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Pit Bull Kills Little Boy
allen griggs
Member Posts: 35,690 ✭✭✭✭
Asheville Citizen-Times
Asheville NC
Update: Family grieving boy's death in pit bull attack
Sabian Warren, swarren@citizen-times.com 2:16 p.m. EDT July 8, 2015
MOUNTAIN HOME - Family members and friends are grieving the loss of a 6-year-old Henderson County boy, who was killed by a neighbor's pit bull Tuesday afternoon.
Joshua Phillip Strother died at the scene of the attack in a fenced yard on Piney Ridge Drive, off Asheville Highway in the Mountain Home area.
The boy, who lived at 163 Piney Ridge Drive, climbed a fence into a neighbor's yard and was attacked by the dog.
Joshua's great-grandfather, Jerry Hayes, also of 163 Piney Ridge Drive, said the neighbors had gotten the dog about three weeks earlier and that it seemed friendly. Joshua had played with it more than once, Hayes said.
"It may have seen Josh coming over the fence and thought it was somebody breaking in," Hayes said.
Fighting back tears, Hayes said his great-grandson was "smart as a whip. He could count up to 100 frontwards and backwards. He liked to ride bikes and climb. He was very active. He liked SpongeBob."
Joshua would have entered the first grade at Mills River Elementary School in August, Hayes said.
The dog's owners were not at home when the attack happened at about 4:15 p.m. Tuesday. When deputies and first responders arrived, they initially were not able to go into the yard because of the "aggressive nature of the pit bull," Henderson County Sheriff's Office Maj. Frank Stout said.
Deputies shot and killed the dog and rushed to the boy, who had already died.
The boy's mother made a frantic 911 call after seeing her son lying on the ground in the neighbor's yard. According to the audio tape from the call, the sobbing mother told the dispatcher she had gone to the bathroom and lost sight of her son for 5 or 10 minutes.
"He's not breathing," the mother told the dispatcher. "The dog's in the backyard. Oh my God."
"When you call out to him, will he move or answer you or anything," the dispatcher asked.
"No ma'am," replied the mother.
She told the dispatcher, "There's blood all over his face."
Stout said the investigation is continuing but that charges against the dog's owners are unlikely.
"It was inside its own property," Stout said of the dog.
He said the dog was a male, a little over a year old. The owners had adopted it three weeks earlier.
Joshua often played with the owners' 6-year-old daughter, and the children had played with the dog without any problems since its arrival, Stout said.
"There had been nothing to indicate that this dog was aggressive in nature," he said. "The little boy probably had no fear of the dog because they had played together before."
The owners had adopted the dog from a shelter in a nearby county, with all shots and paperwork in order, Stout said. He declined to name the shelter.
Part of the ongoing investigation will focus on the dog's history, Stout said.
"We're trying to get as much history on this dog as possible," he said. "We're just trying to find out the entire chain of events even before the adoption of the dog."
A neighbor who lives across the street, Doris Stone, 86, said Josh was a frequent visitor to her house.
"I don't think it'* me yet," Stone said. "I keep looking, but there's no Josh swinging."
She said he had come by to visit with her on Tuesday morning.
"He was a good little kid," Stone said. "He really was. He would come over here and we would talk. He told me his birthday was Oct. 1, and I told him mine was on Oct. 17. I told him we'd just celebrate our birthdays together."
The two of them had played football in Stone's front yard Tuesday morning, she said. He would hike the ball, and she would catch it and throw him a pass.
"He scored three touchdowns," Stone said.
Jerry Hayes said of the dog, "You just can't trust a pit bull. But that one seemed tame. I petted it through the fence. I thought they had gotten a nice dog. But that one won't bother anyone else."
According to Dogsbite.org, a national dog bite victims' group dedicated to reducing serious dog attacks, in the 10-year period from 2005 to 2014 pit bulls killed 203 Americans and accounted for 62 percent of the total recorded deaths from dog attacks in the U.S. (326). Combined, pit bulls and Rottweilers accounted for 74 percent of those deaths, according to the group.
Asheville NC
Update: Family grieving boy's death in pit bull attack
Sabian Warren, swarren@citizen-times.com 2:16 p.m. EDT July 8, 2015
MOUNTAIN HOME - Family members and friends are grieving the loss of a 6-year-old Henderson County boy, who was killed by a neighbor's pit bull Tuesday afternoon.
Joshua Phillip Strother died at the scene of the attack in a fenced yard on Piney Ridge Drive, off Asheville Highway in the Mountain Home area.
The boy, who lived at 163 Piney Ridge Drive, climbed a fence into a neighbor's yard and was attacked by the dog.
Joshua's great-grandfather, Jerry Hayes, also of 163 Piney Ridge Drive, said the neighbors had gotten the dog about three weeks earlier and that it seemed friendly. Joshua had played with it more than once, Hayes said.
"It may have seen Josh coming over the fence and thought it was somebody breaking in," Hayes said.
Fighting back tears, Hayes said his great-grandson was "smart as a whip. He could count up to 100 frontwards and backwards. He liked to ride bikes and climb. He was very active. He liked SpongeBob."
Joshua would have entered the first grade at Mills River Elementary School in August, Hayes said.
The dog's owners were not at home when the attack happened at about 4:15 p.m. Tuesday. When deputies and first responders arrived, they initially were not able to go into the yard because of the "aggressive nature of the pit bull," Henderson County Sheriff's Office Maj. Frank Stout said.
Deputies shot and killed the dog and rushed to the boy, who had already died.
The boy's mother made a frantic 911 call after seeing her son lying on the ground in the neighbor's yard. According to the audio tape from the call, the sobbing mother told the dispatcher she had gone to the bathroom and lost sight of her son for 5 or 10 minutes.
"He's not breathing," the mother told the dispatcher. "The dog's in the backyard. Oh my God."
"When you call out to him, will he move or answer you or anything," the dispatcher asked.
"No ma'am," replied the mother.
She told the dispatcher, "There's blood all over his face."
Stout said the investigation is continuing but that charges against the dog's owners are unlikely.
"It was inside its own property," Stout said of the dog.
He said the dog was a male, a little over a year old. The owners had adopted it three weeks earlier.
Joshua often played with the owners' 6-year-old daughter, and the children had played with the dog without any problems since its arrival, Stout said.
"There had been nothing to indicate that this dog was aggressive in nature," he said. "The little boy probably had no fear of the dog because they had played together before."
The owners had adopted the dog from a shelter in a nearby county, with all shots and paperwork in order, Stout said. He declined to name the shelter.
Part of the ongoing investigation will focus on the dog's history, Stout said.
"We're trying to get as much history on this dog as possible," he said. "We're just trying to find out the entire chain of events even before the adoption of the dog."
A neighbor who lives across the street, Doris Stone, 86, said Josh was a frequent visitor to her house.
"I don't think it'* me yet," Stone said. "I keep looking, but there's no Josh swinging."
She said he had come by to visit with her on Tuesday morning.
"He was a good little kid," Stone said. "He really was. He would come over here and we would talk. He told me his birthday was Oct. 1, and I told him mine was on Oct. 17. I told him we'd just celebrate our birthdays together."
The two of them had played football in Stone's front yard Tuesday morning, she said. He would hike the ball, and she would catch it and throw him a pass.
"He scored three touchdowns," Stone said.
Jerry Hayes said of the dog, "You just can't trust a pit bull. But that one seemed tame. I petted it through the fence. I thought they had gotten a nice dog. But that one won't bother anyone else."
According to Dogsbite.org, a national dog bite victims' group dedicated to reducing serious dog attacks, in the 10-year period from 2005 to 2014 pit bulls killed 203 Americans and accounted for 62 percent of the total recorded deaths from dog attacks in the U.S. (326). Combined, pit bulls and Rottweilers accounted for 74 percent of those deaths, according to the group.
Comments
Why can we not get a ban on these animals?
,,,because there wouldn't be any dog fights for the natives...
quote:The boy, who lived at 163 Piney Ridge Drive, climbed a fence into a neighbor's yard and was attacked by the dog.
quote:Originally posted by riflemike
only blame i see is the mother.......i watch my grand kids (2 and 7) I WATCH my grand kids, not out of view for a minute
So, according to that logic, the death penalty is okay for a trespassing child when mom takes her eye off jr. for a moment, right???
dont see where i posted anything like that, everyone has suffered, read what dennis posted, you got very young grand babies or children FCD? you dont take your eyes of of them if you should be watching them, Be it pools, lakes , dogs, cars, etc
That's BS. These animals are just vicious killers and unpredictable.
The kid should not have been there, but the dog should have been better restrained.
Why was the kid not told to stay out of so n so's yard because the dog would bite him.
The dog didn't climb the fence and attack the boy, the dog was doing what his instincts told him to do and that was to defend his territory.
90% of dogs are territorial. Some just make it known by barking as a warning to outsiders but when their territory is invaded, all dogs are subject to bite someone.
It's sad that a child lost his life but children and adults have been killed by everything under the sun.
Lets destroy all the guns, cars and trucks. Lets not forget swimming pools because kids drown in them you know. If we remove everything responsible for someones death, The face of the earth would be void of everything including people.
A child is dead and the lives of all involved will be pointing fingers at everyone else when the fault is the lack of parental oversight and responsibility.
The dog didn't know any better and did what dogs do. The little boys parents/family are more to blame for not keeping up with their kid. That is their number one job. They didn't and their child died.
I live in the country, and occasionally there are stray dogs in the area. I take no chances, when my kids are outside playing I am watching them and have a rifle or pistol with me at all times. My neighbors have a rotweiller and another neighbor has a german shepherd. Neither dog would be given any chance if they came near my kids, dogs can be replaced, children can not.
only blame i see is the mother.......i watch my grand kids (2 and 7) I WATCH my grand kids, not out of view for a minute
I WATCH mine too, but only a few days a month, its different when you them 24/7
If you get an animal capable of killing, and it is presented with a need to protect its turf, it may very well kill.
Brad Steele
Sounds like the kid was used to going over and playing with the neighbor's daughter which meant he's probably climbed that fence a lot of times.
Anyway I found it amusing and heart warming that the 86 year old lady across the street was playing football with the boy. She said he scored 3 touch downs.
If this would have been a thief attempting to break into the house, many would applaud the dog's actions.
If you get an animal capable of killing, and it is presented with a need to protect its turf, it may very well kill.
since they where breed to fight other dogs, they often kill other dogs that don't hit the media, pits are great at that and do a good job
but when is the last time a dog broke into your house [;)]
Why can we not get a ban on these animals?
Yep... Time to ban pit bulls now...[V]
Owning a dog is a big responsibility, no less than owning firearms. Being a parent is even more so. The fault is with both the parents and the dog owner, and both will suffer greatly for the rest of their lives. The boy is dead, all parents and dog owners need to assess their situations to make sure that this can't happen to them. Very sad, this should never happen again, it is preventable.
I live in the country, and occasionally there are stray dogs in the area. I take no chances, when my kids are outside playing I am watching them and have a rifle or pistol with me at all times. My neighbors have a rotweiller and another neighbor has a german shepherd. Neither dog would be given any chance if they came near my kids, dogs can be replaced, children can not.
I'm not sure how any blame can be placed on the home owner. They had their dog secured in a fence on their property. No different to me than if it was a boy who went into a neighbors home and shot himself with a gun that his neighbor sometimes let him shoot when nobody was home.
It's a sad situation either way...both the boy and dog are now dead.
I'm not sure how any blame can be placed on the home owner. They had their dog secured in a fence on their property. No different to me than if it was a boy who went into a neighbors home and shot himself with a gun that his neighbor sometimes let him shoot when nobody was home.
If he had shot himself with the neighbors gun there would be a lynching party carrying pitchforks and torches outside his house that night. It would be on the national news and Obama would be calling for more gun control laws.
pit was put down, and now they have a new one
Blame the Pit Bull for the Parents not being parents. Why was the Kid in the Neighbors yard. Dog was doing what he was supposed to do Protect his area.
quote:The boy, who lived at 163 Piney Ridge Drive, climbed a fence into a neighbor's yard and was attacked by the dog.
Exactly...the parents are solely at fault for not properly supervising their child.
that is a few more than last year, but that's the thing. every year you can be guaranteed there are a certain number of murders. if there were a few less, it wouldn't make the news, because the body count is at least a certain level every year.
and how many pit bulls killed someone in my town this year?
zero.
Well, that settles that I guess. GBGD hath spoken, and so it shall be.
I wonder though; how is this incident any different than if the neighbor had booby trapped his yard with explosives, or traps, to kill an intruder??
I suspect some here with such strong convictions on this matter would have a much different tone if that were the case! Then there would be calls for a public lynching and for heads on a pike. And it wouldn't be for the parent's heads this time!
The difference is that setting up booby traps demonstrates intent to harm someone. The article says that the dog was adopted from a local shelter, with no indication that it was aggressive. The owner of the animal is not facing charges because they didn't do anything wrong.
what if the parents let their kid out of their sight for a minute and he runs off and gets run over on the highway? same thing. the driver didn't want that to happen, but it did, and he has to live with it for the rest of his life.
Why was a six year old allowed to freely roam the neighborhood without supervision.
Why was the kid not told to stay out of so n so's yard because the dog would bite him.
The dog didn't climb the fence and attack the boy, the dog was doing what his instincts told him to do and that was to defend his territory.
90% of dogs are territorial. Some just make it known by barking as a warning to outsiders but when their territory is invaded, all dogs are subject to bite someone.
It's sad that a child lost his life but children and adults have been killed by everything under the sun.
Lets destroy all the guns, cars and trucks. Lets not forget swimming pools because kids drown in them you know. If we remove everything responsible for someones death, The face of the earth would be void of everything including people.
A child is dead and the lives of all involved will be pointing fingers at everyone else when the fault is the lack of parental oversight and responsibility.
The dog didn't know any better and did what dogs do. The little boys parents/family are more to blame for not keeping up with their kid. That is their number one job. They didn't and their child died.
That's a fact!!!1
I was a crazy unruly child.My mom,no BS made me sit in the tub,curtain drawn,when she had to go...I know this sounds like a joke but,it's what happened to me...
I certainly cannot see how ANY BLAME AT ALL can be put on the dog.Like Dennis said,those folks should have got their own fresh off the tit pup and raised it to lick an intruders face,instead of biting it off.
I have seen it done and done it my self...Any dog can bite,when it's a Chihuahua it's "cute". When it's a dobie,rott or a pit,it's deadly..
If U need to bring your kid to the b-room to keep it out of trouble, DO SO!!!
quote:Originally posted by shilowar
quote:Originally posted by Flying Clay Disk
Well, that settles that I guess. GBGD hath spoken, and so it shall be.
I wonder though; how is this incident any different than if the neighbor had booby trapped his yard with explosives, or traps, to kill an intruder??
I suspect some here with such strong convictions on this matter would have a much different tone if that were the case! Then there would be calls for a public lynching and for heads on a pike. And it wouldn't be for the parent's heads this time!
The difference is that setting up booby traps demonstrates intent to harm someone. The article says that the dog was adopted from a local shelter, with no indication that it was aggressive. The owner of the animal is not facing charges because they didn't do anything wrong.
C'mon, man! I know the law. So do you.
My point stands.
I addressed your point. The dog was inside a fenced yard on its own property. The owner apparently had no reason to think the dog was aggressive. That is completely diifferent then setting up booby traps on your property with the intention of injuring or killing someone. The dog was a pet, not a guard dog. You seem to be confusing emotion with fact. There is no violation of law on the part of the property owner and it has been reported that he won't be facing any charges.
The parents are not completely without liability, but did the child deserve to DIE? The parents get to live with it for the REST OF THEIR LIVES...the dog owner gets to live with it for a 'while'.
Seriously.
Of course the child didn't deserve to die, what does that have to do with his parents failing to supervise him?
Perhaps I'm an idiot. Perhaps I am.
You are acting like a Lib! Facts be damned, let the emotions rule! It does not get old for you? Don
Really, LT?
Glad you're happy (or, 'okay') with this. Yes, the rule of law will seemingly prevail for the dog owner. No argument there.
I just don't see much difference between a booby trap and a killer dog.
Perhaps I'm an idiot. Perhaps I am.
don's right, you are acting like a libtard. Nothing about this story is happy, and I am not quite sure where you come to the conclusion that I am happy about it. I simply look at the facts of the event and come to a conclusion, I don't allow the emotions of it to cloud my judgement.
The "killer" dog wasn't a killer until he killed this little boy. There is no indication that anyone had reason to suspect this dog would kill a human being. It was adopted from a legitimate shelter, had all its shots and had previously played with the boy.
Julie Ball, jball@citizen-times.com 6:37 p.m. EDT July 9, 2015
Josh Strother
HENDERSONVILLE - Henderson County authorities say no charges will be filed in connection with a pit bull attack that killed a 6-year-old boy Tuesday.
Joshua Strother, of 163 Piney Ridge Drive, was killed after he reportedly climbed a fence into a neighbor's yard.
The dog's owners were not at home at the time of the attack.
The family adopted the dog from the Asheville Humane Society about three weeks before the incident, according to Major Frank Stout of the Henderson County Sheriff's Office.
"They (the Asheville Humane Society) were very forthcoming with all the records that they had and gave us everything that they had," Stout said. "There was nothing that showed any aggressive tendencies while the dog was in their custody or in their adoption process."
The dog was a little over a year old and came into the shelter as a stray. "It was brought into their shelter by the sheriff's office in * County," Stout said.
The dog was picked up after the sheriff's office got a call that a stray dog was on someone's porch, according to Stout.
"They followed the appropriate procedures, took the dog to the Humane Society and then they (the Asheville Humane Society) had the dog for almost a month before it was adopted out," Stout said. "There are things they do to try and determine the compatibility and the aggressiveness of a dog before they do adopt it."
Heather O. Hayes, marketing and design manager for the Asheville Humane Society, said the organization uses a "seven-point behavior assessment designed to predict a dog's likelihood to bite in various situations, and we also continue to assess the dog's behavior while in our care."
"Our dogs also have a lot of one-on-one interaction with trained staff. If any aggression is reported, the dog is re-evaluated by our certified behavior department," Hayes said via email.
"Again, we are deeply saddened by the incident and send our condolences to both of the families during this difficult time," Hayes said.
Stout said there were no eyewitnesses to the attack.
When authorities first arrived on the scene, they were not able to get into the yard because of the "aggressive nature" of the dog. Deputies shot and killed the dog.
Joshua would have entered first grade at Mills River Elementary next month, according to a relative.
"This was a tragic event for everyone involved," Henderson County Sheriff Charles McDonald said. "Our hearts and prayers go out to the families involved."
I have heard nothing about that but,my bet is, that dog never lived to see the sun set THAT DAY!
quote:Originally posted by Flying Clay Disk
Really, LT?
Glad you're happy (or, 'okay') with this. Yes, the rule of law will seemingly prevail for the dog owner. No argument there.
I just don't see much difference between a booby trap and a killer dog.
Perhaps I'm an idiot. Perhaps I am.
don's right, you are acting like a libtard. Nothing about this story is happy, and I am not quite sure where you come to the conclusion that I am happy about it. I simply look at the facts of the event and come to a conclusion, I don't allow the emotions of it to cloud my judgement.
The "killer" dog wasn't a killer until he killed this little boy. There is no indication that anyone had reason to suspect this dog would kill a human being. It was adopted from a legitimate shelter, had all its shots and had previously played with the boy.
Spoken like someone who knows very little about dogs.
quote:Originally posted by shilowar
quote:Originally posted by Flying Clay Disk
Really, LT?
Glad you're happy (or, 'okay') with this. Yes, the rule of law will seemingly prevail for the dog owner. No argument there.
I just don't see much difference between a booby trap and a killer dog.
Perhaps I'm an idiot. Perhaps I am.
don's right, you are acting like a libtard. Nothing about this story is happy, and I am not quite sure where you come to the conclusion that I am happy about it. I simply look at the facts of the event and come to a conclusion, I don't allow the emotions of it to cloud my judgement.
The "killer" dog wasn't a killer until he killed this little boy. There is no indication that anyone had reason to suspect this dog would kill a human being. It was adopted from a legitimate shelter, had all its shots and had previously played with the boy.
Spoken like someone who knows very little about dogs.
You would be wrong, I have quite a bit of experience with dogs. I happen to have nine rescue dogs at present and have spent years volunteering with dogs and rescue organizations. As I said according to the article there was no indication prior to the attack that this particular dog was aggressive. Most reputable Animal Shelters have behaviorist that work with the dogs to determine if they are suitable for adoption. They test them for aggressiveness, food aggression, toy aggression and sociability with humans, dogs and cats.
As a responsible dog owner I would never allow a child around my dogs, unsupervised. I also never leave my dogs outside in our fenced yard when I am not home or at night. My dogs are inside, some of them crated. Over the years I have had many breeds including pit mixes. Owners should take the time to understand the drive of their particular breed and respect that there is a potential for danger with any dog, especially with small children.
No charges in pit bull attack that killed boy
Julie Ball, jball@citizen-times.com 6:37 p.m. EDT July 9, 2015
Josh Strother
HENDERSONVILLE - Henderson County authorities say no charges will be filed in connection with a pit bull attack that killed a 6-year-old boy Tuesday.
Joshua Strother, of 163 Piney Ridge Drive, was killed after he reportedly climbed a fence into a neighbor's yard.
The dog's owners were not at home at the time of the attack.
The family adopted the dog from the Asheville Humane Society about three weeks before the incident, according to Major Frank Stout of the Henderson County Sheriff's Office.
"They (the Asheville Humane Society) were very forthcoming with all the records that they had and gave us everything that they had," Stout said. "There was nothing that showed any aggressive tendencies while the dog was in their custody or in their adoption process."
The dog was a little over a year old and came into the shelter as a stray. "It was brought into their shelter by the sheriff's office in * County," Stout said.
The dog was picked up after the sheriff's office got a call that a stray dog was on someone's porch, according to Stout.
"They followed the appropriate procedures, took the dog to the Humane Society and then they (the Asheville Humane Society) had the dog for almost a month before it was adopted out," Stout said. "There are things they do to try and determine the compatibility and the aggressiveness of a dog before they do adopt it."
Heather O. Hayes, marketing and design manager for the Asheville Humane Society, said the organization uses a "seven-point behavior assessment designed to predict a dog's likelihood to bite in various situations, and we also continue to assess the dog's behavior while in our care."
"Our dogs also have a lot of one-on-one interaction with trained staff. If any aggression is reported, the dog is re-evaluated by our certified behavior department," Hayes said via email.
"Again, we are deeply saddened by the incident and send our condolences to both of the families during this difficult time," Hayes said.
Stout said there were no eyewitnesses to the attack.
When authorities first arrived on the scene, they were not able to get into the yard because of the "aggressive nature" of the dog. Deputies shot and killed the dog.
Joshua would have entered first grade at Mills River Elementary next month, according to a relative.
"This was a tragic event for everyone involved," Henderson County Sheriff Charles McDonald said. "Our hearts and prayers go out to the families involved."
Interestingly I happen to be in Hendersonville right now, This is a really nice city, they have a well developed, attractive downtown. Woke up this morning at the Red Roof Inn near 26.