bites occur each year in the United States, according to DogBite.org. Of the victims, nearly 1,000 require medical treatment at a hospital for nonfatal dog bite-related injuries each day.

Between 2011 and 2021, a total of 468 Americans died from being bitten or struck by a dog, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

8-year-old boy 'brutally' mauled to death by dogs; Florida sheriff vows to hold owner responsible, have animals 'destroyed'



An 8-year-old boy was "brutally" mauled to death by two dogs after the child went to pet the "very vicious" animals, according to police in Florida. The sheriff has vowed "to do everything humanly possible" to hold the owner responsible for the violent animal attack and have the dogs "destroyed."

Around 4:55 p.m. Monday, the boy — Michael Millett — was riding bikes with his friend in the Berry Ridge community in DeLand, which is about an hour northeast of Orlando.

'This is a tragedy beyond comprehension.'

The boy reportedly went to pet the dogs — and then tragedy struck.

Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood said at a Tuesday press conference, "It goes from petting, and a very friendly encounter, to the dogs becoming very, very, very vicious and very violent."

A caller allegedly told a 911 dispatcher, "There is a little boy being attacked by two dogs. Oh, my God, please hurry."

According to the Daytona Beach News-Journal, the frantic caller told the dispatcher: "He is not moving, the boy that is being attacked. He was screaming for help and they pinned him down to the ground and they are like biting him and he is not moving, he is not responding."

The caller said the boy's mother jumped on top of her son to try to protect him from the dog attack.

CPR was performed on the boy, but it was unsuccessful, and Michael was pronounced dead at the scene.

The Volusia County Sheriff's Office said in a statement that one of the dogs is a pit bull and the other is a mixed breed.

The dogs escaped the property, and authorities chased the animals down the road. The dogs were chased back to the property and eventually captured. The dogs were being held in quarantine by Volusia County Animal Services.

Fox News reported that deputies and animal control officers noticed that the dog owner's property was not fully fenced in and that the dogs had the ability to escape easily.

According to the News-Journal, police are investigating allegations that the same dogs were "running wild and killing chickens."

Chitwood said, "These dogs have been terrorizing the neighborhood."

An autopsy determined that the boy suffered 12 severe bites, including injuries to his foot and neck.

'We are going to do everything humanly possible to hold the owner of these dogs responsible, and we are going to do everything possible to make sure that these dogs are destroyed.'

The sheriff said, "What a horrific, horrific incident this was. [The boy was] maliciously mauled, brutally mauled, and killed at the scene."

Chitwood believes the victim didn't suffer long because his wounds were "devastating" and "horrific."

The sheriff added, "I don’t know what anyone can say to ease the immense pain this family is feeling tonight. This is a tragedy beyond comprehension, especially for those of us who are parents and grandparents. I can only ask our community to say a prayer of strength for this family and keep them in your hearts as they face their worst nightmare."

The dog owner — identified as 31-year-old Amanda Franco by the News-Journal — reportedly wasn't on the property at the time of the animal attack.

The paper said of Franco, "A quick search of the Volusia County Branch Jail arrest records showed Franco has been arrested 12 times since 2015 for drug offenses, aggravated battery, battery, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, and a probation violation."

Chitwood said Franco is subject to supervised weekly drug testing and has not been cooperative with authorities.

The Volusia County Sheriff's Office, Volusia County Animal Control Services, and the State Attorney's Office are working together to charge Franco.

"We are going to seek justice for Michael," Chitwood declared, adding that "we are going to do everything humanly possible to hold the owner of these dogs responsible, and we are going to do everything possible to make sure that these dogs are destroyed."

A GoFundMe campaign was launched to help support Michael's family following the tragic loss. The campaign has raised nearly $60,000 at the time of publication.

Police are urging anyone with information on the dogs involved in the attack to contact the Volusia County Sheriff's Office at 386-943-7866.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

3 adults arrested over pit bull attack on 6-year-old boy who was handcuffed by hands and feet, police say



Ohio police say three adults were arrested after a 6-year-old boy was handcuffed by the hands and feet and bitten by a pit bull dog.

The Ashland County Sheriff's Office said that police responded to a call of a dog attack at a home in the village of Savannah on Saturday afternoon. A caller to 911 told a dispatcher that a child had been bitten by a pit bull on the ear and the neck.

'It was horrible, because I couldn't take his pain away.'

The boy was eventually airlifted to an area hospital in serious condition.

Police questioned Angelina Williams of Cleveland, who is the mother of the boy. She told them she lived at the home with a family member of Robert Michalski, who owns the property and the dog.

Investigators said they learned the boy "had been restrained with handcuffs on his hands and feet" before the dog attack and found Michalski and the dog hiding in a cubby hole during a search of the house.

Police arrested Williams and Michalski and booked them into the Ashland County Jail before concluding that Williams' boyfriend, Taylor Desiree Marvin-Brown, had also participated in the "restraining" of the boy. He was arrested as well.

WKYZ-TV spoke to Kydhatha Castellano, who is the boy's aunt and says she is his legal guardian. She said the boy lives with her in New York but was on a 2-week visit with his biological mother in Ohio.

"It was horrible, because I couldn't take his pain away," she said.

Castellano says he opened up to her about the incident and told her that they were punishing him because he was crying and they didn't like that he was crying. The boy was released from the hospital after surgery.

Williams and her boyfriend were charged with endangering children and obstructing justice, both felonies. Michalski was charged with endangering children and tampering with evidence.

The pit bull was captured and the investigation is ongoing, according to police.

Photos of the horrific attack were published by WKYZ in its news video report on YouTube.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Mom-of-three mauled to death days before Mother's Day, her children survive vicious dog attack thanks to 'angel'



A mother-of-three was mauled to death by a pack of "aggressive" dogs in Georgia. The dog attack that happened just days before Mother's Day also left her children injured, one child suffered severe wounds from the tragic incident. The children survived the vicious animal attack thanks to the intervention by an "angel."

A mother and her children were mauled by a pack of dogs on Thursday in Quitman, Georgia. The family was reportedly at a bus stop around 4:45 p.m. when the animal attack occurred.

Deputies with the Brooks County Sheriff’s Office responded to a complaint of multiple minors being attacked by dogs.

When officers arrived, they encountered "several aggressive dogs on the property," according to a statement released by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

Courtney Williams, 35, was found dead by deputies in a nearby yard.

One of the children allegedly flagged down a man driving by the dog attack.

The good Samaritan "helped fight the dogs off and manage to get the kids in his truck," Williams’ sister-in-law Crystal Cox wrote in a Facebook post that included graphic photos of the horrific injuries that one of the children endured.

The man rushed the children to a local hospital.

Cox said the unknown man was a "blessing" and an "angel" to her family.

"Without him, I don't know what the outcome would have been," she wrote.

Cox said that the two children are "fine," but "shook up and still processing things."

A neighbor told WALB-TV, "I do feel for the family and for the kids because now they are going to have to celebrate Mother’s Day without their mother."

Another neighbor told the news outlet that they have been complaining about the lack of animal control for a while.

"People dump dogs all over the county and no one can get help with them because there’s no county animal control. Praying for this woman’s family. This is so sad," the resident said.

Authorities did not identify the breed of dog involved in the attack.

The investigation is ongoing, and an autopsy will be performed by the GBI Medical Examiner’s Office to determine Williams' cause of death.

Anyone with information on the deadly dog attack is asked to contact the GBI Investigative Office in Thomasville at 229-225-4090. Anonymous tips can be submitted by calling 1-800-597-TIPS (8477).

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Kids injured in Brooks County dog attack, mother found dead www.youtube.com

2 dog owners arrested after pit bulls maul South Carolina man to death



Two South Carolina dog owners have been arrested after a man was mauled to death by two pit bulls.

Shannan Christine McCrackin, 45, and Kenneth Howard Swayne, 44, were booked into the Berkeley County jail on Nov. 1. Both were being held at the Berkeley County Detention Center.

McCrackin was charged with involuntary manslaughter and two counts of dangerous animals unconfined on premises. McCrackin had a $25,000 bond.

Swayne was charged with two counts of dangerous animals unconfined on premises. Swayne has a bond of $10,000.

Around 5 p.m. last Tuesday, the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office received a call regarding a dog attack in Moncks Corner, South Carolina.

According to law enforcement, a 65-year-old man was mauled to death and pronounced dead at the scene. He was later identified as David Eller.

The Post and Courier reported, "David Eller, 65, was walking through his neighborhood in the Pleasant Oaks Mobile Home Park off Old Whitesville Road when two pit bull dogs fatally attacked him, Berkeley County Coroner Darnell Hartwell said Nov. 1."

The ma was pronounced dead on the scene.

"This was a vicious attack on an unsuspecting victim, and this should have never occurred," Berkeley County Sheriff Duane Lewis told the Berkeley Observer. "If the owner of the dogs would have taken the proper responsibility for the safekeeping of the animals, the attack could have been prevented."

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Suspects arrested after fatal dog attack in Moncks Corner www.youtube.com

4-year-old playing in backyard was mauled to death by dog; family says the boy was 'full of life'



A 4-year-old boy was mauled to death by at least one dog when he was playing in the backyard of his grandmother's house in Detroit, Michigan.

The vicious dog attack happened in the city's west side just before 3 p.m. on Wednesday, according to police.

Detroit Police Department Cpl. Dan Donakowski said, "The dogs mauled the boy while he was in the backyard. He succumbed to his injuries. We're not sure if it's one or two dogs, but Animal Control has two dogs in custody."

The boy was pronounced dead at the site of the dog attack.

An adult was at home when the boy was killed in the deadly dog attack, according to police.

"The event was so horrific that people across the street could hear," attorney Peter O’Toole said. "They're the ones who contacted authorities right away."

The family believes the dogs jumped over the fence to maul the boy.

According to WXYZ-TV, "Police say the dog even dragged the child back to the other side through a gap in the fence. Neighbors a block away also heard his grandmother call for help."

Donakowski said it is believed that the dogs that mauled the little boy to death belong to a neighbor who lives behind the house of the grandmother.

The dogs were believed to be pit bulls or pit bull mixes, police said.

WILX reported, "As DPD and Detroit Animal Control investigated the scene, police chaplains held the family’s hand in prayer as they mourned the sudden and tragic death of the young child."

The boy has been identified as 4-year-old Lovell Anderson.

"Just full of life," Lovell’s aunt Monique Grant said of the slain boy. "We just ask for everybody's prayers right now."

Lovell's aunt Maple Blackshear remembered, "Just such a gentleman, so helpful. Just sweet."

Police Cmdr. Arnold Williams told reporters at the scene, "We’re trying to do everything that we can just to help everybody through this. The loss of a child who hasn’t really started their life is just something huge that nobody can really even fathom."

Williams added, "This reminds everybody, if you do have a dog to secure your dog to make sure your dog can’t get out. That’s the most important thing."

At the time of publication, the owner of the dogs has not been identified or charged.

Pit bulls taken into custody after 4-year-old killed in dog mauling in Detroit www.youtube.com

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

'Absolutely shocked and devastated': Elderly Hawaii man mauled to death by pack of dogs



A Hawaii man was mauled to death by a pack of dogs in a horrific attack.

Robert Northrop lost his life because of a deadly dog attack on Tuesday morning in the Ocean View Estates subdivision. Around 9 a.m., officers with the Hawaii Police Department discovered Northrop unresponsive in the middle of the road.

The 71-year-old man received medical treatment at the scene and was rushed to the Kona Community Hospital. However, he perished before reaching the medical center.

Police said Northrop died from an attack by four dogs.

The New York Post reported, "A neighbor said he heard a commotion outside his Ocean View home and looked out to witness the canines attacking Northrop in the roadway. He chased the dogs away and called 911, according to cops."

Hawaii police chief Ben Moszkowicz said, "There is currently no evidence that the victim provoked this horrific attack. This incident is a senseless tragedy that could have been avoided."

The owners of the deadly dogs were not home at the time of the attack, according to police.

The Hawaii Police Department said in a statement, "The dogs’ owners were not home at the time of the attack; however, they have been identified and contacted by police. Investigators are looking into claims that the dogs had previously been reported as stray animals."

Police are currently treating the investigation as a Negligent Failure to Control a Dangerous Dog case.

The owners surrendered all four dogs, as well as a litter of 10 puppies, to the Hawaii County Animal Control and Protection Agency.

Police are still awaiting autopsy results to determine the official cause of death.

A statement was released by Northrop's daughter, Shannon Matson.

"Myself, and my sister, Anna are absolutely shocked and devastated to find out this news about our dad," Matson said. "While we don’t know all of the details yet, our family is committed to making sure that the dog owners are held accountable and we will do everything in our power to stop this sort of tragedy from happening to anyone else on our island home."

The Hawaii Police Department is urging anyone with information on the dog attack case to contact Detective Donovan Kohara at (808) 326-4646 ext. 238.

In April, a Minnesota man was mauled to death by his brother's four pit bulls.

In January, a pack of dogs mauled a 7-year-old boy to death in Idaho despite his mother attempting to intervene.

Last October, a 71-year-old man was mauled to death by seven pit bulls in Texas.

Also in October 2022, three pit bulls killed the elderly mother of their owner in Georgia.

Family of deadly dog attack victim calls for accountability www.youtube.com

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

3-year-old Louisiana girl may never smile again after being mauled by foster dog that ate toddler's face: 'She was being thrown all over the place'



A 3-year-old Louisiana girl may never smile again after being mauled in a vicious dog attack. The foster dog ate the little girl's face during the attack.

On March 16, Emily Roark was attacked by a foster dog that her family had brought into their home in less than 24 hours before the horrific attack. The girl's mother said the dog and the girl were "very sweet together," according to the Daily Mail. The dog, named Tater Tot, even let Emily give it kisses on the snout.

Rebekka Bolline, Emily's mother, said, "They had a good relationship. The dog let her kiss her face, on the snout, let her pet her and everything."

"The little bit of time that they were around each other, they were very sweet with each other," Bolline said. "Emily came downstairs and she was petting the dog from the back of the neck to his back, very, very softly."

Bolline recalled, "In a matter of seconds, it barked and latched on her face and then started shaking her side to side, while I'm screaming, 'Get off my baby! Get off my baby!'"

"When the dog bit and latched onto her, she didn't make a sound," the mother explained. "Her body went limp and she was being thrown all over the place."

"At that moment, I just thought that she wasn't going to make it and that she was going to die," Bolline said. "I didn't know how to help her. I couldn't get the dog off her. I kept screaming. I don't remember how I got the dog off – I blocked it out."

The mother reportedly said the dog eventually released Emily from its jaws, but not before the animal had "ingested" some of the toddler's flesh from her face.

"Her cheek was chewed up very badly," Bolline added. "The dog ingested some of her face."

Emily was rushed from her house in Slidell to a local hospital and then transferred to the Children's International Pediatrics Hospital in New Orleans.

Emily suffered muscle damage that may prevent her from ever smiling again. She also has wounds on her cheeks, lips, and inside her mouth. Emily will require multiple reconstruction surgeries.

Tater Tot was euthanized by animal control after the dog attack.

Bolline said the whole reason that they started fostering Tater Tot was because Emily desperately wanted a puppy.

The mother said Emily now has a "fear of animals."

Bolline said, "Every once in a while, she's in a lot of pain she'll point to herself and say, 'Mommy I die, mommy I die. Puppy was hungry,' which is heartbreaking."

A GoFundMe was launched to raise money to pay for medical treatment for the young girl.

"March 16th my 3-year-old daughter got attacked by a pitbull. We were fostering a dog and that morning as Emily was softly petting the dog it attacked her," the profile on the crowdfunding website reads. "The doctors say she will not be able to smile or eat on one side of her face and her tear duct may have been damaged as well. We were discharged yesterday but will need multiple reconstruction surgery. Anything helps, God bless."

Bolline said, "I will never trust a dog ever again. It snapped for no reason."

In February, a 6-year-old girl was mauled during a dog attack, The brutal assault in Maine forced the little girl to undergo a 12-hour emergency surgery and require more than 1,000 stitches.

A family friend said of the girl, "Her salivary glands aren’t working … and doctors said she won't be able to smile again. Muscles are too damaged."

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Pennsylvania woman mauled to death while feeding neighbor's dog with young son nearby



A Pennsylvania woman was mauled to death in a dog attack. The victim was allegedly killed while feeding the dog of her neighbor, who was out of town.

Kristin Potter, 38, went to a neighbor's house in Centre Township in Perry County. The mother-of-two had an agreement to feed the neighbor's dogs – three Great Danes and a French bulldog. The woman had reportedly fed the dogs previously and brought her young son along with her.

While attempting to feed the dogs, two of the Great Danes attacked Potter and mauled her to death. Her young son watched as his mother was attacked before running to get help.

Coroner Robert Ressler said, "He was present at the scene, but I don't think he was there for much of it. As soon as he saw the dogs starting to attack his mother, he ran across the road to have his brother call 911."

The third Great Dane and French bulldog did not attack Potter.

Emergency responders and police officers arrived at the home, but were unable to save Potter from the deadly dog attack. The police were not able to get to Potter until animal control reached the home and tranquilized the assaulting dogs.

The two Great Danes that mauled Potter to death were euthanized by a veterinarian.

State police are investigating the dog attack death. State trooper Kelly Abati said there was not yet a decision if the dogs' owner would face criminal charges.

The dogs' owner said she was "heartbroken."

Wendy Sabathne said, "I’m in shock. I’m in disbelief and I just want to die. I can’t believe this happened."

Potter's younger sister Jennifer Keefer told WGAL, "Kristin just had a very beautiful personality. When you're around her, you just feel better. When you talk to her, you just feel better."

"With all the tragedy that has happened in her life, she still had a high belief in God," Keefer explained. "She was just like that. She felt like there is a reason for everything."

"You can talk to her about anything. She never judged you. She never judged anyone based on anything," Keefer said. "She gave everyone the benefit of the doubt. She always wanted to make up with people. Even people that did her wrong."

"She was just loveable to be around," Keefer added. "Everyone loved her. She was my best friend."

The American Kennel Club noted that Great Danes are "easygoing," but grow to an "imposing" height of 32 inches tall.

"Despite their sweet nature, Danes are alert home guardians," AKC said.

Between 1979 and 1998, there were only seven fatal dog attacks by Great Danes.

Earlier this month, a 65-year-old man was mauled to death man was mauled to death by a pack of dogs in Alabama.

Last month, an 81-year-old Texas man was killed by a dog in San Antonio.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

65-year-old man mauled to death by pack of dogs; woman carries gun to protect herself from dog attacks in town



A 65-year-old Alabama man was mauled to death by a pack of dogs. Dog attacks are allegedly so common in the small Alabama town that one woman has been forced to pack a gun on her daily walks to protect herself.

Joe Cleveland Scott was killed by a pack of dogs in the community of McDonald Chapel, Alabama. Police say the dog attack happened just before 7 a.m. on Tuesday.

A passerby notified authorities after seeing the lifeless body on the road. Deputies with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office found Scott unresponsive. Scott was pronounced dead on the scene at 7:08 a.m., according to Alabama.com.

The Jefferson County Coroner's Office performed an autopsy and determined that Scott's death was caused by the injuries "sustained during the dog attack."

Jefferson County Animal Control set up traps and captured the six large dogs suspected to have killed Scott. The dogs were taken to animal control facilities and euthanized.

Jefferson County Sheriff's Office Lt. Joni Money said, "It is unusual for somebody to be attacked. My understanding from these neighbors is these dogs have been in the area for a while and have not been aggressive."

However, others in the community say loose dogs have been a threat.

Douglas Peterson told WVTM-TV, "[I] had a cat in the backyard. They grabbed it, killed it and left it. Boom it's over. It could be pretty bad when they get together."

Consuella Lewis — who lives down the street from where the dog mauling took place — said there have been dangerous dogs in the neighborhood since at least 2021. Lewis told ABC 33/40 that she is so fearful of the roaming packs of dogs in McDonald Chapel that she carries a gun and a cane to protect herself during her daily walks in the neighborhood.

"I actually have to have my gun on me just to walk because the dogs are vicious," Lewis explained. "I would give a warning shot in the air for the dogs for them to 'shoosh' off and that worked at first but as they got used to it they just was like, 'We can still bite her she ain’t going to do nothing.' That’s when I started with the stick for bite marks and stuff.”

Lewis said she had contacted Jefferson County Animal Control on multiple occasions regarding the roaming dogs in the neighborhood. However, she claimed that she was never given a response.

Allison Black Cornelius — the CEO of the Greater Birmingham Humane Society and representative for Jefferson County Animal Control — conceded that they had received calls, but admitted that a lack of staff prevents them from taking action.

"We've got 5 ACO’s, I think Birmingham has 6 or 7. It’s just we can't hire enough people to catch all of these dogs and make people safe. We need to prevent it," Cornelius told the TV news station.

Cornelius blames the increase of threatening dogs on irresponsible pet owners.

"Stop breeding dogs. If you’re not a responsible breeder of dogs you need to get out of the backyard puppy business because that is exactly who’s contributing to this," Cornelius said.


WATCH: “I actually have to have my gun on me just to walk because the dogs are vicious," said Consuella Lewis.

Lewis has lived in Mcdonald Chapel for more than 40 years. The amount of unkept and aggressive dogs she sees in her neighborhood has become a huge concern. @abc3340 pic.twitter.com/1SylrafCX8
— Kyra Purvis (@KyraPurvis_TV) March 2, 2023

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!