2023 Fatal Dog Attack Breed Identification Photographs

Photographs of six fatally attacking dogs in 2023 obtained from multiple sources.

Jump down to view all 2023 breed identification photographs or read our analysis first.

DogsBite.org - In 2013, we began the tradition of publishing breed identification photographs of fatally attacking dogs when available through news reports, animal control agencies, police departments, social media and public information requests. Of the 58 dog bite fatalities recorded in 2023, 64% (37) had some form of a breed identification photograph. Our nonprofit was responsible for capturing 76% of them. Pit bulls and their mixes represent 65% of the identification images collected in 2023.

Of the 37 cases with breed identification photographs, 27% (10) comprised images captured or republished by news media; 76% (28) comprised images located on social media pages of the dog's owner or family members; and 76% (28) comprised images that were the result of our research and otherwise may have gone unpublished. Police and animal control agencies released dog identification images after only 3 deaths, yet 71% of all deaths (41 of 58) involved dogs taken into quarantine.

(Percentages are higher than 100% due to a single death containing multiple dog images, each attributed to a different source, as well as images that fall into overlapping publishing categories.)

Identification Photographs (2013-2023)

From 2013 to 2023, images captured by our nonprofit have risen from 26% to 76%. Images captured by media have fallen from 79% to 27%.

Chart shows 11 years of breed identification photographs collected between 2013 and 2023.

2023 Unreleased Breed Data

Of the total recorded 58 dog bite fatalities in 2023, 7 cases had no breed information (12%). A FOIA by our nonprofit lowered that number to 6. Our research of Facebook pages belonging to the dog owners -- to locate the suspected dogs -- lowered that number to only 3 cases (5%) when breed information was fully unknown. In 2022, the landscape was far worse, when 33% of all recorded fatal dog maulings fully lacked breed information until we brought forth multiple time-consuming FOIAs.

In 2023, 31% of deaths involved 1 or more dogs shot at the scene, which often diminishes the ability to collect breed identification images.

Characteristics of the 7 cases in 2023 where authorities did not release breed data include: 100% of victims are adults ≥ 39 years old (when age known 6/6); 100% of victims are classified as marginalized (when known 6/6); 86% of attacks occurred in the Southern United States (6/7) and 71% involved a pack of 4 or more dogs (5/7). In the 4 cases where breed information was discovered, 75% involved pit bulls (3/4), half involved Belgian malinois' (2/2) and half involved mixed-breed dogs (2/2).1

Pack Attacks, Off Property Attacks Rise

Pack attacks and off-property attacks rose sharply in 2023. Pack attacks accounted for 29% of fatal dog bites in 2023, which is a 93% rise from the pre-Covid combined year average of 15% (2005 to 2019). Off-property attacks accounted for 43% of fatal dog attacks in 2023, which is a 65% rise from the pre-Covid years of 26%. Of the 21 deaths where breed images were not captured in 2023, most attacks, 57% (12), occurred off the owner's property and 76% (16) involved 1 or more pit bulls.

Despite the high number of off-property attacks, it was more common to obtain a breed identification photograph when the attack occurred on property. Of the 33 on property attacks, 73% (24) had an identification image versus 52% (13/25) for off-property attacks. When property data is known, the dog owner's Facebook page is more easily located. For off-property attacks -- unless police name the dogs' owner -- it's harder to obtain the information required to run searches on social media.2

Breed Misidentification Conflicts

Two breed identification conflicts arose in 2023. They began with the death of a baby in Waterloo, Iowa. The grandmother, who was babysitting and called 911, identified the dog as a "pit bull" to the 911 dispatcher. In a 2018 Facebook post, the baby's father hashtagged "Echo" as a pit bull. The dog has the distinct "rose ears" of a pit bull, identified in the 1977 American Pit Bull conformation standard. Nonetheless, Waterloo officials stated the dog was a 9-year old "neutered male boxer-hound mix."

"334 for an animal attack on an infant ... The animal control, PD ... received a report that a 9-month old child possibly killed by a pit bull. Our reporting party was also injured as well ... Scott Avenue ... 10-4, send a truck ... Respond 334 for an animal attack ... for a pit bull that's attacked a 9-month old child, possibly killed it. We do have animal control and PD in route as well. Our reporting party was also injured. I don't know the extent. It does sound like the pit bull might be in the backyard, in a fenced-in backyard." - Black Hawk County Fire and EMS Dispatch

The other identification conflict arose after a 6-year old boy was killed by a pair of "very large and heavy great dane-mastiff mixes" in Portland, Oregon. The boy was routinely dopped off at the woman's home, who owns the dogs, before school. That day, the boy followed her into the garage where the dogs were kept, and the dogs attacked him. The woman operates a business called "K9 Protection" and had images of two cane corso-mixes on her Facebook page, one from February 2023.

While not technically a conflict, because no breed data was released, the dog pack that killed Sau Nguyen, 79, is unusual. Multiple photographs of the dogs were published by media. Some speculated a Kangal was involved. A woman whose chihuahua had been killed by the dog pack described them as, "akita shepherd-mix and a pit bull-akita mix." Media did not even follow up with Nguyen's cause of death, which was "multiple sharp force and blunt force injuries." The manner of death was accident.

Summary

In 2023, 64% of dog bite fatalities had some form of a breed identification photograph, just above the 10-year average of 62% (2013 to 2022). Our nonprofit captured over three quarters of them, 76%, in 2023. Pit bulls and their mixes represent 65% of the identification images collected in 2023, below the 10-year average of 74%. Breed identification photographs captured by media declined to 27% in 2023. The only worse year, 2020, was the peak of Covid when images captured by news media fell to 25%.

At 64%, 2023 marks the first increase in capturing these images since the pandemic. However, in 2019, 84% of deaths had a breed identity photo.

Finally, of the total recorded 58 dog bite fatalities in 2023, 7 cases lacked all breed information (12%). Through our nonprofit's research and FOIAs, we lowered that number to only 3 cases, 5%. We were able to capture breed identification images for 4 of these deaths, where otherwise the breeds involved would have been unknown.3 This is a better result than last year, when 33% of all recorded fatal dog maulings lacked breed information until we brought forth multiple time-consuming FOIAs.

2023 Fatal Dog Attack Breed Identification Photographs

Sadie Davila - East Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Photos of fatally attacking pit bull (news media)

See: Full blog post | Sadie Davila, 7-years old, was killed by an unrestrained pit bull belonging to a neighbor on January 6, 2023 in East Baton Rouge, Louisiana. A relative tried to intervene by hitting the dog with a walking cane to no avail. Davila suffered "numerous dog bites to her face and substantial damage to her skull." The owner of the dog was charged with negligent homicide.

Kellan Boner - Fort Hall Reservation, Idaho

Dated photos of two rottweilers on dog owner’s Facebook page (social media & dogsbite.org)

See: Full blog post | Kellan Boner, 7-years old, was killed by four dogs -- two rottweilers and two mixed-breeds -- on January 21, 2023 on the Fort Hall Reservation in Idaho. His mother sustained critical injuries from the dogs trying to stop the attack. Kellan and his mother are non-tribal members, who lived in an RV behind the dog owner's home, also non-tribal members.

Doris McBurse - Pitts, Georgia

Photos of two "blue" pit bulls on dog owner’s Facebook page (social media & dogsbite.org)

See: Full blog post | Doris McBurse, 66-years old, was killed by a "blue pit bull" on her property in Pitts, Georgia on January 23, 2023. The dog had been staked out on a chain, but broke free and attacked her. She fled to her car for safety, where her body was found. She and her husband, who also bred and sold blue and red nosed pit bulls, had owned the canine for three or four years.

Stanley Hartt - Tucumcari, New Mexico

Photos of two of five fatally attacking dogs (police, news media, social media & dogsbite.org)

Duane Osadchuk - Warren, Texas

Photos on dog owners’ Facebook page prior to fatal attack (social media & dogsbite.org)

Bonnie Varnes - Toledo, Ohio

Photos of fatally attacking family pit bull, "Amenia" (social media & dogsbite.org)

See: Full blog post | Bonnie Varnes, 58-years old, was killed by her daughter's female pit bull on February 20, 2023 in Toledo, Ohio. Police obtained surveillance footage, which showed Varnes taking the pit bull "Amenia" out the back door on a leash. As she did, the dog pulled her down and attacked. After finding her mother, the daughter described Amenia as being "vicious at times."

Ramon Najeras Jr. - San Antonio, Texas

Photos of two fatally attacking pit bulls, "Snow" and "King" (news & social media)

See: Full blog post | Ramon Najeras Jr., 81-years old, was killed by a pair of pit bulls on February 24, 2023 in San Antonio, Texas. Firefighters had to fight off the dogs with "pickaxes and pipe poles to try to get to the patients." The dogs, King and Snow, had a history of aggression and biting. The owners were charged with felonies under the Texas felony dog attack statute.

Joe Scott - Jefferson County, Alabama

Photos of five of six dogs from fatally attacking dog pack (sheriff’s office)

Kristen Potter - Perry County, Pennsylvania

Photos of two great dane puppies on dog owner’s Instagram page (social media & dogsbite.org)

Donald Gibson - Tulsa, Oklahoma

Photos of fatally attacking female pit bull, "Isabella" (news media)

See: Full blog post | Donald Gibson, 66-years old, died after trying to break up a fight between two rescue pit bulls. The attack occurred inside the garage. Gibson's wife, Gena, said the female pit bull, "Isabella" redirected onto Gibson, tearing out chunks of his arm. "My garage looked like a slaughterhouse," Carter said. The other pit bull, "Angel," was put down due to her injuries.

Blake Bettis - Brunswick, Maryland

Photos of fatally attacking mastiff-pit bull mix, "Cash" (social media & dogsbite.org)

Daniel Bonacorsi - Detroit, Michigan

Photos of two fatally attacking pit bulls, "DeNiro" and "Sola" (social media & dogsbite.org)

See: Full blog post | Daniel Bonacorsi, 58-years old, was killed by two pit bulls being housed in a boarded-up building in Detroit on April 4, 2023. Bonacorsi entered the building with another man to try to help the seemingly abandoned dogs when the canines attacked him. But the dogs were owned, licensed, vaccinated and secured by the property owner, according to the city of Detroit.

Glennaroy Blackwelder - Tulsa, Oklahoma

Photos of two of three fatally attacking pit bulls, "Bergle" and "Boba" (dogsbite.org FOIA)

See: Full blog post | 71-years old, was killed by her neighbor's four dogs -- including three pit bulls -- on April 18, 2023 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Blackwelder had been looking for one of her cats at the time. Her body was found in the backyard of a home that was adjacent to the dog owner's backyard. The dogs attacked her through the fence, grabbing ahold of one of her arms, killing her.

Navy Smith - Waterloo, Iowa

Photos of fatally attacking pit bull-mix, "Echo" (news media, social media & dogsbite.org)

Infant Jane Doe - Madison Charter Township, Michigan

Photos of pit bull-mix on grandparent’s Facebook page (social media & dogsbite.org)

See: Full blog post | Infant Jane Doe, 11-months old, died after being attacked by a pet dog while visiting her grandparents' home in Madison Township, Michigan on June 19, 2023. The infant was outside playing in the backyard while under adult supervision when the attack occurred. The dog involved was a 5-year old pit bull-mix, according to the police department’s news release.

Lewis Flores - Rockport, Texas

Photos of three of five suspected fatally attacking dogs (social media & dogsbite.org)

See: Full blog post | Lewis Flores, 40-years old, died after being attacked by multiple dogs in Rockport, Texas on June 20, 2023. A man who lives nearby, Adrian Arispe, described the gruesome scene to reporters. "He was laying there face down, naked -- all torn up like a shark ate him." A relative posted to Facebook, "Lewis just passed he got mangled by a pack of pit bulls."

Anthony Bastardi - Johnston County, North Carolina

Photos of fatally attacking bull terrier and cane corso (news media & social media)

Daylan Guillen - North Port, Florida

Photos of suspected fatally attacking family pit bull, "Theo" (social media & dogsbite.org)

See: Full blog post | Daylan Guillen, 6-years old, died after sustaining traumatic injuries from a family pit bull on July 5, 2023 in North Port, Florida. The dog lived in the same home as the child since it was a puppy. "The dog was in a bedroom, the child walked into the bedroom to get something," police said. "Next thing you know, people heard screaming and jumped into action."

Adult Jane Doe - Suwannee County, Florida

Photos of one of four fatally attacking American bulldog-mixes (social media & dogsbite.org)

Joseph Keeton - Deschutes County, Oregon

Photos of one of three fatally attacking pit bull-mastiff mixes, "D.J" (social media & dogsbite.org)

See: Full blog post | Joseph Keeton, 56-years old, was killed by three pit bull-mixes at a transient camp known as "Dirt World" on July 19, 2023. Keeton had been mauled for "a prolonged period of time," the Deschutes County Sheriff's Office said. Jessica Rae "Charity" McCleery, 38, was later charged with second-degree manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide.

Chanthy Philavong Maetu - Modesto, California

Photos of two fatally attacking cane corsos, belonging to Kareem Morrell (news media)

Billene Cameron - Kennewick, Washington

Photos of one of two fatally attacking pit bulls (social media & dogsbite.org)

See: Full blog post | 65-years old, died while hospitalized after being attacked by two pit bulls. The attack began when Cameron ran outside to save her pug "Diego" from the dogs. A neighbor climbed a 6-foot fence to help. He beat one of the pit bulls with his cane, allowing Cameron to escape inside her home. The second pit bull followed her inside and continued the attack.

Brenda Witt - Miller County, Arkansas

Photos of fatally attacking pit bull-mixes (social media & dogsbite.org)

See: Full blog post | 60-years old, was killed by a pack of pit bull-mixes. Authorities said when Witt's daughter returned from church, she found her mother dead inside of an old vehicle on the property, where she had tried to take shelter from the violent dogs. The owner, Chris Scott, was charged with one count of misdemeanor negligent homicide. He surrendered himself to police.

Diane Knepper - Toledo, Ohio

Photos of fatally attacking family pit bull-Labrador mix (news media)

See: Full blog post | Diane Knepper, 70-years old, was killed by her own dog on September 26, 2023 in Toledo, Ohio. Workers from a lawn care company, who found her body, said she was lying face down on the ground holding the dog's leash. The Lucas County Coroner determined Knepper died from multiple blunt and sharp force injuries. The manner of death was ruled an accident.

Donovan Brooks - Ringgold, Louisiana

Photos of two current pit bulls on the owners’ Facebook pages (social media & dogsbite.org)

See: Full blog post | Donovan Brooks, 40-years old, was killed by a pack of dogs, but not found until a month later. Police believe his body had been in a wooded area after being moved from where he was killed by the dogs. Three adults were arrested on charges of negligent homicide and obstruction of justice. Police seized 26 dogs -- nine large and 17 small -- from the property.

Paul Striegl - San Antonio, Texas

Photos of fatally attacking pit bull, "Ghost" (social media & dogsbite.org)

See: Full blog post | Paul Striegl, 47-years old, died one month after being attacked by a pit bull on September 5. "Both arms" were "destroyed" by dog bites, states the police report. Doctors had to amputate one arm at the elbow. While hospitalized, multiple fungal infections set in. Striegl suffered heart, kidney and liver failure, and a collapsed lung before dying on October 1.

Jessica Wauters - Tomball, Texas

Dated photos of two family rottweilers on victim’s Facebook page (social media & dogsbite.org)

See: Full blog post | Jessica Wauters, 59-years old, was killed by one of her three rottweilers in her backyard. Her injuries "were consistent with an attack by the rottweiler dog," police said. The suspected rottweiler was "put away" at the scene. The other two were also euthanized. Wauters' had been raising and breeding rottweilers for over a decade, according to her Facebook page.

Lovell Anderson - Detroit, Michigan

Photos of two pit bulls seized after the fatal attack (news media)

See: Full blog post | Lovell Anderson, 4-years old, was killed by an unsecured pit bull while playing in his own fenced-in backyard. The dog grabbed the child through a gap under the fence, pulled him to the other side, then attacked him. He died at the scene. Detroit Animal Care and Control confiscated two pit bulls (tan and white and tan). One is believed to be the culprit.

James McCool

Photos of the primary breeding lines on the kennel property (social media & dogsbite.org)

See: Full blog post | James McCool, 39-years old, was killed by a dog pack belonging to his cousin on October 29, 2023 in Star City, Arkansas. Scott McCool owns and operates Copperhead Road Kennels, which "specialize in breeding guard dogs and American pit bull terriers," states its YouTube channel. Authorities charged Scott with manslaughter in connection to his death.

Colton Kline - Spokane, Washington

Photos of fatally attacking adopted pit bull-mix, "Spud" (social media, supplied & dogsbite.org)

See: Full blog post | Colton Kline, 4-years old, was killed by a family pit bull-mix. Kline was staying with his grandmother on Halloween when the dog attacked. Her boyfriend had adopted "Spud" two months earlier from Spokane Regional Animal Protection Service. "Despite the efforts of first responders, the child succumbed to their injuries," states a release from Spokane city.

Makai Williams

Photos of fatally attacking American XL bullies, "Bruno" and "Rock" (dogsbite.org FOIA)

Sau Nguyen - Houston, Texas

Photo of dog pack (4 of 7 dogs) that authorities seized after the attack (news media)

Leo Caddel - Chelsea, Alabama

Photos of female wolf-dog hybrid, "Kuna" on owner’s Facebook page (social media & dogsbite.org)

Loyalty Scott - Portland, Oregon

Photos of two mastiff-mixes on dog owner’s Facebook page (social media & dogsbite.org)

Beverly Hayden - Cass County, Indiana

Photos of fatally attacking male, family pit bull, "Oden" (social media & dogsbite.org)

See: Full blog post | Beverly Hayden, 89-years old, was killed by a pit bull in her living room. A family member was present but "unable to prohibit the attack." The dog fled the home afterward. A "large-scale search" was conducted, including deploying a police drone, to locate the dog to no avail. The male pit bull, "Oden," was eventually located one-half mile away from Hayden's home.

Adult John Doe - Yuma County, Arizona

Photo of fatally attacking male pit bull (sheriff’s office)

See: Full blog post | Adult John Doe, 59-years old, was killed by a vicious pit bull. "The initial investigation revealed a male victim, 59, was attacked the night prior by a canine and sustained fatal injuries," states a release from the Yuma County Sheriff's Office. The dog was killed after it ran into traffic on Interstate 8. The same pit bull had attacked another man six months earlier.

Alexander Torres - Miami, Florida

Photos of male, brindle pit bull-mix on victim’s Facebook page (social media & dogsbite.org)

See: Full blog post | Alexander Torres, 29-years old, was discovered dead in his garage with numerous dog bites on December 19, 2023 at his home in Miami, Florida. Torres lived alone with the dog and had a disability, family members said. A medium-sized male, brindle dog, described as a "terrier-mix" by Miami-Dade Animal Services (MDAS) was removed from the residence.

How We Track Photograph Sources

We track the identification photograph's original source. There may be multiple images of a dog, thus multiple sources may be attributed to a single death. We also track where the image was published. For instance, after Stanley Hartt's death, media obtained images from the dog owner's social media pages and police lapel video. We obtained an image of the sire of one of the dogs on the owner's Facebook page. Thus, the images were sourced to news media, social media, police and DogsBite.org.

What is simpler to measure in our tracking and analysis is the rising number of breed identification photographs located on the dog owner's or family member's social media pages, from only 16% of all collected images in 2013 to 76% in 2023, a 375% rise. It is also easy to see the small number of images provided by law enforcement even though most dogs after a fatal attack are held in a quarantine facility. Police released identification images after 3 deaths this year, 8%, of cases with images.

Photograph Tracking Categories

• DogsBite.org published only; no news media republished the photograph
• U.S. news media supplied original photograph and/or republished photograph
• Social media website supplied breed identification photograph
• Law enforcement or animal control department supplied photograph
• Canines shot to death at the scene of a fatal dog attack
• Canines held in a quarantine facility after a fatal dog attack

Chart shows the increasing number of breed identity images captured by our nonprofit.

Related articles:
01/20/23: 2022 Fatal Dog Attack Breed Identification Photographs - DogsBite.org
01/12/22: 2021 Fatal Dog Attack Breed Identification Photographs - DogsBite.org
01/12/21: 2020 Fatal Dog Attack Breed Identification Photographs - DogsBite.org
04/23/18: Fatal Wolf-Dog Hybrid Attacks - The Archival Record - DogsBite.org
08/31/15: Who Can Identify a Pit Bull? A Dog Owner of 'Ordinary Intelligence'...